How to Read a Dog DNA Health Report: A Breeder's Guide to Understanding Results

A report full of "Clear" results is reassuring — but only if you understand what each result actually means and what it does not

Getting a DNA health report back from Embark, Paw Print Genetics, or another testing laboratory is an important step. But the results are only useful if you know how to read them. This guide walks through how to interpret a canine DNA health report, what Clear, Carrier, and At Risk mean in practice, and how to use results to make better breeding decisions.

The Three Result Categories

Most canine DNA health panels report each tested condition in one of three ways:

Clear (Normal) — The dog does not carry the tested mutation. It will not be affected by this specific condition and cannot pass this specific mutation to offspring. This is the result you want.

Carrier — The dog carries one copy of the tested mutation. For conditions that are autosomal recessive (the majority), carriers do not show signs of disease. They can pass the mutation to 50% of their offspring. Carrier status is important breeding information, not a disqualification.

At Risk (Affected) — The dog carries two copies of the tested mutation and is at risk for — or will develop — the condition. For some conditions (like DM), "At Risk" acknowledges that not every two-copy dog develops the disease. For others (like PRA), two copies means the disease will develop if the dog lives long enough.

What Autosomal Recessive Means

The majority of conditions on DNA health panels are autosomal recessive. This means:

This is why breeding a Carrier to a Clear dog is safe — no Affected puppies can result. Breeding two Carriers produces, on average, 25% Affected, 50% Carriers, and 25% Clear offspring.

Reading Breed-Specific Panels

A major source of confusion in health reports is the volume of conditions tested. Embark, for example, tests for 250+ conditions. Most results will show "Clear" simply because the dog does not carry that mutation — not because it was at risk.

The conditions that actually matter are the ones relevant to your specific breed. To identify which conditions to focus on:

  1. Consult your breed's parent club health recommendations
  2. Look at which conditions have known prevalence in your breed
  3. Focus on conditions where Carrier or At Risk results require action

If your Labrador's report shows "Clear" for a condition that primarily affects Basenjis, that result is irrelevant. Focus on the conditions your breed actually carries.

Key Questions for Each Result

For every Carrier result on a health report:

  1. Which condition is this for?
  2. Is this condition clinically significant for my breed?
  3. What does breeding this dog require to avoid producing Affected offspring? (Answer: breed to a Clear dog for this condition)

For every At Risk result:

  1. What is the penetrance? (Does every At Risk dog develop the disease, or just some?)
  2. Does this dog show any symptoms?
  3. Should this dog be bred? (Often no, or only to Clear dogs with very careful selection)
  4. Should buyers be informed? (Always yes)

Color Genetics Results

DNA health reports from Embark and Paw Print Genetics also include coat color results. These are typically labeled by locus:

Each result shows the dog's genotype (two alleles). For example:

Common Misinterpretations

"My dog tested Clear for everything!" Clear results only cover the conditions on that specific panel. No panel tests every known canine genetic disease. A dog can be Clear on a 250-condition panel and still carry untested conditions or develop non-genetic diseases.

"My dog is a Carrier — can I still breed him?" Usually yes. Carrier status for a recessive condition means the dog does not have the disease and can be bred safely to a Clear dog. The key is knowing that you cannot breed two Carriers together.

"The test found an At Risk result for something I've never heard of." Look it up. Understand the prevalence in your breed, the penetrance of the mutation, and whether your breeding program needs to change as a result. Consult your vet or a veterinary geneticist if needed.

"My dog tested Clear but I've heard of cases in my breed." The mutation your dog tested Clear for may not be the only mutation causing that disease in your breed. Some conditions (like PRA) have multiple causative mutations — being clear for one does not guarantee freedom from all.

Using Results for Breeding Decisions

Step 1: Identify every Carrier and At Risk result. Step 2: For each one, determine if it is relevant to your breed. Step 3: For relevant results, identify what it means for stud selection. Step 4: Ensure the complementary dog (stud or dam) is Clear for any condition where one parent is a Carrier. Step 5: Never breed two Carriers together for any significant condition.

Summary

DNA health reports list Clear, Carrier, and At Risk results for each tested mutation. Clear means no copies; Carrier means one copy (dog is unaffected but can transmit); At Risk means two copies (may or may not develop disease depending on penetrance). Focus on breed-relevant conditions — not every tested mutation is relevant to your breed. Carriers can be bred responsibly to Clear dogs. At Risk dogs require careful consideration and often should not be bred. Results are only useful if you know how to read and act on them.