At Penny Lane Labradors, responsible breeding starts with health. Our puppies are the result of generations of careful breeding, extensive health testing, thoughtful genetic selection, and a commitment to preserving the Labrador Retriever we love. We don't believe one test can tell you everything about a dog's health which is why our breeding dogs undergo multiple forms of health screening, including orthopedic evaluations, cardiac examinations, professional eye examinations, patella evaluations, and comprehensive genetic testing. Our goal is simple: to give every puppy the healthiest possible start and use as much information as possible when making responsible breeding decisions. We can never promise a puppy will never have a health issue. No breeder can. We can promise that we do everything we can to give our puppies the best start and the best opportunity for a long, healthy life.
🏆 CHIC Numbers -Our Commitment to Breed-Specific Health Testing- We have recently begun incorporating CHIC certification more extensively into our breeding program and are actively working toward having every eligible Penny Lane breeding dog complete the appropriate breed-specific testing and receive a CHIC number. CHIC stands for Canine Health Information Center. It was created by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in partnership with participating breed parent clubs.CHIC establishes breed-specific health-testing protocols and provides a centralized database where qualifying health results can be made publicly available. Many of our dogs already have CHIC numbers, and we are continuing to work toward having every eligible dog complete the appropriate testing. What Does a CHIC Number Mean? A CHIC number means that a dog has completed the health-testing reccomendations established for its breed and that the results have been made publicly available through the OFA database. Breed-specific CHIC requirements include:
OFA Hip Evaluation
OFA Elbow Evaluation
OFA Eye Examination by a boarded veterinary ophthalmologist
Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC) DNA Testing
D-Locus (Dilute) DNA Testing
A dog must also be permanently identified by microchip or tattoo to receive a CHIC number.The Labrador Retriever Club also recommends additional health screening, including cardiac evaluation, CNM, and prcd-PRA testing. We believe responsible breeding means going beyond the minimum whenever possible so we do that and more.
🦴 Hips & Elbows Our breeding dogs also receive hip and elbow radiographs (X-rays) submitted to OFA for evaluation.For dogs old enough for permanent certification, OFA radiographs are evaluated by three independently selected, board-certified veterinary radiologists, taking the dog's breed, sex, and age into consideration.Why It MattersLabradors are active, athletic dogs, and healthy joints are important for running, swimming, playing, working, and everyday life.Hip and elbow dysplasia can affect comfort, mobility, and quality of life. These results help us make more informed breeding decisions and evaluate future pairings.
❤️ Cardiac Examination Our breeding dogs receive cardiac screening by our veterinarian before being considered for breeding.OFA maintains both congenital and advanced cardiac databases. Advanced cardiac examinations are performed by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist, while congenital examinations may be completed by a veterinarian, specialist, or cardiologist depending on the examiner's qualifications.We currently perform basic cardiac evaluations and have also begun incorporating more advanced cardiac examinations, including echocardiograms, into our breeding program.The Labrador Retriever Club specifically recommends cardiac screening, and for males being used at stud, recommends advanced cardiac evaluation including an echocardiogram.Cardiac health is an important part of evaluating the overall health of our breeding dogs.
👁️ Professional Eye Examination Our breeding dogs receive professional eye examinations by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist.Some inherited eye conditions cannot be identified through DNA testing alone. A professional ophthalmic examination allows a specialist to physically evaluate the eyes for inherited and other abnormalities.These examinations give us another important piece of information when making responsible breeding decisions.
🦵 Patella / Knee Evaluation Our breeding dogs also receive a patella, or kneecap, examination through our veterinarian. Patellar luxation occurs when the kneecap moves outside of its normal position.Patella evaluations give us another important piece of information when making responsible breeding decisions. OFA maintains a Patellar Luxation database and accepts examinations for certification.
🧬 Comprehensive Genetic Testing Through Embark All of our breeding dogs are DNA tested through Embark, providing comprehensive genetic screening for 270+ known genetic health risks, along with breed identification, ancestry, genetic diversity, physical traits, and other genetic information.Embark's current Breed + Health testing screens for more than 270 genetic health conditions across more than 16 areas of canine health. The test also provides information about physical traits, ancestry, genetic diversity, and other genetic characteristics.Embark's panel covers inherited conditions affecting numerous areas of canine health, including the eyes, heart, brain and spinal cord, muscles, blood, immune system, kidneys, liver, skin, skeletal system, and more.Understanding Genetic ResultsClear: No copy of the tested variant was detected.Carrier: One copy of a recessive variant was detected. Carriers are generally healthy but can pass the variant to their offspring.At Risk / Affected: A genetic result indicates an increased risk or, for certain recessive conditions, two copies of a disease-associated variant were detected.A carrier result does not automatically mean a dog should be removed from a breeding program. Instead, DNA testing allows breeders to make informed pairings that avoid producing affected puppies.Genetic testing is one tool we use alongside physical examinations, radiographs, veterinary evaluations, pedigrees, and other health information.Complete Embark Genetic Health Testing PanelOur breeding dogs are tested through Embark's comprehensive Breed + Health DNA Test.Embark currently screens for 270+ genetic health conditions across more than 16 areas of canine health. Every dog is screened across the available panel, not simply for conditions associated with that dog's breed.This gives us a broader picture of our dogs' genetic health and helps us make informed breeding decisions.
Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease / CDDY-IVDD / Type I IVDD
Chondrodysplasia
Hypophosphatasia
Disproportionate Dwarfism
Craniomandibular Osteopathy, SLC37A2 Intron 16
Cleft Palate
Dental-Skeletal-Retinal Anomaly
Why We Test in Multiple Ways Responsible breeding means looking at the whole dog. A DNA test cannot tell us everything about orthopedic health. An X-ray cannot tell us everything about genetics. An eye examination cannot tell us everything about the heart. A cardiac examination cannot tell us everything about the joints.Every test gives us another piece of information that helps us make more informed breeding decisions.
Our Commitment to You When you bring home a Penny Lane puppy, you are bringing home a puppy whose parents have been evaluated from multiple health perspectives. We don't test because we believe our dogs are perfect. No dog is. We test because we believe responsible breeders should learn as much as possible about the dogs they breed and use that information to make thoughtful decisions for future generations. Every test gives us another piece of information.Every generation gives us another opportunity to make better decisions. And every puppy deserves the benefit of those decisions.
Our Promise Healthy puppies don't happen by accident. They are the result of generations of thoughtful breeding, extensive health testing, careful genetic planning, excellent veterinary care, and a breeder who is committed to continually learning and improving. That is the standard we strive for at Penny Lane Labradors.