Health Terms
Never purchase a puppy from anywhere if the parents do not have OFA hips, elbows, eyes, heart certifications to insure your future puppy's health!
Look below to see what proper OFA certifications look like
Hip Dysplasia – The most common cause of rear end lameness in the dog. Hip dysplasia is a partially inheritable condition. Normal dogs can produce dysplastic offspring. Dysplastic dogs can be asymptomatic. Dysplastic dogs can produce normal offspring. The most certain thing about this condition is, that in its most severe form, it is devastating for both dog and owner. The OFA offers certification to show if the dog displays evidence of hip dysplasia or not.
Elbows – Elbow dysplasia is a general term used to identify an inherited polygenic disease in the elbow of dogs. The OFA offers certification to show if the dog displays evidence of elbow dysplasia or not.
ED- No indication of Elbow Dysplasia
ED+- Very minor indication of Elbow Dysplasia. 50/50 chance of the elbows passing in America with the OFA.
ED+ Indication of Elbow Dysplasia. Will not pass in America with the OFA and should not be bred.
ED++ X-rays show positive Elbow Dysplasia. Will not pass in America with the OFA. Breeding is prohibited in Germany and should not be bred in America or any other country.
ED+++ Severely Dysplastic. Breeding is prohibited in Germany and should not be bred in America or any other country.
CERF (Eyes) – Canine Eye Registration Foundation. This organization evaluates and certifies dogs to be free of heritable eye disease, such as Progressive retinal atrophy. They also research and collect data to better understand the diseases and work to eliminate heritable eye disease in all purebred dogs.
Heart – Rottweilers can suffer from congenital heart disease. The most common cause is developmental defects. This includes aortic stenosis and pulmonary stenosis. If the defect is severe, most dogs will die under one year of age. Heart defects can be hereditary. You can check with your vet as Heart screening is available. The OFA offers certification to show if the dog displays evidence of congenital cardiac disease or not.
HD- No indication of Hip Dysplasia
HD+- Very minor indication of Hip Dysplasia. 50/50 chance of the hips passing in America with the OFA.
HD+ Hip Dysplasia. Will not pass in America with the OFA and should not be bred.
HD++ X-rays show positive Hip Dysplasia. Will not pass in America with the OFA. Breeding is prohibited in Germany and should not be bred in America or any other country.
HD+++ Severely Dysplastic Breeding is prohibited in Germany and should not be bred in America or any other country.
Do not trust any country's health certifications other than Germany. Too many fake and forged certifications from all countries other than Germany.
Patella – The patella, or kneecap, is part of the stifle joint (knee). In patellar luxation, the kneecap luxates, or pops out of place, either in a medial or lateral position. The OFA offers certification to show if the dog displays evidence of patellar luxation or not.
Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy - Jlpp is a fatal degenerative hereditary disease that kills all affected puppies by a year old (a few may live longer with great dedication and intensive care by their owners but it is not easy and the complications are great.) The OFA offers certification to show if the dog displays evidence of JLPP or not.
N/N which is clear no JLPP gene
N/M which means one clear gene and one JLPP gene. The dog is totally healthy but if bred must only be bred to clear dogs so no affected pups are born
M/M is JLPP affected and they die by a year usually much younger
Certification Documentation
We do not dock our tails. It is no longer allowed in all countries. Findings have shown that it is not healthy to crop the tails and is also cruel to the animals. We follow, as everyone should, the mother country of our breed which the German standard for the Rottweiler breed where it is against the law to crop a tail. The Rottweiler needs the tail for better movement and balance. It is also important to note that dogs with cropped tails cannot be shown in most countries.
Evidence indicates that puppies have similar sensitivity to pain as adult dogs. Docking a puppy’s tail involves cutting through muscles, tendons, up to seven pairs of highly sensitive nerves and severing bone and cartilage connections. Tail docking is usually carried out without any anaesthesia or analgesia (pain relief). Puppies give repeated intense shrieking vocalisations the moment the tail is cut off and during stitching of the wound, indicating that they experience substantial pain. Inflammation and damage to the tissues also cause ongoing pain while the wound heals. There is also the risk of infection or other complications associated with this unnecessary surgery.
Tail docking can also cause unnecessary and avoidable long term chronic pain and distress to the dog. For example, when a chronic neuroma forms at the amputation site. Neuromas are often very painful.
The dog’s tail serves a critically important role in canine social behaviour. The tail is a major communication tool between dogs. The tail’s position and movement can indicate friendliness, a desire to play, submission or a warning signal, among many other messages. Thus the tail also serves as a protective mechanism for dogs, part of the various strategies employed by dogs to communicate with one another; establish boundaries and to avert aggressive encounters.
The tail also communicates important messages to humans during human-dog interactions. The action of the tail can help humans to interpret a dog’s body language and to determine what sort of interaction is appropriate for a particular dog. Thus the tail plays an important role in public health and safety.
Removing the tail impairs a dog’s ability to communicate properly, leaving them highly vulnerable to being misunderstood by other dogs and humans and placing them at a distinct social disadvantage. The docked tail is something of the past. America is the last country to change this maniac tradition.
