03/06/2026
I wanted to do something different that I haven’t done, and that’s educate on the required health testing for the Leonberger in the USA. Other countries have relatively the same requirements. I will be releasing a “series” into an album, discussing all the things you should be looking for when picking a breeder. And especially for a USA breeder, ALL breeding dogs MUST have a CHIC # with the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) database.
Recording with the OFA is essential. It’s permanent record-keeping, aligns ancestors together, and serves as a helpful tool when looking at dogs. All dogs are verified via their microchip.
In fact, I personally dislike when results are hidden. OFA will give you the choice to opt out of publication of a failing score, but you can’t receive a CHIC # if you hide anything on the dog. I feel it’s our job as breeders and dog advocates to provide transparency. Failing scores can happen, even when the parents had passing ones. Breeding is complex, and quite literally trial and error. Yes, nobody wants to see a dog fail anything, but it’s imperative to share that information with the breed community so we can follow the history of lineages that way. Should I have any failing scores (which I’m hoping to not have, but I know it’ll happen one day), they will be 100% public, and on the OFA record of the dog.
Another personal preference for me is testing every single dog to be bred and not going off of “Clear by parentage.” This works until it doesn’t. Things can absolutely skip a generation, or 3, and then pop up in the current dog you have. This is a mixed bag here, as I know people who go by parentage, and the dogs are fine. I just personally want the clear results of “this dog has passed or failed this test,” of my own dogs.
Health testing is super important. Although it is extra money, it’s totally worth it, in my opinion. And for the breed, we are still learning more about stuff that isn’t testable yet, through blood samples. OFA and the parent club work together to determine what the breed needs, which is why you’ll see not every breed has the same testing required (more or less), to attain a CHIC.
Below are the required (*) & encouraged tests for the breed:
*Hip Dysplasia
*Elbow Dysplasia
*ACVO Eye Exam- some breeds require yearly, we don’t
*Leonberger Polyneuropathy (LPN1)
*Leonberger Polyneuropathy (LPN2)
*Leonberger Polyneuropathy (LPN3)
*Autoimmune Thyroiditis
*Leukoencephalomyelopathy (LEMP)
Cardiac Evaluation- not required but encouraged, I do this as do many other USA breeders
DNA Repository- basic saliva sample to give to science
Non-required- you can test for anything with the OFA
Dentition
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
I should also mention the following links that are essential to the health testing and science of the breed-
https://ofa.org/
https://www.leohealth.org/
https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/
https://vetmed.umn.edu/research/research-labs/canine-genetics-lab/canine-genetics-testing/leonberger-health-panel
Some other things to consider when looking at the breed is cancer, Sudden Cardiac Death, and bloat (GVD). Osteosarcoma and hermangiosarcoma, are some of the top cancers that affect the Leonberger. Sudden Cardiac Death is rather novel to us, we don’t really know much about it yet. Bloat can happen to any deep chested, larger breed. Although claims have been made that there’s genetic predisposition, there’s not enough science to back that (YET!! It could come). That being said, structure can probably play a role. I love science and will be updating as I learn with what is found.
