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My dog Poppy has what the internet calls ‘cousin face’ — people often stop me to say they know a pup who looks just like her. My response is usually the same: “She’s a rescue,” I tell them, noting that she was initially found wandering the streets of Los Angeles (far from her current address in upstate New York). “So, who knows? Maybe they’re related!”
It was always just something I said, confident I’d never really be able to know my Chiweenie’s family tree. . . or whether she was actually even a Chiweenie (a.k.a. Chihuahua mixed with Dachshund). Still, that didn’t sit right with me — we treat her like our daughter, and I wanted to know more about her so I could care for her like I would my children.
Then, I discovered Embark’s Breed + Health Dog DNA Test. Not only does it give you a breakdown of your furbaby’s breeds, but it also scans for genetic health risks, tells you more about their traits and life stage, and it even connects you with their relatives. After securing a kit (and an intense 30-second wrestling session), Poppy’s cheek was swabbed, the sample was placed in a vial and everything was shipped off to be analyzed by Embark’s team.
Get the Breed + Health Dog DNA Test for $130 (originally $199) at Embark! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
It took around four weeks of anxiously checking for updates for an alert to appear, telling me that the results were in. My husband and I nervously gathered around my phone as I fired up Embark’s convenient app, placing our bets for what we would discover about Poppy. Would she be part Whippet, something we long suspected due to her unusually long legs? Would her health results alert us to something notable (and thus send me into a late-night spiral)?
To start, we discovered that Poppy is mostly Chihuahua — 29.8%, to be exact. But, surprisingly, she was also 19.7% Poodle, 17.3% Miniature Pinscher, 12.2% Pomeranian, 6.2% Pekingese and 3.4% Cocker Spaniel! No Dachshund DNA in sight! She did, however, have 11.4% dedicated to “Supermutt,” which means that Poppy is from a long line of mixed-breed dogs and might be part Bichon Frise, German Shepard and American Pit Bull Terrier. . . which could explain why she has no fear barking her head off at much larger dogs.
Poppy’s traits were a little less surprising, since her DNA indicated a “Cream to Red” coat color and that she was likely a heavy shedder (unfortunately, true).
And, thanks to a fun “Personality Quiz” feature, we found that her temperament is most likely influenced by her Cocker Spaniel heritage, which is probably why she loves playing with toys and sniffing every tree, bush and piece of grass during long walks.
The health results also weren’t as scary as I thought they would be. The only notable risk involved a liver enzyme, and Embark makes it clear that nothing listed is a diagnosis. It’s also super easy to enter your vet’s information right on the site, so you can share the results directly with your pup’s care team to keep them informed. We’ll definitely be bringing this up at our next appointment.
Still, my favorite feature about the Embark test is having the ability to explore Poppy’s relatives. As it turns out, she does have quite a big family, and while her siblings or parents aren’t in the system, tons of dogs are as related to her as “human half-siblings, aunts or uncles, grandparents, or first cousins.” Her highest match is Chopper, who shares 36% of the same DNA!
I’m honestly thrilled with the Embark test, and it’s safe to say I’m not the only one. There are thousands of 5-star reviews on the site, with people praising how “comprehensive” the results are and how “valuable” the information will be going forward.
Seeing everything laid out — Poppy’s breed mix, traits and health insights — made me feel like I finally had a fuller picture of who she is and what she needs. Instead of guessing, I now have information I can actually use, whether that’s paying closer attention to certain health risks or simply understanding why she acts the way she does. It’s reassuring to know I’m making care decisions with context, not assumptions.
If you’re itching to find out more about the dog you adopted or are curious to see if your new puppy has a lookalike sibling out there, try Embark’s Breed + Health Dog DNA Test. I’d say it’s well worth the full price, but considering it’s marked down to just $130 right now, you might as well take advantage!
Get the Breed + Health Dog DNA Test for $130 (originally $199) at Embark! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
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