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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 Old English Sheepdog we've compiled 6 core tests (2 of them required by Deutscher Old English Sheepdog Club e.V.) and 11 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
With the Old English Sheepdog (Bobtail), you need to watch out for breed-specific issues such as hip dysplasia (HD), degenerative myelopathy, and exercise-induced collapse (EIC). For breeding approval in the Deutscher Old English Sheepdog Club e.V., hip dysplasia (HD) X-rays resulting in HD A–B and an ophthalmological eye examination with a clear result are mandatory. A responsible breeder additionally tests for degenerative myelopathy, exercise-induced collapse (EIC), and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), ensuring that carriers are only mated with clear partners. Always ask to see these official evaluation certificates and genetic tests of the parent animals in full before buying 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 Old English Sheepdog covers 6 tests, 2 of them required by Deutscher Old English Sheepdog Club e.V., plus 11 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 11 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Cleft palate
Andere
A cleft palate is a congenital birth defect where the roof of the mouth fails to fuse properly during development in the womb. This failure leaves an abnormal opening between the oral cavity and the nasal passages. Because these two systems are directly connected, food, liquids, and air cannot be properly separated during swallowing.
Physical examination · Passing: clear
Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA)(IMHA)
Andere
Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is a severe condition where the dog's immune system mistakenly identifies its own red blood cells as foreign threats and destroys them. Because red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen, this destruction leads to a critical oxygen shortage throughout the body's organs. This disease primarily impacts the immune and circulatory systems.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: clear
Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia(IMT)
Andere
Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disease where the dog's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own blood platelets, which are cells essential for normal blood clotting. This destruction occurs primarily in the spleen and liver, leaving the body with too few platelets to stop bleeding. Without enough of these cells, spontaneous and potentially severe bleeding can occur throughout the body.
Body-fluid analysis
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 or carrier
Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy(CVCM)
Bewegungsapparat
Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, commonly known as Wobbler syndrome, is a condition affecting the spine where the spinal cord in the neck becomes pinched. This compression is caused by malformed neck vertebrae or slipping discs between the bones. Over time, the constant pressure damages the nerve pathways that carry signals from the brain to the limbs.
X-ray · Passing: normal
Tricuspid valve dysplasia(TVD)
Herz
Tricuspid valve dysplasia is a congenital heart defect where the tricuspid valve, located on the right side of the heart, does not develop normally. This valve normally acts as a one-way gate, but its malformation prevents it from closing properly. As a result, blood leaks backward into the right atrium instead of flowing forward to the lungs, forcing the heart to work much harder.
Ultrasound · Passing: normal
Atrial septal defect(ASD)
Herz
An atrial septal defect is a congenital heart condition where a hole exists in the wall, called the septum, that separates the two upper chambers of the heart. This opening allows blood to flow abnormally between these chambers, which can gradually place extra strain on both the heart and the lungs.
Passing: normal
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
MDR1 gene mutation (drug sensitivity)(MDR1)
Nervensystem
This genetic condition affects the nervous system by impairing the blood-brain barrier, which normally acts as a protective filter for the brain. Due to a missing transport protein, certain common medications can cross this barrier unchecked and accumulate in the brain. This can lead to severe, life-threatening neurological damage.
Passing: clear or carrier (carriers only with a clear partner)
Deafness
Nervensystem
Deafness is a partial or complete loss of hearing that affects the nervous system and auditory pathways. It is often hereditary and frequently linked to specific coat pigmentation genes, such as the merle or piebald genes, which can affect the development of the inner ear. This genetic form of deafness results from a lack of pigment cells in the inner ear, leading to the degeneration of vital sensory cells.
Hearing test · Passing: hearing in both ears
Cerebellar abiotrophy(CA)
Nervensystem
Cerebellar abiotrophy is an inherited neurological disorder affecting the brain, specifically the cerebellum, which regulates balance and movement coordination. In affected dogs, the nerve cells in this region prematurely degenerate and die off. This progressive cell loss disrupts the brain's ability to control smooth physical movements.
DNA test · Passing: clear or carrier
Not health tests, but required for breeding: the club asks for these results too. They don't count toward the risks or the rating.
Wesensbeurteilung
Required by Deutscher Old English Sheepdog Club e.V.
Acceptable result: Erfolgreiche Körung / angekört
Dental and bite evaluation
Required by Deutscher Old English Sheepdog Club e.V.
Acceptable result: Keine erheblichen Zahnfehler oder Kieferanomalien
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 — Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), NME5-related
Both parents must be clear or carrier 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 Old English Sheepdog 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 Old English Sheepdog 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.
View verified breeders