Since we're focusing on hereditary and genetic conditions this month, here are some pointers on minimizing the chance of getting a dog with hereditary conditions.
1. Avoid Puppy Mills
Don’t ever, ever, ever buy a puppy from a pet store or Internet site that offers all breeds and popular mixes, shipped with no questions asked. If you buy a puppy from these sources, you’ll be more likely to get an unhealthy, unsocialized and difficult to house-train puppy and will be supporting the cruelty of high-volume puppy mills.
2. Find Your Breeder from a Breed Club
Start with a breeder who is a member in good standing with the breed's specific breed club and has agreed to abide by Code of Ethics of that club.
3. Genetic Tests
If relevent to your dogs' breed (see the Embrace Pet Health Center for more details), ask the breeder for:
- documentation from either the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or the University of Pennsylvania (PennHip) that your puppy's parents are free of hip dysplasia, a crippling genetic defect of the hip socket that requires expensive surgery to repair and usually results in painful arthritis in the dog's later years.
- test results from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) that her dogs are clear of genetic eye disorders known to occur in the breed you are looking at, if relevent.
- OFA clearances on her dogs' hearts, thyroid glands, and knees.
You can also see if the breed club maintains its own health registry, which can provide documentation about those same conditions as well as certify that the parents are free of Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) and Factor X, which are bleeding disorders.
Having the dogs "vet checked" is not a substitute for genetic health testing, and any breeder who says her lines are free of problems, or that they're not a concern, is a stong indication to look for your puppy elsewhere.
4. Check out the breeder's dogs temperament
If temperament is a particular concern in the breed, make sure you spend time with the breeder's dogs, and if possible, with your puppy's mother or father. Very often the father won't be on the premises – good breeders look for the best possible male for their females, not just the best one they happen to own – so don't view that as any kind of red flag. A breeder may also have American Temperament Test Society (TT) certification on her dogs. But if the breeder won't let you meet the mother of the puppies, and won't let you meet any of her dogs, consider that the worst of all signs and look elsewhere.
5. Find out how involved the breeder is in her breed's world
If the breeder has all the required genetic test documentation and her dogs seem gentle and well-mannered, ask about her involvement with the breed and dogs in general. Good breeders show their dogs or compete in canine sports such as obedience and agility. Good breeders don't just sit home churning out pets; they get out there with their dogs and make sure they're happy and stable in the kinds of real world situations every family pet needs to take in stride.
6. Know your contract
Make sure you have a good contract with the seller, shelter or rescue group that spells out responsibilities on both sides. In states with “puppy lemon laws,” be sure you and the person you get the dog from both understand your rights and recourses.
7. Perhaps adopt a dog instead
Consider adopting an adult dog from a shelter or breed-specific rescue group. Most puppies won't show health or temperament problems until adulthood. By adopting a dog who is already grown, you can use the expertise of the rescue group to evaluate his temperament and health as it already is, and avoid dogs with issues. What you see is mostly what you get with adult dogs.
8. Arrange a vet visit as soon as possible
Puppy or adult, take your new dog to your veterinarian soon after adoption. Your veterinarian will be able to spot visible problems, and will work with you to set up a preventive regimen that will help you avoid many health issues, like ear infections and eye problems.
For details on specific breeds, such as the breed and breed rescue club, check out the Embrace Pet Health Center.
