Environment and nutrition can and does play an important part in the healthy development of a puppy. It can also effect dysplasia, but not every puppy who has dysplasia got it because of their environment. The health of puppies start with the plan to breed two specific dogs together. Proper health in the adults, can help the puppies have a solid foundation to start with.

At the very least, Newfoundlands should have clearances for Hip Dysplasia, Elbows Dysplasia, Heart (by a Vet Cardiologist), and Cystineria. Other Clearances that are just as important, but not as common, are Thyroid, Eye Cerfs. and Patella's.

When looking for a puppy, the easiest way to research for health clearances in the parents, is to look up the dogs that breeders are breeding on the OFA website. No, this is not a guarantee of a healthy puppy, but looking at the number of clearances in a pedigree, can help put the odds more in your favor. The OFA is not the only registry, but it is the largest and easiest to check. If other registries are used, then the breeder should be willing to discuss it with you further and explain what the difference is to OFA, and why they like it. It does not mean the other Registries are bad, just different, but the same standard of QUANTITY of sibling clearances are just as important. (describe below)

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is the main registry in the U.S. for Hip, Elbow, Cardiology, Cystineria, Patella's, Thyroid and many other canine health issues. On their front page they offer in depth information on each disease as well as information on how to read a VERTICAL pedigree for health. I highly recommend understanding this tool, as it will help clarify why health clearances are so important in helping to produce the best possible puppy.

When surfing the net, or speaking with a breeder get the FULL REGISTERED name of the dog they are breeding. Take that full name and type it in the box provided on the OFA website. If that dog has its clearances and was submitted, it will show up on that page. You can also put in partial names and get a list of dogs to try and find the one your looking for. This not only shows THAT dogs clearances, it shows if that dog has produced any other dogs with clearances, and if that dogs siblings, and parents have any clearances. If that dog does not show up, and they have not used any other Registry, then they either do not have the clearance or they have elected to not publish them publicly, which means you need to find out why, and don't stop til you and your Vet. are satisfied. Sometimes Cardiology, Thyroid, and Cystinuria are tested for, but not registered on the OFA website, so those are things to ask for specifically. Keep in mind, for hips, and elbows the dogs must be at least two years old, and Cardiology at least one year, so dogs being bred younger than that are not cleared, and the most they can have is a PRELIMINARY hip/elbow Clearance at usually one year, and/or Cardiology puppy check at usually 10 weeks of age. ANY Newfoundland Puppy you purchase should have a Cardiology Check before you take possession. Again, most breeders have them checked at 10 weeks of age, as SAS is a known Heart problem in Newfoundlands. You can also type in just the kennel name and see the dogs that particular kennel has produced with health clearances.

Yes, breeding two dogs with all their health clearances can produce a dysplastic, or unhealthy puppy, but a breeder STARTING with healthy dogs, puts the odds more in your favor, and decreases the chances of your puppy being severely (crippled) dysplastic. Depth of clearances is very important. IF, the dogs being bred have health clearances, but were the only ones of a litter of ten puppies, the odds are not very good that they can produce sound puppies. That is the reason to look at a VERTICAL pedigree to see the siblings of the parents and even grandparents, to get an idea if there are more dogs with good health clearances than not. If there are no siblings, or parents listed, other than the dogs being bred, you may want to look farther, so you can try to increase your odds of getting a healthy puppy. IF the breeder has not checked any of the dogs outside of the ones they are breeding, (siblings, parents, etc...) they become a very big question mark, because you don't know if they are a good OR bad health indicator. The data is just not there, and it becomes a bigger gamble.

There are good Newfoundland Breeders out there who know many generations in the their pedigrees and have the official health checks to prove it. Many are also adamant about the puppies they produce getting their health clearances, when old enough, so they can continue to make sound decisions in the direction their breeding programs are going. Your puppy is very important, even if it is never bred! So it is just as important that your puppy get its health checks when its old enough, as it was for the people who's certifications helped you decide to select that breeder in the first place. This will help the breeder make future decisions in their breeding program too.

This does not mean that breeders who do not do health checks are bad people, but it does mean that they are not doing everything they can to produce sound, healthy dogs, who contribute positive things to the breed we love, and the puppy we bring home to adore. Breeders not doing health checks should not be supported by writing them a check and HOPING for the best, WE and our puppies deserve more than that.

As of January 1, OFA is now posting preliminary certifications on their website. This will help prove if a breeder has actually done preliminary testing, as over the years, some breeders have hidden behind comments that their breeding dogs are "Preliminary Certified by OFA" without any proof.

Please keep in mind that clearances are the only thing we currently have to help make better breeding decisions, and although they are the best we have, we should always be looking for more. Cerfs. are only good for ONE year, so a dog with a listing from three years ago, is not currently certified as being clear. Although, typically, if a dog clears an eye Cerf. annually for 3-4 years in a row, and the breed does not have known problems occurring at older ages, most are classified as being clear and there is no need to continue annual checks. Thyroid can occur at any age, but is typically seen between 3-5 years of age, or as a veteran (over 8). Even though Heart Checks are certified at one year of age, SAS is a very illusive disease that may not become apparent for years, so experts recommend semi annual rechecks even though they have already been cleared. It is also recommended that one year clearances be made by doppler and not just by auscultation, and definitely by a Cardiologist, not your regular Vet Practitioner.