Exhausted after spending two hours with a breeder tying to pin them down on whether they health test.  As breeder understanding the jargon and trial lawyer seasoned in the art of cross examination it was a lot of work for me, so I thought I would pass along the right questions to ask and how to verify the seemingly ambiguous term “health testing.”

The DDBSA Health Committee recommends 4 tests on breeding stock prior to being bred:

1.)  Heart on echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist;

2.)  OFA Shoulders;

3.)  OFA Elbows;

4.)  OFA or Penn State hips.

That’s it.  Very simple.  It’s a yes or no answer.

Whenever buying a Dogue do your own research.  Familiarize and educate yourselves.  Penn Hips and echocardiograms have to be mailed in for a nominal fee but know that THERE IS NO OPT OUT on OFA passes for the other tests.  Saying: “I just didn’t mail it in” carries no weight.  Saying: “My vet looked at everything and we’re good” carries no weight.  Always see the health testing with your own eyes on the following links.  If it isn’t there, assume correctly that it never happened:

www.offa.org

www.caninehealthinfo.org/

Be well and buy well from a true Preservationist Breeder.  For the Love of the Dogue.