Health & Testing
Dog DNA Testing for Breeders: What It Tests and Why It Matters
Canine DNA testing gives breeders and buyers a more detailed genetic picture of a breeding dog. Here is what these panels screen for, how the major companies differ, and how to read the results.
March 20, 2024 · 7 min read
What Is DNA Testing?
Consumer canine DNA testing is offered by several companies, including Embark, Wisdom Panel, and GenSol Diagnostics. With a simple cheek swab, a panel screens a dog's DNA against known genetic health variants, reports on traits (coat color, length, curl, shedding potential, and more), and some panels also provide breed or ancestry information. The exact list of conditions and traits differs by company and panel, so always check what a specific test covers.
What Does a DNA Panel Test For?
- Genetic disease risk markers — for example progressive retinal atrophy, von Willebrand's disease, degenerative myelopathy, and exercise-induced collapse, depending on the panel
- Drug sensitivities — some panels include the MDR1/ABCB1 mutation (important for herding breeds)
- Coat traits — color, length, curl, furnishings, and shedding
- Body size indicators from genetic markers (panel dependent)
- Parentage verification on some panels
- Genetic diversity metrics on some panels, such as an inbreeding coefficient
- Breed composition — including ancestry percentages for mixed breeds
How DNA Results Help Breeders Make Better Decisions
Responsible breeders use DNA results to pair dogs strategically — avoiding pairing two carriers of the same recessive disease, maximizing genetic diversity, and selecting for coat traits that match what buyers need. For example, a breeder focused on low-shedding puppies can test whether both parents carry the furnishings gene to better predict the coat type buyers expect. Results improve predictions but are not a guarantee for every puppy.
What Results Mean for Your Puppy
When a breeder shares DNA results for both parents, you can evaluate:
- Which conditions each parent is 'Clear' for (no risk copies detected)
- Which conditions a parent 'Carries' (one risk copy — won't be affected but can pass to offspring)
- Which dogs are 'At Risk' (two copies — may develop the condition)
- Whether the pairing produces 'Clear' puppies even if a parent carries a condition
Red Flags: Breeders Who Don't Test
Any breeder who claims their dogs are 'naturally healthy' or that testing 'isn't necessary because we've never had problems' is telling you they don't know what they don't know. Genetic diseases in dogs are silent until they aren't — a carrier parent will never show symptoms, but their puppies can be profoundly affected. DNA testing is the only way to make informed breeding decisions. Period.
Our DNA Testing at Star Struck Puppies
Our breeding parents are DNA health tested through Wisdom Panel and GenSol Diagnostics, and we share available results with families on request. We don't breed carriers to carriers for testable conditions. If you'd like to see the DNA results for the parents of a puppy you're considering, just ask.