Health and Genetic Testing

All of our breeding dogs are health and genetic tested to insure your pups starts out with the best possible health. We test all of our dogs through Embark as well as either OFA or PIN HIP for hips and elbows. I will link Embark results for one of our females below so you can see all the different things we test for under the "health" tab. 

Because some of the most common aliments for large breeds are multifactorial it is important you continue to provide you puppy/dog with the following:

1. Daily Exercise 
    This is of the utmost importance! Not only for the vast amount of physical health benefits but also the mental health benefits. To keep good weight control and good muscle tone around joints walking, jogging, running, or hiking with your dog is a must
 Simply running around the yard or dog park WILL NOT have the same physical and mental affect as a good long walk and should NEVER be a substitute. Most behavioral issues are easily remedied when a daily walk at heel is implemented to your routine with your dog. Please keep in mind your young pups growing joints and opt for softer surfaces (dirt, grass)when possible at a young age( before 1 year). Overweight dogs or dogs with lack of good muscle tone are at very high risk for developing hip and elbow dysplasia.

2. Proper Nutrition
  Your dogs diet is a very important part of health. On our farm we also feed eggs and raw meat with kibble. This should only be introduced once your pup is house trained to avoid any setbacks.
 There are many high quality kibbles and other food options available... just do a bit of research and I am sure you can find one that fits in your budget!

3. Spay Neuter...... Wait!
  Please wait until the major grow period is finished before spaying or neutering your dog. They need  hormones for growth plates to close and proper bone growth. Large breeds that are spayed or neutered at an early age have a great increase in risk for joint and other problems long term. Please consider the link below for more information.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/three-reasons-to-reconsider-spayneuter/


4. Keep Them Thin!!!!
  Again I will say... do NOT let your puppy become thick or overweight even at a young age! This can be a huge problem for joints long term!!

Her is an example of one of our dogs health testing results through Embark. Our other breeding dogs are available upon request!

https://my.embarkvet.com/dog/missbettyboop