A breeder's guide to Corgi health testing
Short legs hide a real working dog, and a sound one should stay active into its teens. The Pembroke's health list is short, but the DNA tests beside it deserve attention. This VerifiedStuds guide explains both, along with what we require for the Verified Health badge.
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America is the AKC parent club. Its list, as published by the AKC, has two exams:
Clearance
Who does it
Earliest final result
Hips
X-rays sent to OFA, or PennHIP
24 months (OFA)
Eyes
Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist
Any age; valid 12 months
Hip x-rays look different in a dwarf breed, and many healthy Corgis receive only a Fair rating. Fair is still a passing grade. Therefore, read the result alongside the hips of his parents and siblings.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM): a late-onset disease that slowly paralyzes the hind legs. The gene is very common in Pembrokes.
von Willebrand disease type 1 (vWD): a bleeding disorder.
Exercise-induced collapse (EIC): found in some lines.
Most Pembrokes carry one or two copies of the DM gene. However, only some at-risk dogs ever develop the disease, and usually late in life. As a result, removing every carrier would shrink the gene pool badly.
The sensible goal is fewer at-risk puppies over time. So a clear or carrier stud is valuable for an at-risk female, and breeders weigh DM beside hips, eyes and temperament, not above them.
Like other long, low breeds, Corgis can suffer disc disease, and extra weight makes it worse. No clearance exists for it. Even so, a lean, fit stud with no back trouble in his family is a good sign.
Brucellosis spreads through mating and has no reliable cure. Therefore, the AKC advises testing stud dogs every six months and females before each breeding. In addition, VerifiedStuds asks for a negative test before every booking. Read brucellosis in dogs for the details.
Ask for his registered name, then look up his hips and eyes in the public OFA database.
Request his DM and vWD results on a lab report, and compare them with your female's.
Find out whether he has a natural bobtail. Two bobtails should not be bred together, because puppies with two copies of that gene do not survive.
Check his weight and fitness when you meet him.
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What health tests should a Pembroke Welsh Corgi have before breeding?
Hips and an eye exam, plus a negative brucellosis test. DNA tests for DM and vWD are strongly advised.
Should a DM at-risk Corgi be bred?
It can be, with care. Pairing with a clear mate produces only carriers, which keeps good dogs in the gene pool.
Is a Fair hip rating acceptable in Corgis?
Yes. Fair is a passing OFA grade, and it is common in this dwarf breed.
Do Corgis need yearly eye exams?
An eye certificate is valid for 12 months, so breeding dogs should be re-examined each year.
What does VerifiedStuds require for Corgi studs?
Hips and a current eye exam, with a negative brucellosis test, for the Verified Health badge. DNA results can be uploaded too.
Sources: Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America, AKC Herding Group health testing requirements, OFA CHIC program.
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