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Our Program

Our dogs are family pets, first and foremost! All of our dogs and puppies live a fun life in our home and large shop, where there is plenty of space to "be dogs". High quality nutrition, free-range exercise, and plenty of quality time are some of the things we provide to keep them in great shape mentally and physically. 
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Our puppies get excellent care from the moment they’re born. They’re family-raised with plenty of hands-on attention, world experience, and the kind of healthy socialization that turns them into confident, adaptable dogs.
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We extensively health test all of our dogs prior to breeding. This includes OFA hips, elbows, eyes, and cardiac clearances, as well as genetic testing for EIC, PRA, HNPK, CNM, DM, MCD, copper toxicosis, and more.

 

 More info about health testing on this page is located down below! 

What and Why do we do CHIC Testing 

The OFA created the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) by partnering with participating parent clubs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds. We’ve established a recommended protocol for breed-specific health screenings. Dogs tested in accordance with that protocol are recognized with a CHIC number and certification.

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At OFA, we recognize that the more information stored and accessible in these databases, the better it will be for every breed. And so we encourage all breeders to attain CHIC Certification if their breed participates in the CHIC program.

 

A dog achieves CHIC Certification if it has been screened for every disease recommended by the parent club for that breed and those results are publicly available in the database. 

What we test for: 

  1. Hip Dysplasia 

  2. Elbow Dysplasia

  3. Ophthalmology (Eye Health)

  4. Cardiac Testing (Heart Health) 

  5. Dentation (Correct Teeth and Bite)

  6. Common Genetic Diseases that can be passed onto future puppies

Who do we do test through: 

  1. Embark DNA Testing

  2. OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals)

Who does our testing:

  1. Iowa State Veterinary Staff for Cardiology and Ophthalmology

  2. Highview Animal Hospital: x-rays for Hips/Elbows/Dentation

  3. Embark Testing is done by us with oral swabs

If you would like more information on what specific breed test we do for our Labradors please click the link below to the CHIC-OFA website

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