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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 Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) we've compiled 4 core tests (1 of them required by Deutscher Club für Nordische Hunde e.V. (DCNH)) and 3 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 Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira), progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) and hip dysplasia (HD) are the most significant health risks, complemented by rare hereditary conditions such as glycogen storage disease type II (GSD II) or degenerative myelopathy. The Deutscher Club für Nordische Hunde e.V. (DCNH) mandates genetic testing for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), requiring carriers to be mated only with clear partners. In addition, responsible breeders have the parent animals radiographically screened for hip dysplasia (HD) as well as elbow dysplasia (ED) and test for progressive retinal atrophy. Ask to see the official results for prcd-PRA, HD (maximum HD C), and ED (ideally ED 0) of the parent animals before purchasing a puppy.
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. The core standard for the Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) covers 4 tests, 1 of them required by Deutscher Club für Nordische Hunde e.V. (DCNH), plus 3 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 3 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Elbow Dysplasia(ED)
Bewegungsapparat
Elbow dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the musculoskeletal system where the three bones forming the elbow joint do not fit together properly. This misalignment causes abnormal friction and wear on the joint cartilage, eventually leading to painful, chronic joint inflammation and arthritis. It is a complex genetic condition influenced by multiple genes.
X-ray · Passing: ED 0
Degenerative Myelopathy(DM)
Nervensystem
Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord where the protective sheath around the nerves slowly breaks down. This deterioration disrupts the vital communication signals between the brain and the muscles of the hind limbs. Over time, this lack of signal transmission leads to a complete loss of muscle control in the back legs.
DNA test · Passing: clear or carrier
Glycogen storage disease type II(GSD II)
Stoffwechsel
Glycogen storage disease type II is an inherited metabolic disorder where the body lacks a vital enzyme needed to break down glycogen, which is a stored form of sugar used for energy. Without this enzyme, glycogen builds up to toxic levels inside the cells of the muscles and major organs. This accumulation gradually damages and destroys these tissues, particularly affecting the skeletal muscles and the heart.
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 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 — Ocular anomalies
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 Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) 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 Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) 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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