Genetic Health Education
Expert articles about DNA testing from genetics 101 to best practices. Embark answers questions about the genetic coefficient of inbreeding, interpreting results, when to breed carriers and more.
Bearded Collie Genetics: Health, Traits, and COI
Learn how Embark is helping Bearded Collie breeders better understand genetic health, coat color traits, and inbreeding. What does Embark test for in Bearded Collie? Genetic health tests offered by Embark for Bearded Collies: Collie Eye Anomaly, Choroidal Hypoplasia, CEA (NHEJ1) Degenerative Myelopathy, DM (SOD1A) Learn more about these health conditions on our health page....
Not breeding your purebred? Why a dog DNA test still matters
Purebred dog owners often ask, why should I Embark-test a dog I’m not planning to breed? The answers may surprise you. Not only can an Embark test provide you with important genetic health information that could help prevent emergencies, manage disease, and save you money on long-term veterinary bills; but your dog could hold the...
Assessing a potential mate? Start with a COI request.
Responsible breeders know the value of genetic COI (coefficient of inbreeding) in making breeding decisions: Not only is it correlated to overall canine health and lifespan, but it can also be extremely useful in assessing potential breeding mates for your dog. In fact, it’s one of the reasons many breeders choose Embark for their DNA...
Wobbler Syndrome in Dogs
Wobbler Syndrome in dogs—also known as cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM)—is a common disease of the cervical spine in large and giant breed dogs. Currently, the genetic basis for Wobbler Syndrome is unknown. Although the condition mostly affects Doberman Pinschers (~5%) and Great Danes (~4%), it can also occur in Mastiffs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Borzoi, and Poodles,...
Should I breed a dog tested as a carrier or at-risk?
Learn how to factor genetic health results into breeding decisions in this introductory video with Embark Co-founder Dr. Adam Boyko. How should I factor my dog’s genetic health results into my breeding decisions? Many breeders receive their dog’s Embark results and discover that their dog is a carrier or at-risk for a genetic health condition....
Dog DNA Tests: Top 6 Things Breeders Need to Know
Genetic health testing is growing among breeders who see the benefits of informed breeding decisions and healthier litters. Here are some frequently asked questions about dog DNA tests. Q: What is genetic health screening? A: Genetic health screening can provide extremely detailed information to improve your dog’s health, optimize breeding pairs, improve litter outcomes, and...
How Testing for 270+ Genetic Conditions Helps Purebred Dogs
A common and important question – why does Embark test for health conditions that are not known to impact my breed? Embark prioritizes health conditions that are known to impact your breed. We highlight these breed-relevant genetic health conditions at the top of the health summary on each dog’s results report. Embark users can also...
Meet Embark’s Veterinary Geneticist Service Team
Embark was founded with the mission to end preventable diseases in dogs. To help achieve this, Embark’s dog DNA tests use a research-grade microarray. This allows us to provide the most accurate and comprehensive results on the market, as well as to conduct ongoing research and make new genetic discoveries to further canine health. Meet...
Science Corner: Genetics 101
Embark’s Professional Team strives to provide you with the most useful, most actionable test results. To best leverage these results, it’s useful to understand the basics of genetics and what factors need to be considered when applying test results to a breeding program. Genetics can be simple or complex, and both are actual scientific terms...
Bring the Family: Why You Should DNA Test Your Litters
As a responsible breeder, you’re already invested in the health of your dogs: You’ve DNA-tested your breeding stock, received expert consultations on results, and made adjustments. So when your next litter arrives, you may wonder, why test all the puppies? At Embark, we understand the cost of testing an entire litter may seem challenging, especially...
Beyond Dog DNA Tests: What Breeders Should Know About Complex Genetics
Dog breeders often ask, why are the risks for some health conditions difficult to detect with genetic testing? The short answer is: genetics can be simple or complex—scientific terms that mainly refer to patterns of inheritance or transmission of a disease-causing mutation. Some health issues currently have a DNA test available to see if your...
Breeding for the future: Why genome-wide diversity matters
Many dog breeders have reached out to us to ask “What makes Embark’s test better for maintaining diversity and lowering disease risk in my breed?” Specifically, they are often interested in how Embark compares to other diversity management products that use a very small number of genetic markers to make breeding recommendations. In short, you...
