28/10/2026
The certificate says OFA Good.
The DNA panel is clear.
The breeder is confident.
And yet the puppy develops hip dysplasia at three years old.
How? 👇
Health testing tells you about one dog, at one moment, under one set of conditions.
It does not tell you:
❎ What genetic load that dog is carrying and may pass to offspring
❎ What those joints will look like at 6 or 7 years
❎ Anything about polygenic conditions that DNA panels are not built to detect
Hip scores are a snapshot. A good grade at 24 months does not mean the dog carries no genetic risk for dysplasia. It means the joint looked “good” that day.
Cardiac clearance from a general practitioner is not the same as an echocardiographic evaluation by a cardiologist. Aortic stenosis can be subclinical; invisible to a stethoscope, but still transmissible to offspring in severe form.
DNA panels test for specific single-gene mutations. They say nothing about hip dysplasia, cardiac disease, immune function, or temperament. A clear panel is not a clean genetic bill of health. It is confirmation of absence for a narrow list of specific conditions.
The real problem is how most breeders use testing:
As a credential to qualify dogs for breeding not as a tool to guide which pairings are made and what family history says about the risk.
Serious use of health testing means asking:
✅ What did this sire's previous litters produce at 24 months?
✅ What is the dam's mother's hip score?
✅ What have the dam's littermates produced?
And it means tracking offspring outcomes after the puppies leave, not retiring your interest at the point of sale.
Health testing is essential. It is also insufficient on its own.
Use the tests. Understand their limits. Do the rest.
The dogs in future generations are depending on that additional work being done now.
Swipe through the carousel for the full breakdown.
Briabell Boerboel | Raising champions in form & temperament 🐾
