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Health Testing Guide
Which tests are mandatory, how to spot responsible breeders — and what it costs when things go wrong.
For the Dutch Shepherd (Shorthair) we've compiled 5 tests required by Holländischer Schäferhund Club Deutschland e.V. (HSCD) and 5 additionally recommended tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
In the Dutch Shepherd Dog (Short-haired), breed-specific risks exist for hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), and severe neurological diseases such as degenerative myelopathy and spongy degeneration with cerebellar ataxia 2 (SDCA2). The Holländische Schäferhund Club Deutschland e.V. (HSCD) therefore makes mandatory X-ray examinations for hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED), a finding on lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LTV), as well as genetic testing for degenerative myelopathy and spongy degeneration with cerebellar ataxia 2 (SDCA2). When buying a puppy, make sure that the parents exhibit top joint scores (HD A–B, ED 0–1) and that in the case of degenerative myelopathy, a carrier was mated exclusively with a clear partner. In addition, health-oriented breeders have their breeding dogs examined for progressive retinal atrophy and pay attention to freedom from epilepsy in the lines.
Every breed is susceptible to certain inherited conditions. Just like humans, dogs inherit predispositions from their parents. Responsible breeders screen their breeding dogs for these conditions and make informed mating decisions to reduce the risk passed on to puppies.
No — but it's the strongest tool we have. Diet, exercise, environment, and genetics all contribute to whether a dog develops a condition. When breeders use the right tests to identify risk in potential parents, the likelihood of many conditions appearing in the puppies drops significantly.
There's no one-size-fits-all here. For the Dutch Shepherd (Shorthair), Holländischer Schäferhund Club Deutschland e.V. (HSCD) requires 5 tests for breeding approval, plus 5 additional recommended tests. The specific tests and passing thresholds are detailed further below.
Keep in mind
Reliable screening tests still don't exist for many hereditary conditions, and tests for complex polygenic conditions don't always predict severity in the puppies. Even so, they're a powerful tool of responsible breeding.
There are two main types of health tests:
Screen the dog's DNA for known disease-causing mutations. Can be performed from puppyhood and give a binary result (clear / carrier / affected).
Clinical and imaging exams like X-ray, ultrasound, or ophthalmoscopy. They show how a predisposition actually manifests — usually only conclusive after 12–18 months.
We group breeding programs into three levels based on testing depth. Ask your breeder directly which level they meet.
A breeder at the Great level meets the Good level and performs 5 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Cryptorchidism
Andere
Cryptorchidism is a developmental condition of the male reproductive system where one or both testicles fail to descend normally into the scrotum. Instead, the undescended testicle remains trapped inside the abdomen or in the groin area. This failure to descend is a physical development issue rather than an active illness, but it alters how the reproductive organs develop.
Physical examination · Passing: no testicular defects
Monorchidism
Andere
Monorchidism is a developmental condition of the male reproductive system where only one testicle descends into the scrotum. The second testicle either remains trapped inside the abdomen or groin canal, or it failed to develop entirely during embryonic growth.
Physical examination · Passing: no testicular defects
Dental abnormalities
Andere
Dental abnormalities refer to congenital or acquired malformations of the teeth and jaw structure. This includes malocclusions, which are misalignments where the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly, as well as missing or extra teeth. These structural issues can interfere with normal chewing and cause teeth to rub painfully against the sensitive tissues of the mouth.
Passing: no dental defects
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)(PRA)
Augen
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is an inherited eye disease that affects the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. In this condition, the specialized cells responsible for detecting light, known as photoreceptors, gradually degenerate and die. Because these cells cannot recover or be replaced, the disease slowly but inevitably leads to complete blindness.
Passing: clear
Epilepsy(IE)
Nervensystem
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain and nervous system where abnormal electrical activity causes sudden, temporary disruptions in normal brain function. These disruptions lead to repeated seizures, which are involuntary changes in body movement, sensation, or behavior. Because the underlying cause is often complex, the brain's electrical signaling remains permanently prone to these sudden misfires.
Physical examination · Passing: no epilepsy
These levels are a comparison framework, not an official certification. They help compare breeding programs at a glance.
A complete checklist with every core-standard and additionally recommended test, plus identity and rearing questions — take it with you.
Open the full checklistFor breeders
Machine-readable mating rules, minimum ages, scoring schemes, and what's required for HonestDog verification — as a printable guide.
Example rule — Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Both parents must be clear or better.
We take mandatory tests from official breed regulations, build the recommended health standard from veterinary databases — and cross-check every uploaded certificate against the dog's profile using AI.
L1 = core standard: the club's required tests where its rules set them, otherwise the recommended health standard for the breed. L2 = additionally recommended or clinically indicated. L3 = lower prevalence. Every assignment carries a source and confidence rating.
VDH breeding regulations, CIDD (University of PEI), OMIA (University of Sydney), curated veterinary input.
Uploaded certificates are read by AI and checked for date, result, and consistency with the dog's profile — our team reviews anything inconclusive.
The Dutch Shepherd (Shorthair) is not currently listed in our extreme-breeding overview. That does not mean it is free of hereditary disease: which ones are typical, and which tests the parents should have, is on this page.
Self-check
Answer 6 quick questions about your everyday life and see how well the Dutch Shepherd (Shorthair) fits you — including an honest cost estimate per month, per year, and across the dog's lifetime.
See breeders who have already uploaded their health test results for verification.
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