Corgi puppies

Whenever I read a litter announcement I look at OFA records to see if the parents are tested (usually I recognize the names if they are.) Usually they aren't, or if they are, came out carrier or At Risk and the breeder didn't want the results made public. This is WHY puppy buyers need to ask about DM testing- because it may have been done and hidden, which is just as bad as not doing it at all. Remember, if the parents haven't been tested, you can have the puppy you plan to buy tested, it only takes a week or so and costs $65, which I can tell you now is a LOT less than the cost of dealing with DM.

What are your chances that your At Risk puppy will get DM? Nobody knows, but somewhere between 10 and 20% is my best guess right now.

If your breeder of choice IS testing, and discloses the results, and the puppy comes from a "good" breeding (no worse than carrier to carrier) I would probably take a chance on the puppy. That breeder is trying to help the breed, and as a responsible, caring breeder is also likely to help you if, in ten years, your dog is showing signs fo DM. But by 2012, I wouldn't buy that puppy, either- if by then there aren't clear and carrier puppies available the breeder isn't doing her share to remove DM from her line.

Remember the breeder should also have tested the hips of the parents. You can also ask about health of siblings and half-siblings and other dogs in the puppy's line. You can never get a guarantee of perfect health, but if your breeder has 12-15 year old dogs running around in good health, its a good sign!