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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 Rottweiler we've compiled 6 core tests (2 of them required by Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub (ADRK) e.V.) and 13 additionally recommended tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
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In the Rottweiler, there are significant breed-typical risks for joint disorders such as elbow dysplasia (ED) and hip dysplasia (HD), as well as for severe conditions like aortic stenosis (AS) and the neurological polyneuropathy with ocular abnormalities and neuronal vacuolation (POANV). The Allgemeine Deutsche Rottweiler-Klub (ADRK) e.V. prescribes X-ray examinations for ED with a limit value of ED 0–2 for breeding, as well as the genetic test for POANV, where carriers may only be mated with clear partners. Responsible breeders additionally screen for hip dysplasia (HD A–C) and aortic stenosis. Before purchasing, insist on seeing the ED and HD results, the normal finding for aortic stenosis, and the POANV test results of both parents; if one parent is a carrier, the other must be clear.
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 Rottweiler covers 6 tests, 2 of them required by Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub (ADRK) e.V., plus 13 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 13 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Ectropion / Entropion
Augen
These are structural eyelid abnormalities affecting a dog's eyes. In cases of entropion, the eyelid rolls inward, causing the eyelashes or fur to rub painfully against the surface of the eyeball. In ectropion, the eyelid sags or rolls outward, leaving the sensitive inner lining of the eye exposed and unprotected.
Passing: clear
Cataract(HC)
Augen
A cataract is a progressive clouding of the lens inside the dog's eye, which is the clear structure that focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye. When the lens becomes cloudy or opaque, it blocks light from entering, gradually impairing the dog's vision. If left untreated, this condition can eventually lead to complete blindness in the affected eye.
Eye examination · Passing: clear
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
Retinal Dysplasia(RD)
Augen
Retinal dysplasia is a congenital condition affecting the eyes, where the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) does not develop properly during growth in the womb. This abnormal development leads to structural defects like folds or gaps in the retinal layers. Because the retina is responsible for sending visual signals to the brain, these imperfections can impair normal vision.
Eye examination · Passing: clear
Duchenne muscular dystrophy(DMD)
Bewegungsapparat
This is a severe, inherited muscle disorder caused by a lack of dystrophin, which is a crucial protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. Without this protein, both the skeletal muscles used for movement and the cardiac muscle of the heart progressively weaken and break down.
DNA test · Passing: clear
Cranial cruciate ligament rupture(CCLR)
Bewegungsapparat
A rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is a tear in one of the main stabilizing ligaments inside the dog's knee joint. Unlike in humans, where this is often an acute sports injury, in dogs it usually results from a gradual, genetically influenced weakening of the ligament over time. This tearing leads to painful instability in the joint and accelerates wear on the surrounding joint cartilage.
Physical examination
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
Demodicosis / Demodectic mange
Haut und Fell
Demodicosis is a skin disease caused by an overgrowth of microscopic Demodex mites that naturally live inside a dog's hair follicles. While these mites are normally harmless, an inherited or acquired weakness in the immune system can allow them to multiply uncontrollably. This overgrowth leads to inflammation and damage to the skin barrier.
Skin test
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
Neuroaxonal dystrophy(NAD)
Nervensystem
Neuroaxonal dystrophy is a severe, inherited disorder of the central nervous system where the endings of nerve cells, called axons, swell and degenerate. Axons act like electrical wires that transmit signals between the brain and the body, and their breakdown disrupts normal communication. This progressive deterioration leads to widespread neurological dysfunction.
X-ray
Familial Nephropathy(FN)
Nieren
Familial Nephropathy (FN) is an inherited kidney disease caused by a genetic defect in collagen, which is a vital structural protein. This defect damages the kidneys' filtering units, preventing them from properly removing waste products from the blood. Over time, this leads to progressive and irreversible kidney failure.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: clear or carrier
Pancreatitis
Stoffwechsel
Pancreatitis is a serious inflammatory condition of the pancreas, an organ in the abdomen responsible for producing digestive enzymes and hormones like insulin. In affected dogs, these digestive enzymes activate too early while still inside the pancreas, causing the organ to digest and damage its own tissue. This can lead to widespread inflammation affecting the metabolic and digestive systems.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: clear
Histiocytosis(MH)
Tumor
Histiocytosis is a severe disorder of the immune system where specific white blood cells, called histiocytes, multiply abnormally. These cells normally help protect the body, but their uncontrolled growth can lead to tumors or tissue damage in various organs, including the skin, lungs, spleen, and lymph nodes. Depending on the form, it can be localized to the skin or spread aggressively throughout the body's internal systems.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: clear
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 — Elbow Dysplasia
Both parents must be ED 0–2 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.
We do not list an inherited extreme-breeding trait for the Rottweiler. It does appear on our page “Cropping & docking”, which is about a procedure on the dog, not a consequence of breeding. 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 Rottweiler 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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