Before I dig into this post, a note: I bought Penny’s DNA test myself. Years ago, I was provided DNA tests for Lucas and Cooper for free, so I chose the same company to purchase this one. This post is not sponsored. As an Amazon affiliate, I do earn a teeny-tiny commission from qualifying purchases.

Are DNA tests worth the price tag?

That’s the question, isn’t it? They’re pricey, sure, but do they give good information?

In today’s post, I’m going to share our experiences, which started MANY years ago when I tried an early-generation DNA test with Lucas, then another a few years later with Cooper, and now, after more than a decade, another test with Penny.

This is Penny:

And here’s one from a photoshoot we did (I think this one might be my bio pic?) so you can see her relative size and her body shape:

And here’s one more for a different perspective that better shows the speckling on her hind end:

Okay, so hopefully those three pics give you a sense of Penny’s body shape. A few other key points about her physical and behavioral characteristics:

• Penny was born without a fully formed right eye (called “microphthalmia”).
• She was also born deaf.
• Penny came to us through a rescue after having been pulled from an animal hoarding situation.
• She is sweet, gentle, and friendly. She is genuinely the absolute most precious ever.
• Penny LOVES to dig. She digs holes around the yard, and she digs holes in our sheets (sigh), in particular when she tries to bury a chew.
• She’s four years old and weighs about 45 pounds.

Do you have any guesses of Penny’s DNA? I’ll share the results below, of course, but I’d LOVE to know in the comments if you were close or not!

Following these results, I’m going to share my thoughts on the DNA test, the value for the money, and a few things to consider before you invest in a DNA test for your dog.

Were you close?!? She is essentially a hound x bully mix, which is literally my favorite breed mix on the planet. 🙂 Not that it matters, but it was fun to learn. Now, the nitty-gritty:

How much does a dog DNA test cost?

Real talk: These tests are pricey. I suspect it’s a combo of paying for the advanced technology and the reporting, but there’s no question that it’s a steep price tag for something that is truly unnecessary. If you are wanting to buy one for fun OR if you do have a medical / genetic question you’re trying to answer, it might be worthwhile.

The prices I’m spotting now range from $100 for the most basic test directly from Wisdom Panel and up to $160 for the most advanced. At the time of this writing (March 2026), Amazon has the most advanced option for 20 percent less.

What kind of results do you get from a DNA test for your dog?

First, a note that I learned during our previous tests: only 50 genes out of around 20,000 genes result in a dog’s appearance. So when people get their DNA test results and flip out because their dog looks nothing like the breeds included, remember that is only a tiny portion of your dog’s genetic makeup. In Penny’s case, though, she looks the part.

In addition to the snapshot above–which is, I think, what most people are looking for–with the higher “tiers” of tests, you can get breed traits, behavior insights, and any health markers. I chose the Premium Dog DNA Kit for Penny, and here are a handful of details we learned:

The results included 58 different genetic trait tests. The health tests are fascinating. What I learned: Penny is a carrier of the degenerative myelopathy gene, but since she has only one it is unlikely to ever affect her. PHEW.

Other fun facts: She has a copy of the floppy ears gene.

And her coat color and type is all screwy because she has specific coat color genes (like brown) but they’re overridden by the two copies of the merle gene, which resulted in her white coat, deafness, and vision issues.

Also, she has the genetic variant for “reduced shedding,” so that’s cool!

Pros and Cons of the Widom Panel DNA test for dogs

Where it fell apart for Penny was in the behavior insights.

When I was in college, one of my biological anthropology professors drew this analogy: Nature is like an empty painter’s palette. Nurture is the paint that fills the slots.

So, I take Penny’s results with a massive lump of salt because her first two years of life were spent as one dog of more than 100 in a hoarding situation, not a typical upbringing for a pet dog.

According to her results, it said she’s more likely to cross her paws. Scroll back up and look at that first picture of her in this post!

It also says she’s more likely to get motion sickness (she does not), that she has a typical fear and anxiety response (she does not), and that she is less likely to be friendly toward unfamiliar people (could not be further from the truth).

Interestingly, it also says she’s less likely to pant, which is true. She doesn’t pant much. Of course, she doesn’t exert herself much either, but I suppose if she did…

So, pros: breed makeup and health insights

Cons: the cost and the behavior insights are irrespective of your dog’s lived experiences

TL;DR–Is a dog DNA test worth the hype or the cost?

It depends on your goals. If you just want to see the breed makeup of your pup and you’re mostly doing it out of curiosity or just for fun, go for the basic test.

If you want to discover health insights about your dog’s genetic makeup, get the more advanced test, like we did with Penny.

If you are hoping to find behavioral traits, you’d be better off making your own ethogram for your individual dog, which you can do for free.

Will I test Stola or any other future pups?

If I can find a good deal on the premium test, then it’s likely. I really did appreciate having pages and pages of data about Penny’s genetic health risks. Turns out, she’s clear of all. That doesn’t mean she can’t or won’t develop something down the line, but her genetic predisposition was reassuring–and another reason why I LOVE mixed breed pups for all that genetic diversity!

Have you ever done a dog DNA test on a pup in your care? Were you surprised by the results? Did you find them helpful? I’d love to know in the comments!

Click to get your free guide to working with dogs of all kinds of abilities, like deaf and low-vision Penny!