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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 English Pointer we have compiled 10 mandatory and 1 recommended health tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
What this grade means
The English Pointer is a very robust working dog, with the breed association strictly monitoring and effectively minimizing hip dysplasia (HD) through mandatory health tests. Buyers should also occasionally look out for elbow dysplasia (ED), although the breed is largely spared from the severe hereditary diseases that affect other large breeds. If you ensure the parents have healthy joints, you will find this breed to be a genetically very fit companion.
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 English Pointer we track 10 mandatory tests plus 1 additional recommended ones. 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 are not always predictive of severity in the puppies. Even so, they're a powerful tool used by every responsible breeder.
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 performs all mandatory tests plus 1 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to mandatory tests:
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.
Roentgen · Passing: Grade 0
These levels are a comparison framework, not an official certification. They help compare breeding programs at a glance.
A complete checklist with every mandatory and 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 — Hip dysplasia
Both parents must be B2 or better or better.
We compile mandatory tests from official breed regulations and veterinary databases — and check every uploaded certificate for authenticity.
L1 = mandatory under breed-club regulations. L2 = 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 AI-extracted and reviewed by our team for authenticity, date, and result.
10 tests are currently mandatory under the relevant breed-club regulations. The most common are DNA-Identitätsnachweis, Zahn- und Bissbewertung, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, rod-cone dysplasia 4 (PRA-rcd4). Every test must be completed before mating, and the result must fall within the threshold defined by the regulation.
See breeders who have already uploaded their mandatory tests for verification.
View verified breeders