Breed-specific health screening programmes identify inherited conditions before dogs are used for breeding or develop clinical disease. 2026 has seen expansion of available tests and improved uptake in some breeds.
Breed-specific health screening prevents the propagation of inherited conditions that cause lifelong suffering. Each dog born with a preventable inherited condition represents a welfare failure that could have been avoided through responsible breeding. Improving screening uptake, requiring health testing for registration, and incentivising testing through reduced insurance premiums all accelerate welfare improvement.