Embark’s DNA testing for dogs is very accurate. You should probably be aware of a few factors that can affect dog DNA test accuracy. These include:
Quality of the sample. If the sample is contaminated or doesn’t contain enough DNA, your results will not be accurate. Make sure you follow the directions in the test kit to prevent this.
Number of Contributing Breeds. The larger the number of breeds, the more difficult it is to accurately predict the exact contribution from each breed. Dog DNA tests are extremely accurate for dogs that are only a few breeds.
Number of Generations. How many generations that have passed since the DNA entered the line can also affect the accuracy. For example, if your dog is 98% Labrador Retriever and the “other” DNA entered the gene pool eight generations ago, accurately identifying the “other” breed could be challenging.
As more dogs get DNA tested, the accuracy of the tests will continue to improve. It’s also important to note that breed IDs, such as “Super Mutt,” reflect lower confidence matches, often due to factors two and three listed above.