Health Testing for Australian Shepherds

Canine health testing is progressing rapidly in the world of genetics at labs around the globe. It is imperative that you make your selection from a breeder who understands the importance of taking advantage of the health testing available to breeders. Doing so helps ensure you the buyer to select a puppy that is healthy and will live a long and full life with your family with the ability to participate in any venue you may wish to pursue. Visit the lab we test with at www.pawprintgenetics.com then select the Australian Shepherd breed and click on the panel then each genetic issue for explanation and the percentage of the breed affected to understand the importance of health testing.

All of our health testing is clearly posted so there is NO guesswork for you or your vet when you purchase a Fifteen Acre Farms puppy. To view our lab reports posted for each of our dogs click on the Sire & Dames page then click each dog's picture to view their individual profile.

Also note the DNA profile "VP" posted for each of our Australian Shepherds with ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America). DNA profile is REQUIRED by ASCA to register the first litter of pups from both Sire and Dame. When you see that certificate with "VP" this means VERIFIED PARENTAGE. This ensures you the buyer that you ARE getting a puppy with a verified pedigree. This DNA testing requirement prevents breeders from falsifying records. All pedigree's, lab reports, & ASCA issued DNA profile certificates were purchased by and are the sole property of Fifteen Acre Farms Australian Shepherds and should not be copied or distributed by any other party for any reason. Sensitive information on each report displayed here is marked out to prevent unethical breeders and other persons from copying our reports here and distributing them as their own to unsuspecting puppy buyers. Yes ... that happens ALL the time.

Where OFA hip testing is concerned .... the results are printed on the pedigree's for your review for dogs that had their OFA testing completed and on file BEFORE my pedigree for each dog was purchased. There will be other dogs on each pedigree that had their testing done AFTER I purchased my pedigree for each dog. To view those results simply go to the OFA website then plug in the AKC registration # listed on the pedigree for the dogs you want to see then click the link for "Vertical Pedigree". This will list even more generations further back than what I have posted here and will give you all the results for the number of offspring tested, parents, & grandparents, etc, and their progeny to give you an even more in depth picture of the health history of the lines represented here at Fifteen Acre Farms Australian Shepherds. For the dogs that have Penn Hips in place of OFA, I have their reports posted so you can see their results as well.

As you can see from my health testing and research on generations past, our dogs have longevity in health and overall well being advancing the breed to new levels. Make your selection from a breeder who KNOWS and REPRESENTS the breed well and participates in the highest level of health testing available for his/her breeding program.

Health testing is not only important before and during the breeding lifetime of a dog but also after their breeding assignment expires. There are 4 vets in my practice, I employ 2 speciality vets in Tulsa, and I work closely with my USDA inspector, my AKC inspector, and my State of Oklahoma inspector; also a DVM. Our females here are only allowed to produce up to 5 litters based on her health during breeding, pregnancy, whelping, raising her litter, and bouncing back postpartum. Some females do well with 5 litters while other females are only equipped for 2 or 3 litters and then spayed and some females never have a litter. After each female has reached her 0-5 litter limit here, based on her individual abilities, she is then spayed and placed with a family to live out the rest of her life as a pampered princess, companion for another animal, or she is placed as a medical alert or service animal so she can serve a new purpose for the rest of her life. ALL of our females are well socialiazed, potty trained, and walk along WELL on a leash so their placements have all been successful. I work closely with the vet's in my practice to assess each female's health & continued success in my breeding program and decisions are made on a case by case basis between litters while keeping the 5 litter limit as the maximum number a female shall raise here. At time of spay each female also has a dental cleaning and vaccinations so she is in optimal health when she joins her new family, or begins her new job as a service animal, and can be the best that she can be. I also consult with my vet's extensively regarding the internal health of each female during spay as every uterus removed here is carefully examined and feedback provided to me. So far, I have been spot on as to the number of litters each female is capable of producing while keeping her health the number one priority. Anytime a complication of any kind arises, the female is spayed. Anytime a female labors continuously for hours and hours or loses too much blood with her litters, she is spayed. So if you have been watching my website for awhile and notice a high turnover in females it's because they are only allowed to have 0-5 litters here based on their health and abilities.

Also keep in mind .... with the number of Australian Shepherds I keep here and so many different familial groups .... I am able to provide a more accurate picture of genetics and health and representation of what a premier breeding program looks like. Think about it .... how much impact can a breeding program with only one male and one female have on the breed and how accurate will the picture be for you the buyer on temperament, size, meeting breed standard, health, and genetics for those lines.