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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 Poodle we've compiled 6 core tests (3 of them required by Deutscher Pudel-Klub e.V.) and 6 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 Poodles, there are hereditary risks for eye diseases such as cataracts and progressive rod-cone degeneration (PRA-prcd), for patellar luxation (PL), as well as for neurological conditions like degenerative myelopathy (DM) and neonatal encephalopathy with seizures (NEWS). For breeding approval, the Deutscher Pudel-Klub e.V. prescribes that parent animals must be free of cataracts, exhibit at most PL 0–1 for patellar luxation, and be clear or carriers for PRA-prcd, with carriers only permitted to be mated with a clear partner. In addition, the club recommends radiographic findings for hip dysplasia (HD A–B) and elbow dysplasia (ED). A health-oriented breeder also tests for degenerative myelopathy, NEWS, and von Willebrand disease type I (vWD1), and has the dogs examined for sebaceous adenitis (SA). Make sure you are presented with all of these written test results without exception before purchasing.
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 Poodle covers 6 tests, 3 of them required by Deutscher Pudel-Klub e.V., plus 6 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 6 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
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
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: Untersuchungsunterlagen ausgefüllt
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
Sebaceous Adenitis(SA)
Haut und Fell
Sebaceous adenitis is an inflammatory skin disorder where the dog's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the sebaceous glands, which are the glands responsible for producing natural skin oils. Without these oils, the skin loses its protective moisture barrier, leading to severe dryness and damage to the hair follicles.
Passing: clear
Mitral valve dysplasia(MVD)
Herz
Mitral valve dysplasia is a congenital heart defect where the mitral valve, which acts as a one-way gate on the left side of the heart, does not form correctly. This malformation prevents the valve from closing tightly, allowing blood to leak backward instead of pumping efficiently to the body. Over time, this leakage strains the heart muscle, which can lead to heart enlargement and eventual heart failure.
Ultrasound · Passing: normal
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)(PDA)
Herz
Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect where a normal fetal blood vessel connecting the aorta and the pulmonary artery fails to close shortly after birth. This failure allows blood to continuously recirculate through the lungs instead of flowing to the rest of the body, putting severe, permanent strain on the heart muscle. Over time, this volume overload causes the left side of the heart to enlarge and weaken.
Ultrasound · Passing: normal
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 — Cataract
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 Poodle 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 Poodle 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