Every dog has a story. Some involve stolen socks. Others involve rescue journeys, mystery ancestry and an inexplicable fear of vacuum cleaners.
For the past decade, Darwin's Dogs has been helping researchers turn what dog owners know best—their pets' behaviors, health histories, and physical traits—into scientific discoveries.
Since 2017, more than 50,000 dogs have joined the initiative. Together, their owners have answered more than 4.7 million survey questions, and more than 4,000 dogs have been sequenced. Those contributions have helped transform everyday observations into a powerful resource for scientific discovery.
As Darwin's Dogs celebrates its 10th anniversary, we're preparing for an exciting new chapter. That chapter includes the return of dog sequencing later this year, updates to ancestry analysis and new opportunities for dog owners to contribute to canine science.
From an idea to a community
Darwin's Dogs launched in 2016 as Darwin's Ark's first community science initiative. Led by Elinor Karlsson, PhD, co-founder and chief scientist of Darwin's Ark, the initiative was built around a simple but ambitious idea: dog owners could help scientists answer questions that would be difficult to tackle through traditional research alone.
The response exceeded expectations.
What began as an ambitious experiment grew into one of the largest dog-focused community-powered science efforts in the world.
"Darwin's Dogs helped shape what Darwin's Ark would become," said Jill Simmons, interim co-CEO of Darwin's Ark. "The initiative showed that pet owners wanted to contribute to science and that researchers could learn so much more when they partnered directly with the people who know their dogs best."
Those contributions have supported research exploring everything from canine cancer and obsessive-compulsive disorder to the relationship between breed and behavior.
Among the thousands of dogs and owners who have taken part in Darwin's Dogs are owner Mary Jo and her rescue dog, Brodie. Over the years, Brodie has helped foster about 85 puppies, including many with special needs. Like many community scientists, Mary Jo joined the initiative because she believes researchers need large amounts of data to better understand canine health and behavior.
"I think it's important for researchers to have loads of data so they can learn more about the brains and health of our best friends and hopefully learn more to help next generations continue to thrive," said Mary Jo.
Brodie also provided a reminder that dogs can still surprise us. For years, Mary Jo assumed he was a border collie mix because of the way he rounded up foster puppies and kept them together in the yard. But his DNA suggested otherwise, raising new questions about the relationship between genetics, experience and behavior.
Sequencing paused. Discovery didn't.
As a small nonprofit, Darwin's Ark had spent nearly a decade focused primarily on dogs. When the organization launched Darwin's Cats, which brings the same community science approach to feline research, it became clear that supporting both initiatives would require new systems, processes and resources.
While Darwin's Dogs continued collecting survey data and engaging participants, dog sequencing paused in late 2024. Behind the scenes, the team was modernizing systems, migrating data, rebuilding its breed ancestry pipeline and updating the breed reference panel.
Much of that work happened out of sight, but all of it was designed to improve the participant experience, enhance the research power of the data and prepare Darwin's Dogs for its next phase.
A better look at ancestry
One of the most significant improvements to Darwin’s Dogs involves its breed reference panel.
Think of a breed reference panel as a reference guide for canine genetics. When a dog's DNA is sequenced, researchers compare that DNA to genetic data from dogs of known breeds to estimate ancestry.
Like any reference guide, it requires occasional updates as scientists gather new data and improve their understanding of genetics.
Over time, scientists gain access to more genetic data, better analytical tools and a deeper understanding of the complex breed structure of dog ancestry. Updating the breed reference panel allows Darwin's Dogs to take advantage of those advances and improve ancestry analysis.
The updated breed reference panel is designed to provide participants with more accurate and refined ancestry results.
Here's the exciting part: many dog sequencing participants can expect to see updated ancestry results when Darwin’s Ark rolls out our new breed reference panel later this year.
Science is always evolving. As researchers learn more, our understanding of our dogs evolves, too.
"One of the most exciting things about genetics is that our understanding continues to grow," Karlsson said. "As we collect more data and improve our tools, we can give participants a clearer picture of their dogs while creating better resources for future research."
"Every dog has something to teach us." — Elinor Karlsson, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Darwin's Ark
The next decade starts now
The return of Darwin’s Dogs sequencing is about more than ancestry results. It's about creating new opportunities for discovery.
"Over the last decade, we've proved that community science works," Simmons said. "Now we're ready to build on that foundation and create even more opportunities for discovery."
"Every dog has something to teach us," Karlsson said. "The more dogs and owners who participate, the more opportunities we have to better understand health, behavior and genetics in ways that can benefit both dogs and people."
Whether you've been part of Darwin's Dogs since the beginning or you're just discovering the initiative, we're excited to have you with us.
If you've participated before, now is a great time to revisit your account, complete some surveys and stay tuned for updates about sequencing. If you're new to Darwin's Dogs, there's never been a better time to join the community.
Every survey completed, every observation shared and every DNA sample submitted helps researchers better understand the dogs we love.
In the coming months, we'll use this blog series to share more about updated ancestry results, scientific discoveries and what's ahead for Darwin's Dogs. .
And after 10 years, the story of Darwin's Dogs—and its contribution to canine health and well-being—is only getting started.
