Dog Age Test

Embark’s Age Test uses a saliva sample collected with a cheek swab, just like our other DNA tests (Breed ID, Breed + Health, and Purebred), but that’s where the similarities end. Embark’s Age Test does not provide genetic health results, your dog’s breed breakdown, access to our relative finder tool, or ancestry information.

The science of the tests is also very different. Our other DNA tests are based on your dog’s DNA sequence, which was present from birth. The Age Test, on the other hand, relies on epigenetics—the study of how external factors can change the way genes work—to estimate when your dog was born. The Age Test technology estimates a dog’s age by utilizing a technology that focuses on DNA methylation patterns.

Because of these differences, the same swab cannot be used for both tests.

Even trained experts get age identification wrong much of the time when judging by visual cues alone. That’s why we go beyond appearances and use DNA methylation to determine your dog’s age. DNA methylation is a chemical modification that acts as a signaling beacon, telling our bodies whether or not certain genes should be used. The genes we use change during aging, and so DNA methylation patterns change too. Embark has identified biomarkers of aging in dog DNA methylation, and we use those to calculate chronological age.

At Embark, our mission is to use science to help dogs live healthier, happier lives. Your dog’s sample will fuel our epigenetics discovery engine as we learn more about canine wellness, healthy aging, and disease risk. As our data set grows, so does our ability to make new discoveries.