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Tobi inherited both copies of the variant we tested
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Genetic Age
Please note that genetic age is different from calendar age. We can now estimate your dog's calendar age with the Embark Age Test.
The genetic age in this report is an estimation of where your dog is in his or her healthspan. Dogs age at very different rates due to a number of genetic and environmental factors. Body size is a strong genetic influence: for example, a seven year old Great Dane is at the start of his golden years, but a seven year old Pomeranian is just learning what "slow down" means. Just within this example, you can see that the old "one doggie year = seven human years" adage isn’t going to work. And yet, knowing your dog’s age is important: it informs what your dog needs as far as food, frequency of veterinary checkups, and exercise. So how do you best determine how old your dog is?
Embark's genetic age feature calculates how old your dog would be if he or she were aging at an average human rate (using humans in the USA as the baseline). So going back to our Dane/Pom example, we'd estimate a seven year old Great Dane at about 80 years old (senior citizen), but a seven year old Pom would be about 42 (adult). Makes way more sense, right?
Personalized genetic age table for Tobi
| Calendar age | Genetic age |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 18 human years |
| 2 years | 25 human years |
| 3 years | 30 human years |
| 4 years | 35 human years |
| 5 years | 40 human years |
| 6 years | 45 human years |
| 7 years | 50 human years |
| 8 years | 56 human years |
| 9 years | 61 human years |
| 10 years | 66 human years |
| 11 years | 71 human years |
| 12 years | 76 human years |
All we need from you is a calendar age. It's okay if this is an estimation: it is just a starting point. We then factor in your dog's breed composition, information at certain genes that affect size, and their inbreeding coefficient to calculate genetic age. Like in humans, in dogs females tend to live longer than males (so an “80 year old” female dog = 80 year old woman). Exercise and diet also play a role in how long your dog will live. Nevertheless, genetic age is the primary risk factor for numerous diseases in dogs, including cancer, kidney disease, osteoarthritis, cataracts, cardiac disease and cognitive decline. It can help you and your vet know what you should feed your dog, what screenings to get, and other aspects of your dog’s care.
Wolfiness score
How wolfy is my dog?
Most dogs have wolfiness scores of 1% or less. We find populations and breeds with higher scores of 2-4% occasionally, and unique dogs with scores of 5% or above more rarely.
What it means for my dog
Your dog’s Wolfiness Score is not a measure of recent dog-wolf hybridization and does not necessarily indicate that your dog has some recent wolf ancestors. (If your dog has recent wolf ancestors, you will see that in the breed mix report.) Instead, the Wolfiness Score is based on the number of ancient genetic variants your dog has in our unique Wolfiness marker panel. Wolfiness scores up to 10% are almost always due to ancient wolf genes that survived many generations, rather than any recent wolf ancestors. These ancient genes may be a few thousand years old, or may even date back to the original domestication event 15,000 years ago. They are bits of a wild past that survive in your dog!
The science
Your dog’s Wolfiness Score is based on hundreds of markers across the genome where dogs (or almost all of them) are the same, but wolves tend to be different. These markers are thought to be related to "domestication gene sweeps" where early dogs were selected for some trait. Scientists have known about “domestication gene sweeps” for years, but do not yet know why each sweep occurred. By finding rare dogs carrying an ancient variant at a certain marker, we can make associations with behavior, size, metabolism, and development that likely caused these unique signatures of “doggyness” in the genome.
Predicted Adult Weight
How does weight matter?
For people with puppies, you probably want to know how big of a crate to buy or just how big to expect your dog to become. But genetic weight is also useful for people with fully grown dogs. Just like with people, overweight and obese dogs suffer reduced length and quality of life. They can develop chronic health conditions and suffer from limited mobility and other issues. While over half of American dogs are overweight or obese, fewer than 15% of their owners realize it. By comparing your dog’s weight to their genetic predicted weight you have one more piece of information about their ideal weight. With this and other pieces of information like weight history and body condition, you and your veterinarian may want to discuss your dog’s diet, exercise, and weight control plan to give your pup the longest, healthiest life possible.
How do we predict weight?
Our test is the only dog DNA test that provides true genetic size not based just on breed ancestry but based on over a dozen genes known to influence a dog’s weight. It uses the most advanced science to determine your dog’s expected weight based on their sex, the combination of these genes, and breed-specific modifiers.
How accurate is the predicted weight?
Unlike in people, healthy weight in dogs is controlled largely by only a few genes. Our algorithm explains over 85% of the variance in healthy adult weight. However, due to a few as-yet-undiscovered genes and genetic interactions that affect size, this algorithm sometimes misses. Occasionally it misses by a fairly large amount especially when a dog has a breed with an unknown size-influencing gene. If we have missed your dog’s weight, your dog may be a scientific discovery waiting to happen! Please be sure to go to the Research tab and complete the Getting to know your dog survey, where you can answer questions about your dog’s current weight and body shape. This information will inform our ongoing research into the genetics of size and weight in dogs.
Haplotypes
Revealing your dog’s ancient heritage
Haplotypes are particular DNA sequences that are inherited entirely from a dog’s mom (maternal) or dad (paternal).
Because they are inherited whole, your dog and his or her mom share the exact same maternal haplotype. If you have a male dog, your dog and his dad share the exact same paternal haplotype (female dogs don’t inherit paternal haplotypes).
Because most breeds were started with only a few individual dogs, many breeds are dominated by only one or a few haplotypes.
Haplogroups
Revealing your dog’s ancient heritage
Haplogroups are groups of similar DNA sequences (called haplotypes) that are inherited entirely from the mother (maternal) or father (paternal) and don’t get shuffled up like other parts of your dog’s genome.
These groups all originally descend from one male or female wolf, usually one that lived tens of thousands of years ago. Because they are inherited whole and not shuffled like other DNA, they can be used to trace the ancestral routes that dogs took around the globe en route to your home.
Only male dogs have paternal haplogroups because they are determined by the Y chromosome, which only male dogs have. Both males and females have maternal haplogroups, which come from a part of DNA called the mitochondrial DNA.
Breed analysis
Breed analysis is based on comparing your dog’s DNA with the DNA of dogs from over 350 breeds, types and varieties.How are Tobi's ancestors represented in his DNA?
All dogs are related and share some DNA. Siblings share lots of their DNA (half of it in fact), cousins share a bit less (an eighth), and so on. Because dog breeds are made up of a closed group of dogs, all dogs in that breed share a lot of their DNA, typically about as much as second cousins, though it varies by breed. Different breeds that are closely related share somewhat less DNA, and dogs from very different breeds share even less DNA (but still much more DNA than either dog shares with a cat).
DNA is inherited in pieces, called chromosomes, that are passed along from parent to offspring. Each generation, these chromosomes are broken up and shuffled a bit in a process known as recombination. So, the length of the segments your dog shares with his ancestors decreases with each generation above him: he shares longer segments with his mom than his grandma, longer segments with his grandma than his great-grandma, and so on.
How does Embark know which breeds are in Tobi?
We can use the length of segments Tobi shares with our reference dogs to see how many generations it has been since they last shared an ancestor. Long segments of DNA that are identical to known purebred dogs tell Embark's scientists that Tobi has, without a doubt, a relative from that breed. By testing over 200,000 genetic markers, we build up his genes one DNA segment at a time, to learn the ancestry with great certainty. Other dog DNA tests look at many fewer genetic markers and have to take a guess at breed ancestry based on that.
What does this mean for Tobi's looks and behavior?
Look closely and you'll probably find Tobi has some physical and/or behavioral resemblance with his ancestor's breeds. The exact similarity depends on which parts of DNA Tobi shares with each breed. Some traits associated with each breed are listed in the Breed & Ancestry section of our website. Embark will tell you even more about Tobi's traits soon!
P.S. In a small proportion of cases, we find dogs that don’t share segments with other dogs we have tested, indicating the presence of a rare breed that is not part of our reference panel or possibly a true "village dog" without any purebred relatives at all. In these rare cases we contact the owner to find out more and let them know about their unique dog before they get their results. With this in-depth detective work, we are pushing science forward by identifying genetically unique groups of dogs.
Still have questions?
Let us know with our contact form.
What are “Dogs Like Tobi?”
“Dogs Like Tobi” are based on the percentage of breeds the two dogs have in common. For example, two dogs that are both 27% Golden Retriever and 73% Poodle will have a score of 100%. Sometimes dogs with high scores look alike, and sometimes they don’t — either way the comparison is based on each dog’s unique DNA.
“Tobi is a loyal momma's boy. He is fearless. He enjoys stealing toys from my large dogs. He loves to cuddle, burrow in blankets and play with his Vibrant Life squeak dog toys.”
Current Location
Purvis, Mississippi, USA
This dog has been viewed and been given 7 wags
Genetic Breed Result
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Embark Supermutt analysis
What’s in that Supermutt? There may be small amounts of DNA from these distant ancestors:
Dachshund
The Dachshund, meaning “badger dog” in German, is a lively breed with a friendly personality and a great sense of smell. Known for their long and low bodies, they are spirited hunters that excel in both above and below-ground work. They come in three different coat varieties (smooth, wirehaired or longhaired) and can be miniature or standard size.
Learn More
Chihuahua
Chihuahuas have a huge personality that defies their tiny frame, known to be highly active and intelligent canines.
Learn More
Chow Chow
This distinctive-looking dog breed has a proud, independent spirit that some describe as catlike. Often aloof and suspicious of strangers, the Chow Chow may not be a cuddle buddy, but for the right person, they are a fiercely loyal companion.
Learn More
American Eskimo Dog
American Eskimo Dogs belong to the spitz family and they actually came from Germany. They got their start in American circuses due to their intelligence. Today, Eskies make wonderful family pets.
Learn More
Start a conversation! Message this dog’s humans.
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Dogs Like Tobi
Discover dogs who share a similar breed mix to Tobi. A higher score means the two dogs have more of their breed mix in common. A score of 100% means they share the exact same breed mix!
Click or tap on a pic to learn more about each dog and see an in-depth comparison of their DNA, breeds, and more.
Building blocks of life
See which breed every part of Tobi’s DNA comes from!
Genes from your dog’s breeds serve as the building blocks to creating your unique pooch
Dogs have 39 pairs of chromosomes, almost double humans who have 23. 38 of those pairs are the same for all dogs while the 39th is the sex chromosomes - two X’s for females and one X and one Y for males. One copy of each chromosome came from your dog’s mother and one from your dog’s father. Each copy contains between 24 million and 123 million bases, or letters of DNA code, for 2.5 billion total letters inherited from each parent. This chromosome illustration shows a representation of each of your dog’s 38 pairs of chromosomes (excluding the X and Y sex chromosomes).
Because the members of a breed have similar stretches of DNA, we can use our 200,000+ genetic markers to determine what part of each chromosome in your dog came from what breed. For each pair of chromosomes, your dog’s mom and dad each gave your dog one copy of that chromosome, for a grand total of 78 chromosomes. So if your dog’s mom was a poodle and dad was a schnauzer then the painting would show one complete poodle and one complete schnauzer chromosome for each pair. The more complex your dog’s ancestry, the more complex the painting, as in each generation recombination (the splitting apart and "shuffling around" of genes between paired chromosomes) mixes up bits of chromosome from grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond.
Each trait your dog exhibits, such as fur shedding, is based on the letter at one or more locations in your dog’s genome. For example the location determining if your dog sheds their fur is located on chromosome 1. Some other traits, like size, are complexly inherited from many locations, including ones on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 15, and more. Your dog looks the way it does not because of averaging or blending the breeds that form it, but because specific traits were inherited from specific breeds. That’s one reason your mix may look, act, and have certain health issues much more like one breed than another!
DNA Breed Origins
Breed colors:
Dachshund
Chihuahua
Chow Chow
American Eskimo Dog
Supermutt
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Changes to this dog’s profile
- On 10/20/2019 changed name from "Toby" to "Tobi"
Our policy is that each dog’s profile should accurately portray the dog to which the genetic reports belong.
To help ensure adherence to this policy, we show here any changes that have been made to the name or handle (web address) of this dog.
If you believe that this profile is in violation of this policy, you may contact us to report it.
Health Summary
Tobi is at increased risk for one genetic health condition.
And inherited one variant that you should learn more about.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (Type I)
How to interpret this result
Tobi has two copies of an FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 12. In some breeds such as Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, and Dachshunds (among others) this variant is found in nearly all dogs. While those breeds are known to have an elevated risk of IVDD, many dogs in those breeds never develop IVDD. For mixed breed dogs and purebreds of other breeds where this variant is not as common, risk for Type I IVDD is greater for individuals with this variant than for similar dogs.
What is Intervertebral Disc Disease (Type I)?
Type I Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a back/spine issue that refers to a health condition affecting the discs that act as cushions between vertebrae. With Type I IVDD, affected dogs can have a disc event where it ruptures or herniates towards the spinal cord. This pressure on the spinal cord causes neurologic signs which can range from a wobbly gait to impairment of movement. Chondrodystrophy (CDDY) refers to the relative proportion between a dog’s legs and body, wherein the legs are shorter and the body longer. There are multiple different variants that can cause a markedly chondrodystrophic appearance as observed in Dachshunds and Corgis. However, this particular variant is the only one known to also increase the risk for IVDD.
ALT Activity
Tobi inherited both copies of the variant we tested
Why is this important to your vet?
Tobi has two copies of a variant in the GPT gene and is likely to have a lower than average baseline ALT activity. ALT is a commonly used measure of liver health on routine veterinary blood chemistry panels. As such, your veterinarian may want to watch for changes in Tobi's ALT activity above their current, healthy, ALT activity. As an increase above Tobi’s baseline ALT activity could be evidence of liver damage, even if it is within normal limits by standard ALT reference ranges.
What is ALT Activity?
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a clinical tool that can be used by veterinarians to better monitor liver health. This result is not associated with liver disease. ALT is one of several values veterinarians measure on routine blood work to evaluate the liver. It is a naturally occurring enzyme located in liver cells that helps break down protein. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, ALT is released into the bloodstream.
Breed-Relevant Genetic Conditions
12 variants not detected
Thrombopathia
Identified in American Eskimo Dogs
Variant not detected
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, prcd
Identified in American Eskimo Dogs and Chihuahuas
Variant not detected
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, crd4/cord1
Identified in Chihuahuas and Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Primary Lens Luxation
Identified in American Eskimo Dogs
Variant not detected
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIA, Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A, MPS IIIA
Identified in Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 1, NCL 1
Identified in Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 2, NCL 2
Identified in Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 7, NCL 7
Identified in Chihuahuas
Variant not detected
Spinocerebellar Ataxia with Myokymia and/or Seizures
Identified in Chihuahuas
Variant not detected
Degenerative Myelopathy, DM
Identified in American Eskimo Dogs
Variant not detected
Narcolepsy
Identified in Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Identified in Dachshunds
Variant not detected
Additional Genetic Conditions
170 variants not detected
Explore
Through Tobi’s mitochondrial DNA we can trace his mother’s ancestry back to where dogs and people first became friends. This map helps you visualize the routes that his ancestors took to your home. Their story is described below the map.
Haplogroup
A1b
Haplotype
A361/409/611
A1b
Tobi’s Haplogroup
This female lineage was very likely one of the original lineages in the wolves that were first domesticated into dogs in Central Asia about 15,000 years ago. Since then, the lineage has been very successful and travelled the globe! Dogs from this group are found in ancient Bronze Age fossils in the Middle East and southern Europe. By the end of the Bronze Age, it became exceedingly common in Europe. These dogs later became many of the dogs that started some of today's most popular breeds, like German Shepherds, Pugs, Whippets, English Sheepdogs and Miniature Schnauzers. During the period of European colonization, the lineage became even more widespread as European dogs followed their owners to far-flung places like South America and Oceania. It's now found in many popular breeds as well as village dogs across the world!
A361/409/611
Tobi’s Haplotype
Part of the A1b haplogroup, this haplotype occurs most frequently in German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles, and Shiloh Shepherds.
A1b is the most common haplogroup found in German Shepherds.
Explore
Through Tobi’s Y-chromosome we can trace his father’s ancestry back to where dogs and people first became friends. This map helps you visualize the routes that his ancestors took to your home. Their story is described below the map.
Haplogroup
A2b
Haplotype
Hc.9
A2b
Tobi’s Haplogroup
A2b appears to have split a few times in succession, which means that some of the Central Asian male ancestors of this lineage went their separate ways before their respective Y chromosomes made their rounds. There is not much diversity in this lineage, meaning that it has only begun to take off recently. Two iconic breeds, the Dachshund and Bloodhound, represent this lineage well. Over half of Rottweilers are A2b, as are the majority of Labrador Retrievers and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. While A2a is restricted mostly to East Asia, this paternal line is also found among European breeds.
Hc.9
Tobi’s Haplotype
Part of the A2b haplogroup, this haplotype is found in village dogs spanning South America, Africa, and the South Pacific. Among the breeds we have spotted it in, the most frequent occurrences are in Dachshund, Bloodhound, American Eskimo Dog, and Jack Russell Terrier.
A2b is found in the Daschund breed.