Breed Health Information
Please select a breed:
Note that breed heath information is under continuous scrutiny and revision as new health tests or scientific information becomes available.
Introduction
Many pure-bred dogs have a high incidence of genetic diseases as well as body shapes (conformation) which prevent them from having a comfortable life and a life in which they can enjoy all of the things dogs love to do. Dogs never complain and we can be misled into thinking everything is fine when it isn’t. Please play your part in challenging poor practice and helping to raise the standards of dog health and welfare.
On this page we provide breed specific health information for the 50 most popular dog breeds in the UK. We have also included some of the most popular cross breeds.
Prospective puppy buyers can click on a breed listed below to find information about the essential documents a breeder should supply. We list the Health Schemes and DNA tests which apply to the breed and which a puppy buyer should ask the breeder about. We also list some diseases known to occur in the breed for which there is currently no health scheme or DNA test.
It is important that both the male and female parent dogs have been health tested.
It is perhaps unrealistic to expect a breeder to have carried out all of the tests listed. However, when a particular test has not been carried out, a good breeder should be able to explain why.
A breeder must take into account the genetic diversity of the breed. Breeding from closely related dogs is harmful to a breed population and part of a breeder’s responsibility is to take this into consideration when selecting which pair of dogs to breed from.
Temperament
The temperament of both parents is crucially important as is the puppy habituation and socialisation the breeder carries out before the sale of the puppies.
Dog Breeders Explained
