04/10/2026
Nature vs Nurture — hip and elbow dysplasia in Australian Shepherds. 🐾🧬
As breeders, we make it our absolute priority to breed good hips and good elbows. We health test our dogs. We study pedigrees. We ask the hard questions before every breeding decision. We try, with every litter, to improve on what we have and to reduce the risk of conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia being passed on.
A mentor shared something with us recently that we have not stopped thinking about. It takes two generations to remove a genetic issue from your lines. Simply make sure to only mate with a clear dog. Two generations of disciplined, informed breeding decisions and you can change the trajectory of your lines entirely. That is both incredibly powerful and incredibly humbling. 💙
Hips and elbows are a little more nuanced — they are influenced by environment, diet, exercise and growth rate as well as genetics — but even those can be meaningfully improved by consistently choosing good genetics and being intentional about every breeding decision. 🙏
This topic has been on our hearts this week — and we think it is worth talking about openly and honestly. 💙
And here is the truth that sometimes gets lost in these conversations.
Genetics is complex. Even the most carefully planned breeding, with fully health tested parents and generations of clear results behind them, cannot guarantee that every single puppy will be free of every condition. Nature does not always follow the plan. It is rarely one thing or one decision that leads to an outcome like this — it is a combination of factors, and that complexity deserves to be acknowledged rather than simplified. 🥹
When a dog owner shares a difficult experience to help others ask better questions, that is exactly the kind of generosity that makes this community stronger. We see you and we appreciate you. 💙
We also understand that education around breeds, health and what questions to ask is important for owners. But that education needs to come from a place of support — not blame.
And to anyone who is looking for a puppy — please ask the questions. Ask for the health results. Ask about the parents' hips and elbows. Ask about genetic testing. A responsible breeder will never hesitate to share that information with you — and if they do hesitate, that tells you something too. 🙏
As breeders we will keep doing our best. We will keep health testing. We will keep learning. We will keep improving. And when nature does something unexpected despite our best efforts — we will show up for our puppy families anyway. 💙🐾
Because that is what responsible breeding looks like. Not perfection. Commitment. 🙏
