Health Testing and Responsible Breeding

Responsible Breeding

Health Testing and Responsible Breeding

Every dog in our breeding program is DNA tested through Embark. Embark analyzes canine DNA for a broad panel of inherited health risks and also provides information about traits, coat genetics, ancestry, and genetic diversity. DNA testing cannot predict or diagnose every health problem a dog could ever experience, but it gives us valuable information that helps us make more informed breeding decisions.

We also use health screening through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, commonly called OFA. OFA maintains health screening records for inherited and structural conditions. Eye and patella evaluations are important parts of the screening we use with our Yorkshire Terriers.

The Canine Health Information Center, commonly called CHIC, works with OFA and parent breed clubs to identify breed recommended screening. A CHIC number shows that the required screening information has been completed and made publicly available. We believe transparency matters, which is why we want visitors to be able to see both the testing performed and the actual results.

Theo and Ebbie have completed Embark testing along with OFA eye and patella evaluations and have CHIC numbers. Tati and Stázi are Embark tested and will be completing their OFA evaluations. Enzo is Embark tested and will complete his OFA evaluations once he reaches the appropriate age.

Health testing is not a promise that a living animal can never become ill. It is one of the tools responsible breeders can use to reduce avoidable risk and make thoughtful decisions for future generations.

Natural Tails and Dewclaws

Puppies born at Adored Yorkies keep their natural tails. Tail docking is an elective procedure that permanently removes part of the tail, including living tissue. Because our puppies are being raised first and foremost as companions, we do not believe a cosmetic preference is enough reason to remove a healthy part of a newborn puppy.

We also genuinely prefer the look of a full tail. A natural tail adds expression and is part of the way a dog communicates through body language. Many of the European Yorkies and pedigrees we admire have beautiful full tails, and living with our own imported dogs made the choice feel even more natural to us. A full tail does not make a Yorkie any less of a Yorkie. To us, it is simply part of the complete dog.

We take the same thoughtful approach to dewclaws. We do not routinely remove healthy dewclaws from our newborn puppies. Front dewclaws are normally attached to the limb and can have a functional role during movement, climbing, turning, and holding objects. We would rather teach families to keep the nails properly trimmed than remove healthy anatomy as a routine cosmetic procedure. If a puppy were ever born with an unusual dewclaw that created a genuine medical concern, that situation would be evaluated individually with our veterinarian.

These choices are part of a larger philosophy at Adored Yorkies. We are comfortable doing what is customary when it benefits the dog, but tradition alone is not enough for us. We want every routine decision to have a reason behind it, and when there is no health or welfare benefit to an elective procedure, we prefer to leave our puppies naturally as they were born.