Loading health guide
Health Testing Guide
Which tests are mandatory, how to spot responsible breeders — and what it costs when things go wrong.
For the English Foxhound we've compiled 0 mandatory and 3 recommended health tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
As a classic working dog, the English Foxhound is genetically extremely robust and has hardly any known hereditary diseases. Only the rare but severe Foxhound ataxia (a neurological disorder) should be ruled out through genetic testing of the parent animals. As with almost all large breeds, attention should also be paid to hip dysplasia (HD), but overall the breed is in outstanding health.
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 English Foxhound we track 0 mandatory tests plus 3 additional recommended ones. 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 performs all mandatory tests plus 3 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to mandatory tests:
Hip dysplasia(HD)
Bewegungsapparat
Hip dysplasia is an inherited skeletal disorder where the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit together properly. Instead of sliding smoothly, the bones rub and grind against each other, wearing down the protective cartilage. Over time, this chronic friction causes joint instability, painful inflammation, and progressive arthritis, which is the gradual wear and tear of the joint.
X-ray · Passing: HD A–B
Congenital deafness(CHSD)
Nervensystem
Congenital deafness is a hereditary hearing loss present from birth that affects the inner ear's sensory cells, preventing sound signals from reaching the brain. It is usually genetic, occurs more often in certain breeds and is frequently linked to coat patterns such as merle or piebald.
Physical examination · Passing: hearing in both ears
Globoid cell leukodystrophy (galactocerebrosidosis)(GCL)
Nervensystem
Globoid cell leukodystrophy is an inherited metabolic disorder affecting the nervous system, caused by a deficiency in an essential enzyme. This deficiency leads to the buildup of harmful substances that destroy myelin, which is the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Without this protective covering, the nerves cannot transmit signals properly, resulting in progressive neurological decline.
DNA test · Passing: clear or carrier
These levels are a comparison framework, not an official certification. They help compare breeding programs at a glance.
A complete checklist with every mandatory and 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 — Hip dysplasia (HD-FCI)
Both parents must be tested for Hip dysplasia (HD-FCI) and show a passing result.
We compile mandatory tests from official breed regulations and veterinary databases — and cross-check every uploaded certificate against the dog's profile using AI.
L1 = mandatory under breed-club regulations. L2 = 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 English Foxhound 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 English Foxhound fits you — including an honest cost estimate per month, per year, and across the dog's lifetime.
See breeders who have already uploaded their mandatory tests for verification.
View verified breeders