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Our Commitment to Health
Orthopedic Screening
Our breeding dogs complete OFA-recommended health screenings to evaluate orthopedic health and support thoughtful breeding decisions.
Genetic Screening
DNA testing helps us identify inherited variants, including PRA, so we can make informed breeding decisions and thoughtfully plan pairings.
Lifetime Health
Health doesn’t begin and end with genetic testing. We combine veterinary care, breed-specific screening, thoughtful pedigrees, and careful breeding decisions with the goal of producing healthy, sound Miniature Dachshunds.
Understanding IVDD in Dachshunds
What is IVDD?
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is one of the most important health concerns in the Dachshund breed.
Dachshunds are chondrodystrophic dogs. The genetics responsible for their characteristic short-legged body type are also associated with changes in the intervertebral discs, which contributes to their increased risk of disc degeneration and herniation.
Genetics Are Only Part of the Picture
There is no simple genetic test that can tell us whether an individual Dachshund will or will not develop IVDD.
The FGF4 retrogene associated with chondrodystrophy and IVDD risk is extremely common in Dachshunds, and current evidence does not support using that DNA result alone as a reliable predictor of which individual dogs will eventually experience a disc herniation.
Screening & Responsible Breeding
Radiographic IVDD screening can identify calcified intervertebral discs. Research has shown that Dachshunds with fewer disc calcifications have a lower risk of developing a disc herniation than dogs with higher numbers of calcifications. However, screening measures risk — not certainty. A dog with a favorable screening result can still develop IVDD.
Responsible breeding means using the information and screening tools available to us while also considering overall health, structure, temperament, pedigree, genetic diversity and family history. No responsible breeder can honestly promise that a Dachshund will never develop IVDD.
Our Approach
At Signature Miniature Dachshunds, health testing is one part of a much larger breeding picture. We evaluate our dogs as individuals and consider health testing, pedigree, structure, temperament and family history when making breeding decisions.
Our goal isn’t to claim that we can eliminate every health risk inherent to the Dachshund. Our goal is to understand those risks, be transparent about them, and make informed breeding decisions with the long-term health of the breed in mind.