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When my husband and I adopted our dog Sally in 2017, we were extremely curious about her dog breed makeup. We suspected she was hound of some sort but were uncertain of what type or anything else beyond that.
We decided to take a dog DNA test to learn more. We completed a Wisdom Panel breed detection test for her and in less than two weeks, we had the results. What we discovered in the results was completely surprising to us.
Wisdom Panel sent us the Wisdom Panel Health DNA test to try for free in exchange for an unbiased review. (The DNA test I conducted with the 3.0 kit was not a free trial.)
Article Overview
- Pros & Cons
- Key Features
- Price
- Personal Experience
- What Do Customers Think?
- How To Get A Good Swab (Video)
- Learn More About Genetic Makeup Or Health
Wisdom Panel
Pros
- Test covers 99% of 180 AKC-recognized breeds
- Comes with 2 swabs, and they’ll replace for free if damaged
- Charitable partnerships with animal rights groups
- Genetic mutation testing for over 180 canine health conditions
- Results back in 2-3 weeks (quicker than most)
- Phone, email customer service for any questions
- Good website resources about canine DNA testing
Cons
- Expensive
Key Features
- Fast results compared to others
- Simple instructions
- Distinguishes the breed makeup of your dog
- User-friendly website
Price
- Wisdom Panel Health Canine Breed + Disease Detection (350 Breeds & Disease Detection): $149.99
- Wisdom Panel 3.0 Canine Breed Detection (250 Breeds): $84.99
- Wisdom Panel Premium DNA Test: $159.99
- Wisdom Panel Essential DNA Test: $99.99
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My Experience With Wisdom Panel
I had a great experience with Wisdom Panel. In fact, you can read about my hands-on testing in comparison to Embark DNA in this article. I have tested both Wisdom Panel’s 3.0 kit and the new Health DNA tests for my dog, Sally.
The instructions were easy to follow for both tests, and I liked that the packaging was simple because it didn’t complicate things. The swab used to collect the DNA samples are similar to a mascara wand, which I wasn’t expecting but it didn’t affect the way I used it.
Thanks to the DNA test, we were able to learn more about Sally’s genetic makeup as well as the different traits that each breed shows. For example, she has some German Shepherd in her, and she definitely loves to herd. It was fun to connect the dots and understand our pup even more.
Both times I submitted the tests, I received my results within a couple of weeks and was able to read up on the different breeds that makeup my dog as well as the health information provided by Wisdom Panel Health. Overall, it was a fun experience, and I learned a lot.
Sally’s DNA Results
Are you curious about our dog’s DNA results? The Wisdom Panel test said Sally was the following:
- 37.5% Treeing Walker Coonhound
- 25% Mastiff
- 25% Beagle
- 12.5% German Shepherd Dog
The Coonhound in her is pretty obvious but seeing Mastiff on the results was entirely unexpected. She’s about 50 pounds, so she’s definitely not the size of a Mastiff. However, the brindle coloring in her face and paws, as well as the white patch on her chest, have Mastiff written all over her.
I’m not the only one who was surprised with my dog’s DNA test results. Read some of the whackiest results we found while conducting research for this article.
Sally’s Health Results
Wisdom Panel screens for more than 150 genetic health conditions and noted if Sally was “at risk” or a “carrier” for any disease-causing mutations. Sally’s results showed that she was a carrier for hypocatalasia (aka acatalasemia and canine catalase deficiency (CAT)). She didn’t show up as being at risk for any diseases, which made me a happy dog mom.
What Do Customers Think Of Wisdom Panel?
Read about what other Wisdom Panel users have to say about the DNA test below.
Positive Reviews
This was a fun experience to see my rescue’s lineage. He’s a unique looking guy, that no one could seem to place a breed or two on. Some said German Shepard with Chow or Keeshond. I thought Golden Retriever, with Husky, or long haired German Shepard. Turns out he’s got 25% Rottweiler? I’m not too sure about that part, but the rest came back making total sense. Overall pretty fun and worth the price. – Amanda F., Wisdom Panel 1/11/2019
I ordered this on a Friday and it arrived by Monday. Very clear and easy to follow instructions and I used it right away. I got an email when they recieved it at wisdom panel and was prepared to wait the full 2-3 weeks after they got it for the results. I only had to wait a week and half and was happily suprised with the results email today! This is the 2nd wisdom panel test I have done on my dogs and while part of my puppies results were shocking, other parts I knew. Over all impressed with the product and with chewys ease of purchase and fast delivery. – Baxtereese, Chewy 12/12/2018
Negative Reviews
I received a referral from a friend who had a 7 of her dogs done. We liked the report just wish they were able to tell more about the 12% of the other mixes in our dog. He is 87% Border collie and 12% mixed with 3 other breed groups. We wanted to know which specific breeds not just the breed groups. A bit disappointed that we did not received the names of the breeds that make him up. Over all happy to see all the additional info about him. – Trent W., Wisdom Panel 5/26/2018
We knew our dog was predominantly dachshund, but wanted to find out what else she was mixed with. She looks and acts like a dachshund, but a couple physical features are slightly different. She even has the webbed feet that is only found in 10 breeds. Dachshund is one of them. We were hoping this DNA test could shed some light for us. We got the results back and no where does it say dachshund. Not even a small amount. It came back with about 5 other breeds that makes no sense. Waste of money. – Jenn, Chewy 12/17/2018
How To Get A Good Swab
When I swabbed my dog Sally’s cheek, I was worried I wasn’t going to do it correctly. Watch this quick video to see how I did it.
Want To Learn About Genetic Makeup Or Health?
Wisdom Panel provides breed and health information in its DNA tests, which is why we think it’s a great one-stop-shop for dog DNA testing. You can learn about Wisdom Panel’s competitors and see how Wisdom Panel compares to other dog DNA tests by reading our comparison article.
Would you ever do a DNA test on your dog?
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You could add my dog to your ‘wacky’ DNA results list. As background, she was rescued as a puppy out of a dirty shed in a trailer park (“owners” did not speak English). My only point here is to stress that it is not likely that they had access to unusual or expensive breeds to cross with other dogs…
50% American Staffordshire
25% Saluki
25% Yorkie
Uh huuuh. It said 1 parent was 100% Am Staff – perfectly reasonable and expected; 1 parent 1/2 Saluki and 1/2 Yorkie. Now… 1. how exactly would a saluki and a yorkie mate? I mean, I guess it could be possible if one were determined enough but… 2. Are there either a lot of salulis running around mating with random dogs or are people intentionally crossing ‘exotic’ breeds with yorkies? and 3. My dog is 80 pounds. Must have been one huge yorkie!
Don’t waste your money! They told me my whippet mix was 2/3 Siberian Husky. When I contacted them to question the results, they had a “veterinarian“ call me to “explain” the findings…..I told her it wasn’t possible, so she offered to send me another kit to verify the results. As I was convinced that they had mixed up the samples, and I really wanted to know the true results, I swabbed her again. I received the exact bogus results the 2nd time. I should have swabbed a different dog…I’m sure the results would have been the same. What a money-making scam!!!
I did the wisdom panel for my dog Shilo who was let out in the parking lot of a popular grocery store that I worked the time 2014 she had a white hankershift with a explanation of why this person couldnt have this 1yr. Old Border Collie so in may of 2019 I did the wisdom panel I was so surprised but yet relieved to know her breed wisdom panel is an awesome tool.Thank you so much
My puppy’s dam was a pedigree beauceron, but the sire was unknown. The test identified 3 obscure breeds at 12% (DNA from well beyond the Great grandparents), and the remaining 68% was put under the category “breed groups” hound and terrier.
No where did the results mention beauceron. The test is flawed and a waste of $. Don’t buy this test!
buyer beware! I have four dogs and tested my German Shepard to see how accurate the test would be for the other three dogs that are unknown. The results came back telling me he is a American staffer terrier. Couldn’t be further from his breed. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!! Lies!!!
I found this test to be a waste of $85, the test came back completely surprising and I am almost convinced they uploaded the wrong dog onto my account. The test does not provide all the information on your dogs breed. They only provide about half the percentage of what breeds your dog is and the rest is provided as a group so its left up to guessing.
I can’t understand the high rating here. I asked for my money back from Chewy.com after I paid $80 for a test that told me what I already knew. My dog is 75% pit bull and 25% something else. The something else was the reason for testing. Lots of arguments over the rest of his ancestry. This was a joke of a product and seems like so much snake oil.
If you contact Wisdom Panel, they’ll review the results with you. I’ve done two dogs with them, and both came up with a small panel (around 10%) of mixed breed. The problem is that the DNA segments are so mixed, they aren’t easily able to be identified to a particular breed. Because the test goes back three generations, its likely that the parents of your dog were a pit bull and pit bull mix, and the mixes parents were mixes, and the grandparents were also mixes – which makes it extremely difficult to identify the mixes in each breed generation.
As the DNA database gets larger, the results will get more specific. It works the same way with DNA testing for humans – the ethnicities change as the size of the database gets larger and the matching algorithms get more accurate.
There is no coupon discount on the MSRP on Amazon. The price on Amazon is $79.99.
The price on Amazon can vary. Some times, the price is lower and other times the price is the same. Sorry there is no discount offered currently. 🙁
I cheek swabbed my dog after a treat. Saw the wait 2 hours after treat notification. I washed the swabs and will retry in in 2 hours. Was that ok:( My dog is a biter and I was trying to make a pleasant experience:(
Hi Anne, I would contact Wisdom Panel and ask them before you send in the test. I’m sure if they say it is tainted they’d be willing to send you a new one without paying the full price since no testing has been completed yet.
While I’ve seen strange results, most of the folks who say Wisdom Panel is full of it are just sore because they didn’t get the expected results. I said “most”. Obviously there are a few results that can’t be right.
Once again the Mars Wisdom panel is completely full of shit. It isn’t even close. This is the second dog i’ve had tested and the results are almost as if someone tried to guess the opposite of what the dog looks like. Don’t waste your money. I think the people doing the tests must be mixing up the swabs with other dogs.
Didn’t get the results you wanted, huh? Genetics is hard.
How long did it take you to get the kit in the mail once you ordered it?
It’s pretty fast. Within a week for sure.
Sorry Beth, I’m not quite sure. Someone else on the team ordered the kit and had it sent to my address. I don’t remember it taking very long.