It is common in dog breeding to hear the term "health tested", however what is uncommon is to actually extrapolate what exactly that is referring too.  Here, we attempt to dive into some of the basic testing that is performed to evaluate breeding soundness, and frankly, what advantages the genetic make-up of our dogs will add to not only our bloodline gene pool, but also the gene pool of the breed as a whole.

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There are many more known mutations for which we have NO DNA tests. We can't just ignore that these exist. DNA tests are not "health" tests, they are mutation tests. Doing all relevant DNA tests for a dog is not the equivalent of a "healthy dog" seal of approval, yet this is how the phrase "health tested" is interpreted by the lay person and potential puppy-buyer, and unfortunately also by many breeders.

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Here, we look not only at health, but also temperament,

intelligence, and conformation.  It is not possible for us to create our version of the perfect Presa Canario, as we will always find something we feel we can improve upon.  Therefore, in our program we find faults not something to hide or be ashamed of, but something to discuss, explore and scientifically experiment with.

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Some basic items we begin looking at when performing evaluations of potential breeding candidates ALWAYS include, but are not limited too:

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CBC Blood Panel

Hip, Elbow, Knee and Spinal X-Rays

Thyroid Profile

Nt-proBNP Blood Test

Complete Reproductive Tract Exam via Ultrasound

Complete Physical Exam (heart, lungs, vitals, ect)

Brucellosis Testing

Vaginal Cultures

Semen Analysis

Fecal Analysis

Complete pedigree review with known hereditary or other health issues of any relatives

Complete co-efficiency review of dog/bitch, we will never breed over 15%

Eye Exam

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