What is a reference panel in a DNA test?

It's the set of DNA samples from dogs of known breeds or populations that a test compares your dog with, to estimate breed ancestry, fill in unread DNA and put diversity results in context.

Why does the reference panel matter for breed results?

A test can only name breeds its panel includes. If part of your dog's ancestry comes from a breed the panel lacks, that DNA may be assigned to related breeds or reported as unresolved.

Does a bigger reference panel mean better results?

Not automatically. What matters most is whether the panel includes the breeds and populations in your dog's background, and how carefully the reference dogs were chosen.

Why do different DNA tests give different results for the same dog?

One reason is that each test compares your dog with its own reference panel, using its own methods. Different panels can lead to different breed estimates, especially for small or distant contributions.

Glossary6 min read· October 21, 2026

What Is a Reference Panel in a Dog DNA Test?

A reference panel is the set of dogs of known breeds or populations that a DNA test compares your dog with. Here's how it's used for breed ancestry, imputation and diversity, why its make-up matters, and what to ask about it.

By PuppyGenes · How we research and write our guides

A reference panel is the collection of DNA from dogs of known breeds or populations that a DNA test compares a sample with. Breed-ancestry estimates, genotype imputation and diversity comparisons all depend on it. A test can only recognize the breeds and patterns its reference panel represents, which is one reason results can differ between tests.

The short version

Known dogs: a reference panel holds DNA from dogs whose breed or population is known.
Three jobs: it's used to estimate breed ancestry, to fill in unread DNA by imputation, and to put diversity results in context.
Make-up matters: DNA from a breed the panel lacks may be assigned to related breeds or left unresolved.
Bigger isn't automatically better: what counts is whether the panel includes the right dogs, chosen carefully.
It's fair to ask a provider what its panel includes.

How a reference panel is used

Breed ancestry: a test estimates how much of a dog's DNA most resembles each breed in its panel. Our guide to breed percentages explains how to read the result.
Imputation: a test can fill in DNA positions it didn't read by matching the dog against patterns in the panel, as our guide to genotype imputation explains.
Diversity: a dog's inbreeding estimate can be compared with the dogs in the panel. In Juno's example report, the result reads "more diverse than about 66% of the reference panel".

Reference panels in research

Dog genetics research is built on panels like these. A 2017 study that built a family tree of breeds analysed 1,346 dogs from 161 breeds and sorted 150 of the breeds into 23 clades of related breeds. A 2022 study of imputation in dogs used a reference panel of 676 dogs from 91 breeds to fill in thinly sequenced genomes. In each case, the findings were only as broad as the dogs included.

Why the panel's make-up matters

Missing breeds: DNA from a breed that isn't in the panel can't be named as that breed. It may be assigned to the closest related breeds or reported as unresolved. How a less common breed such as the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever shows up depends on whether the panel includes it.
Missing populations: village dogs and regional types may not match any breed in a panel well.
How dogs were chosen: reference dogs need to be good examples of their breed or population, or their quirks carry into every comparison.

The PuppyGenes reference panel

PuppyGenes compares your dog's DNA with a curated reference panel. The reference panel does not represent every dog population, and DNA the report can't confidently assign to a single breed is shown as unresolved ancestry. Our science page explains the method, and our guide to reading a dog DNA report explains unresolved ancestry.

What to ask a DNA test provider

Which breeds and populations does the reference panel include, and is your dog's likely background among them?
How were the reference dogs chosen and checked?
How does the report show DNA it can't confidently assign to a breed?

Frequently asked questions

What is a reference panel in a DNA test?: It's the set of DNA samples from dogs of known breeds or populations that a test compares your dog with, to estimate breed ancestry, fill in unread DNA and put diversity results in context.
Why does the reference panel matter for breed results?: A test can only name breeds its panel includes. If part of your dog's ancestry comes from a breed the panel lacks, that DNA may be assigned to related breeds or reported as unresolved.
Does a bigger reference panel mean better results?: Not automatically. What matters most is whether the panel includes the breeds and populations in your dog's background, and how carefully the reference dogs were chosen.
Why do different DNA tests give different results for the same dog?: One reason is that each test compares your dog with its own reference panel, using its own methods. Different panels can lead to different breed estimates, especially for small or distant contributions.

From general to personal

See how this applies to your dog specifically.

Our at-home Complete Dog DNA Test adds your dog's own results to these tips across six report sections: breed ancestry, coat colour, physical appearance, temperament and size predictions, genetic diversity and oral microbiome. The report does not include genetic disease or health screening.

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