12 Dog DNA Tests To Help You Learn Your Dog's History

Humans have 23andMe, Ancestry.com, My Heritage, and more ways to test their DNA and learn more about their background. And, as it turns out, there are also DNA tests for dogs to help owners learn more about their pets' history. Although it can be pricy, the testing is often as simple as sending a saliva sample to a lab. (Getting that saliva, however, might be a challenge.)

DNA testing is somewhat controversial in veterinary circles because some professionals worry not every test result could be an accurate portrayal of a pet's background. This is particularly worrisome for the tests that dig into the dog's health history. "I want pet owners and veterinarians to understand that they should not be using direct-to-consumer dog DNA testing to make medical decisions about individual animals," veterinarian Lisa Moses told NPR. But president of the American Veterinary Medical Association John Howe told the outlet that DNA testing for things like breed history could be a harmless fun thing to do so long as owners understand that the results may not always be entirely accurate.

There are a lot of tests on the market that do different things. Here are 12 that may appeal to you if you want to know more about your doggo.