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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 Wäller we've compiled 7 tests required by 1. Wäller-Club Deutschland e.V. (kein VDH-/FCI-Verein) / Wäller Freunde Deutschland e.V. (WFD; kein VDH-/FCI-Verein) and 2 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
The Wäller is considered a robust breed with an average genetic load, but carries risks for hip dysplasia (HD), degenerative myelopathy, and the MDR1 defect (drug sensitivity). Breed clubs such as Wäller Freunde Deutschland e.V. and 1. Wäller-Club Deutschland e.V. therefore mandate testing for hip dysplasia (HD), the MDR1 defect (drug sensitivity), as well as screening for hereditary cataracts and Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). Have the breeder show you HD results of A or B for the parent animals, and ensure that regarding the MDR1 defect (drug sensitivity), carriers are mated exclusively with free (clear) partners. Responsible breeders additionally have the joints examined for elbow dysplasia (ED) and the urinary tract for ectopic ureter (EU) with clear results.
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. For the Wäller, 1. Wäller-Club Deutschland e.V. (kein VDH-/FCI-Verein) / Wäller Freunde Deutschland e.V. (WFD; kein VDH-/FCI-Verein) requires 7 tests for breeding approval, plus 2 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 2 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
Ectopic ureter(EU)
Nieren
An ectopic ureter is a birth defect affecting the urinary system where the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, known as ureters, bypass the bladder and connect to the wrong location. This abnormal connection, which often ends in the urethra or vagina, prevents the bladder from properly holding urine.
Ultrasound · Passing: clear
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 1. Wäller-Club Deutschland e.V. (kein VDH-/FCI-Verein)
Acceptable result: bestanden (Mindestalter 24 Monate)
Dental and bite evaluation
Required by 1. Wäller-Club Deutschland e.V. (kein VDH-/FCI-Verein)
Acceptable result: Vom Tierarzt ausgefüllte Zahnkarte liegt vor
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 — Eye conditions (ophthalmological eye exam)
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 Wäller 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 Wäller 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