For Breeders

  Embark to School: Border Collie Coat Colors Follow along in this video as we decode the DNA results of an Embark-tested Border Collie to discover Jazz’s coat color.  Learn more about Coat Color Genetics and Embark for Breeders DNA Kits.    

A number of genes are known to affect coat color in dogs. It is important to note that in some cases a dog’s  genetic and environmental factors may also influence color and pattern. Research on coat color and its modifiers is ongoing. In reference to the infographic above, take a look at four coat color...

Embark Veterinary is focused on providing comprehensive results in an efficient manner. Did you know over 95% of breeders receive their results less than 21 days after we receive their DNA kits? Still, we encourage breeders to plan ahead and order kits as soon as they know how many puppies or potential breeding dogs they...

   It’s always fun to highlight one of the most commonly observed traits in dogs, their unique coat types, and explain the underlying science that determines the outcome. Coats come in various forms ranging from the short, hard, wiry coats of terriers to the long, silky coats of many toy dogs. Part of a dog’s...

Embark scientists, working in collaboration with its citizen scientist customers, made the unique genetic discovery that the uniquely patterned coat of Cattle Dogs, Pointers, and other breeds known as “roaning” is strongly associated with a genomic region on chromosome 38 and likely regulated by the usherin gene (USH2A). Embark’s study R-locus for roaned coat is...

  Embark’s chat feature allows you to contact other Embark users to learn more about the dogs in their profile. We are excited to announce some fresh new improvements to Embark chat that make it much easier to use.   To connect with another breeder via chat: Go to the public profile of a dog...

Many breeders find the companionship of their purebred dog so rewarding that they feel they would like to mate their dog, to continue the bloodline or keep a puppy.  The Embark Canine Health Summit was a full two day virtual event where breeders, researchers, veterinarians and dog fanciers all came together to discuss how breeding...

The Past DNA testing and profiling came of age less than 50 years ago – providing for a myriad of opportunities, including forensics, screening for predisposition to disease, and paternity testing. Paternity testing, by common definition: Typically, a DNA-based test to determine whether a given male could be the biological parent of a given offspring....

Embark for Breeders Dog DNA test includes a variant in the HPS3 gene that causes a coat color referred to as “cocoa.” What Does Cocoa Look Like Phenotypically? This variant causes dogs that would otherwise produce black pigment to produce dark brown pigment in their skin and hair. Dogs must have two copies of the...

Embark offers the coat color trait test for red pigment intensity. Red pigment intensity is the concentration of red pigment (pheomelanin) in a dog’s hair, which produces colors ranging from light cream (like a West Highland Terrier) to deep red (like an Irish Setter). About the Red Pigment Intensity Test Intensity is not controlled by...

The “A locus” is the name for the DNA sequence that makes up the agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) gene, which is located on chromosome 24 in the dog genome. This gene contains instructions to make a protein (ASIP) that acts as a molecular switch: when ASIP is present, it tells hair cells to produce the red/yellow...

You’ve tested and verified your dog’s genetic health with an Embark for Breeders Dog DNA test; now set them apart for everyone to see with a “Tested by Embark” logo. DNA testing for genetic health conditions and managing diversity are two of the many important steps breeders take to manage and improve the overall health...