What to Know About Health Disorder Testing

We follow best practices in testing and clearances for our Petite Doodles.

All dogs have a risk for hereditary health disorders. Testing helps to identify and reduce or eliminate the chances of our Doodles developing those disorders that can be identified through physical exam, veterinary imaging, and DNA. 

Veterinary science is constantly advancing in this area and we add new testing as soon as it becomes available.

In addition, by avoiding the inbreeding prevalent in most purebred dogs, we are able to significantly reduce the risk of hereditary disorders in our Doodles.

We certify all recommended structural areas through OFA, use multiple DNA laboratories for maximum accuracy, and add additional testing when emerging science shows it may benefit the welfare, healthspan, and lifespan of our dogs.

Our parent dogs are tested for both structural disorders and DNA disorders before we breed them.

Our litters are DNA tested or cleared by parentage and results are available by the time they are four weeks old.

We test and OFA certify our parent dogs for structural disorders, which are not detectable through DNA.

Eyes are examined by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist to confirm the dog is free from ten different hereditary eye disorders. Additional disorders if identified are also recorded. The results are sent to OFA for certification. We retest eyes every 2 years.

Hips are x rayed for signs of hip dysplasia. These x rays are sent to OFA and evaluated by three board certified veterinary radiologists, who grade the x rays. OFA passing hip grades are: Excellent, Good, and Fair.

A final OFA grade requires the dog to be at least 24 months old, but preliminary x rays can be evaluated earlier with a very high rate of accuracy. We always follow up with any needed final x ray.

Elbows are x rayed for signs of elbow dysplasia, and sent to OFA for evaluation and certification. A final grade requires the dog to be at least 24 months old, but preliminary x rays can be evaluated earlier. We always follow up with any needed final x ray.

Patellas are examined by our veterinarian and the findings are sent to OFA for certification. Patellas do not require an x ray, a veterinarian can determine by manual examination whether there is any degree of luxation (a knee cap that moves or can be moved from its normal position).

Hearts are tested by a board certified cardiologist by echocardiogram, for all of our Doodles. We retest hearts every 2 years.

Other Structural Testing is added when advisable for a particular Doodle variety.

Embark Full Panel Parentage & Disorder Testing - 250+ disorders are included in testing at this time, and we look for affected or carrier status of the breed-specific disorders that may affect our Doodles.

UC Davis VGL CDDY & CDPA Testing - CDDY is a genetic marker that may cause an increase of risk for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). Disc problems are not common in Doodles, even when CDDY is present, but all responsible Doodle breeders are working towards eliminating the CDDY marker from their dogs.

CDPA is a separate marker that identifies a dwarfism mutation in many small dog breeds. We do not consider CDPA a desirable trait in our Petite Doodles, and we breed away from it.

GenSol NEBL3 Testing - A newer DNA test that identifies whether a dog carries a risk factor for Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD).

Animal Genetics Curl & Furnishings Testing - Not a health disorder issue, but we find these tests very helpful in identifying exact coat type in our Doodles.

Health disorder testing is a cornerstone of any responsible breeder's program, but testing alone isn't enough.

At this time, only a small percentage of known health disorders in dogs are identifiable through testing. As in all mammals, many disorders that are known or suspected to be hereditary, or have a partially hereditary component, remain beyond the ability of today's science to accurately predict before a puppy is born.

This Land Delightful Doodles, with the help of our Doodle families, tracks the lifetime health of our dogs.

Health disorder and pedigree information is added to Functional Dog Data for each of our Petite Doodles starting with their early DNA testing results by four weeks of age. 

Functional Dog Data (FDD) is a platform for dog registries, breeding co-operatives, and other organizations to store health and pedigree information. We use the results to identify areas of needed improvement, including health disorders that appear more than the statistical average of the entire population of dogs. This helps us with screening procedures, and with determining how and if to breed any given dog.

After our puppies leave for their permanent homes, we send a yearly survey asking our Doodle families to voluntarily provide their dog's veterinary visit results for the prior year - we enter this information into the Functional Dog Database where it can help us and other breeders to improve the lifespan, healthspan, and welfare of the dogs we all love and care for.

Our best and most potent weapon against non-testable health disorders is outcrossing (the breeding of unrelated dogs). Because we are not operating under the restrictions of a closed studbook registry like AKC, we are free to seek the best possible matches in both temperament and health for every litter.