23/10/2026
This week some of our team attended a seminar by Prof Dan Oneill who is one of the leading epidemiologists assessing extreme conformation issues in breeds overseas.
He has helped develop a new way of thinking around some of the physical changes arising within some breeds.
His session explored the unintended consequences of a century of selective breeding for extreme body shapes, shifting breed standards and breed popularity, and the normalisation of resultant chronic health issues in dogs.
An outcome of this is the creation of the Innate Health Concept which is a revolutionary way to explain why some physical abnormalities became acceptable as normal.
This has led to a new tool, the Innate Health Assessment to assist owners to choose innately healthy animals and help breeders with good breeding decisions.
If you are looking at a new puppy this summer then perform the easy IHA assessment on the parents for an Innate Health Score.
Which IHA do you need? For current and prospective dog owners, professionals and companies: Use the Quick Check IHAThis quick check version of the IHA allows you to quickly run any dog through the IHA criteria to check if the dog shows any of the extreme conformation traits tested by the assessment....
