Breeding suitability guide — Miniature American Shepherd
For breeders: which tests, which thresholds, which mating rules apply
1. Recommended health standard for parents
These tests make up the recommended health standard for the Miniature American Shepherd — the baseline of any careful breeding program. They should be on file for every breeding animal.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract (HC) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | — |
| Persistent pupillary membranes (PPM) (PPM) | Eye examination | result on file | Unknown | — |
| Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (PRA) | — | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | — |
| Retinal Dysplasia (RD) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | — |
| Hip dysplasia (HD) | X-ray | HD A–B | Polygenic | — |
| Epilepsy (IE) | Physical examination | no epilepsy | Complex | — |
| MDR1 gene mutation (drug sensitivity) (MDR1) | — | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | — |
2. Mating rules
When one parent has a borderline result, the other parent must meet specific criteria.
Cataract (HC)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Persistent pupillary membranes (PPM) (PPM)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (PRA)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Retinal Dysplasia (RD)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Hip dysplasia (HD)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
MDR1 gene mutation (drug sensitivity) (MDR1)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Collie eye anomaly (CEA) (CEA)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Distichiasis
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Brachyury (NBT)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Chondrodysplasia, SLC13A1-related
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Patellar Luxation (PL)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
3. Recommended additional tests
Sensible additions for line planning.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collie eye anomaly (CEA) (CEA) | — | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | — |
| Distichiasis | Eye examination | result on file | Complex | — |
| Cone Degeneration (CD) | DNA test | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | — |
| Brachyury (NBT) | Physical examination | clear or carrier | Autosomal dominant | — |
| Chondrodysplasia, SLC13A1-related | — | clear | Autosomal recessive | — |
| Elbow Dysplasia (ED) | X-ray | ED 0 | Polygenic | — |
| Patellar Luxation (PL) | Physical examination | PL 0–1 | Polygenic | — |
| Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) | DNA test | clear | Autosomal recessive | — |
| Hyperuricosuria (HUU) | Body-fluid analysis | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | — |
4. HonestDog verification
- Upload a legible certificate (PDF or photo) per test in the breeder dashboard
- Certificate must show date, examining vet, and FCI/VDH logo
- Certificates older than 36 months are flagged as stale
- We extract the results from each upload using AI and check them for consistency with the dog's profile — the profile tile then shows 'verified'