Health Testing: What Should a Responsible Breeder Test For?

Health testing is one of the most important things to look for when choosing a responsible German Shorthaired Pointer or Vizsla breeder. A routine veterinary exam or DNA panel alone does not mean a dog has completed the health testing recommended for its breed.

Before breeding, dogs should complete the appropriate health screenings for the conditions known to affect their breed. These results should also be available for puppy buyers to review. At Nosam Kennels, we believe families should be able to ask questions, see documentation, and understand the health testing behind their puppy.

Health testing cannot guarantee that a puppy will never develop a health condition. However, it allows breeders to make more informed breeding decisions and reduce the risk of producing certain inherited conditions.

Hip Evaluations

Hip dysplasia is an important consideration in both German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas. We use PennHIP evaluations to assess our breeding dogs' hip joint laxity and help us make informed breeding decisions.

PennHIP provides a Distraction Index (DI), which measures hip laxity and can be used to assess a dog's risk of developing hip osteoarthritis associated with canine hip dysplasia.

Eye Examinations

Inherited eye conditions can occur in sporting breeds. Breeding dogs receive appropriate eye examinations to identify conditions that could affect the health of future puppies.

Cardiac Evaluations

Cardiac screening helps identify congenital or inherited heart abnormalities that may be important when making responsible breeding decisions.

Elbow Evaluations

Elbow dysplasia can cause pain, lameness, and joint disease. German Shorthaired Pointers in our breeding program receive appropriate elbow evaluations as part of their breed-specific health testing.

Thyroid Testing

Autoimmune thyroiditis is one of the health concerns screened for in Vizslas. Appropriate thyroid testing can help breeders identify dogs affected by or at risk for thyroid disease before making breeding decisions.

Breed-Specific DNA Testing

DNA testing can help identify known genetic variants associated with inherited diseases. For our German Shorthaired Pointers, this includes testing for breed-relevant conditions such as Von Willebrand Disease Type II and Cone Degeneration when appropriate.

Health Testing Is Breed Specific

Not every breed requires the same health testing. This is why simply being told that a puppy's parents are "health tested" isn't enough. Ask what they were tested for, what the results were, and whether those tests are appropriate for the breed.

​

Vizslas: Hips • Eyes • Thyroid • Cardiac

​

German Shorthaired Pointers: Hips • Elbows • Eyes • Cardiac • Breed-Appropriate DNA Testing

​

We make the health results of our breeding dogs available so prospective families can see the testing behind the puppies we produce.

​

​

​​​

Why Responsible Breeders Prove Their Dogs

Health testing is only one part of responsible breeding. Breeding dogs should also demonstrate that they possess the temperament, structure, natural ability, and working qualities expected of their breed.

German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas were developed as versatile hunting dogs. Their breed standards are more than descriptions of how they should look—they reflect the structure, temperament, movement, and characteristics needed for these breeds to perform the jobs they were originally developed to do.

At Nosam Kennels, we believe in preserving that purpose.

Proven in the Field

Natural hunting ability cannot be determined by pedigree or appearance alone. Hunt tests and other field evaluations give breeders an opportunity to evaluate qualities such as bird drive, pointing instinct, cooperation, trainability, confidence, and overall working ability.

Our breeding dogs are evaluated for hunting ability through AKC hunt tests, NAVHDA testing, or other appropriate field work. This helps us make breeding decisions based on what a dog has actually demonstrated—not simply what we hope they can produce.

Structure Matters, Too

A hunting dog needs more than drive. They also need the structure and movement to support an active, athletic life.

The show ring provides another way to evaluate how closely a dog conforms to its breed standard. Correct structure isn't simply about producing a beautiful dog. For a sporting breed expected to run, hunt, retrieve, swim, and work for extended periods, sound structure matters.

This is why we value dogs that can demonstrate both form and function.

Versatility Is Part of the Breed

Not every breeding dog has to participate in exactly the same activities or earn the same titles. German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas can demonstrate their abilities through hunting, conformation, performance sports, obedience, dock diving, Fast CAT, and other venues.

Titles alone do not make a dog breeding quality. However, evaluating and proving our dogs outside of our own home gives us additional information about their temperament, structure, trainability, natural ability, and strengths and weaknesses.

Responsible breeding isn't about putting two purebred dogs together.

It's about understanding what each dog brings to the next generation and making breeding decisions that preserve and improve the qualities that make the German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla what they are.

​

Why Responsible Breeding Matters

Being purebred or AKC registered does not automatically mean a dog was responsibly bred.

Responsible breeding requires thoughtful decisions about health, temperament, structure, working ability, and the future of the dogs being produced. Cutting corners in these areas can increase the risk of health and temperament problems and can leave puppy owners without support when challenges arise.

A responsible breeder should be willing to stand behind the dogs they produce throughout their lives—including being willing to help if an owner can no longer keep their dog.

More Than Producing Puppies

Responsible breeders invest time and resources into evaluating potential breeding dogs before producing a litter. This includes completing breed-appropriate health testing and evaluating dogs for the qualities they are expected to possess.

German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas are sporting breeds developed to work. We believe preserving their natural ability is an important part of preserving the breeds themselves.

At Nosam Kennels, our breeding dogs are evaluated for hunting ability through AKC Hunt Tests, NAVHDA testing, or field work appropriate to the individual dog. Many of our dogs are also evaluated in other venues, including conformation, dock diving, Fast CAT, and additional performance sports.

These activities aren't simply about collecting titles. They allow us to evaluate our dogs outside our own backyard and learn more about their natural ability, trainability, temperament, structure, confidence, and overall versatility.

Breeding Should Have a Purpose

The goal of responsible breeding should never simply be to produce puppies because there is a market for them.

Every breeding should begin with a reason for the pairing and an understanding of what each dog may contribute to the next generation.

For us, that means working to produce healthy, structurally sound, mentally stable, versatile German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas that retain the natural ability their breeds were developed for while also being capable of living successfully as family companions.

A pedigree tells you where a dog came from. Responsible breeding helps determine where the breed is going.

​

​

​

Puppy Health & Veterinary Care Before Going Home

Responsible puppy care begins long before go-home day. Throughout the time our puppies are with us, we closely monitor their health, growth, and development and provide age-appropriate preventative and veterinary care.

Before leaving Nosam Kennels, every German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla puppy receives:

• Age-appropriate vaccinations

• Routine deworming

• Fecal examination

• Comprehensive examination by a licensed veterinarian

• Veterinary Health Certificate

• Individual vaccination and deworming records

• Permanent microchip

• Ongoing monitoring of growth, weight, and overall development

During each puppy's veterinary examination, our veterinarian evaluates their overall health, including the heart, lungs, eyes, bite, abdomen, potential hernias, and other age-appropriate developmental concerns.

Puppies remain with us until they are developmentally ready to transition into their new homes and will never leave before eight weeks of age.

Health Is More Than a Vet Visit

A veterinary examination is an important part of responsible puppy care, but raising a healthy litter involves much more than a single appointment.

From birth, we monitor each puppy individually. Changes in weight, appetite, behavior, stool, development, or overall condition can provide important information about a young puppy's health.

This daily hands-on care allows us to know what is normal for each puppy and recognize when something may need additional attention.

Our goal is not simply to send home a puppy who has received their first vaccinations. We want every family to receive a puppy whose health and development have been closely monitored throughout their first weeks of life.

 

Early Puppy Development & Socialization

A puppy's first eight weeks are an important period of development. Responsible breeders have an opportunity to use that time to begin building confidence, resilience, engagement, and positive associations with the world puppies will experience after they leave the breeder.

At Nosam Kennels, our German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla puppies are raised with intentional, age-appropriate socialization and early development from the beginning.

Building Confidence Through Experience

As puppies grow, we gradually introduce new experiences appropriate for their developmental stage. Rather than simply exposing puppies to as many things as possible, our goal is to create positive experiences that encourage curiosity and help puppies learn how to confidently work through something new.

Depending on their age and development, puppies may experience:

• Different surfaces, textures, and footing

• Household and environmental sounds

• New objects and age-appropriate obstacles

• Indoor and outdoor environments

• New people and appropriate interactions

• Grooming and body handling

• Crate introduction

• Opportunities for independent exploration

• Confidence-building activities

• Age-appropriate problem solving

Handling Starts Early

Our puppies are handled and observed from birth. Early handling gives us opportunities to monitor each puppy's development while gradually introducing experiences that will become part of normal life.

As puppies mature, we introduce body handling, nail care, bathing, grooming, and other age-appropriate experiences. The goal is to make these things familiar before a puppy goes home and their new family continues the process.

Socialization Is More Than Meeting People

Good puppy socialization isn't simply introducing a puppy to lots of people or places.

It is about helping puppies develop positive associations, learn how to recover from new experiences, build confidence, and become comfortable interacting with the world around them.

We want our puppies to have opportunities to explore while still feeling safe enough to process what they are experiencing.

Preparing Sporting Puppies for the Future

German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas are sporting breeds, so early development also includes opportunities to encourage the natural qualities these breeds were developed for.

As appropriate for each puppy and litter, we may introduce retrieving games, birds, outdoor exploration, engagement exercises, and other experiences designed to encourage natural instinct and confidence.

These introductions are not intended to produce a finished hunting dog at eight weeks old. They give puppies positive early experiences that their owners can continue developing as they mature.

The Beginning, Not the Finished Product

No responsible puppy-raising program can create a finished dog in eight weeks.

What we can do is provide a thoughtful beginning.

Our goal is to send home healthy, well-socialized German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla puppies who have been given opportunities to learn, explore, build confidence, and develop positive foundations that their families can continue throughout adolescence and adulthood.

 

Preparing Families for Puppy Go-Home

Responsible breeding doesn't stop with preparing the puppy. We also want our families to feel prepared for the transition from our home to theirs.

Throughout the time your puppy is growing with us, we provide information and resources to help you understand their development and prepare for life with a German Shorthaired Pointer or Vizsla.

Families receive guidance on topics including:

• Feeding and nutrition

• Crate training

• Potty-training foundations

• Puppy training and development

• Continued socialization

• Grooming and nail care

• Exercise and age-appropriate activity

• Breed-specific needs and expectations

• Preparing your home for a new puppy

• Puppy supplies and go-home preparation

• Continuing the foundations we started before your puppy comes home

Our goal is to make go-home day the continuation of your puppy's development—not the first day you begin figuring everything out.

Clear Expectations From the Beginning

Every Nosam puppy is also placed with a written puppy contract that outlines our responsibilities as the breeder as well as the responsibilities of the new owner.

Our contract includes important requirements surrounding the puppy's health, care, training, registration, breeding rights, and long-term well-being.

Most importantly, the dogs we produce always have a place to return. If one of our families can no longer keep their Nosam dog, we require that we be contacted so we can help ensure that dog is appropriately cared for and placed.

Responsible breeding means remaining responsible for the dogs we bring into the world—not just until they leave our home, but throughout their lives.

​

Lifetime Breeder Support

A responsible breeder's commitment doesn't end when a puppy leaves for their new home.

When you bring home a Nosam German Shorthaired Pointer or Vizsla, we remain available as a resource throughout your dog's life. Whether you have questions about training, development, feeding, behavior, hunting, dog sports, or simply navigating life with your new puppy, we want our families to know they can reach out.

Your Dog Is Always a Nosam Dog

We love receiving updates and watching the puppies we produce grow into adults. Those updates aren't only enjoyable for us—they also provide valuable information about the health, temperament, working ability, structure, and longevity of the dogs produced by our breeding program.

That information helps us continue evaluating our breeding decisions and working toward healthier, sounder, more capable German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas in future generations.

A Community Beyond Your Litter

Nosam families also have the opportunity to connect with other owners in our community. Families can share updates, follow littermates, celebrate accomplishments, ask questions, and learn from others who are raising dogs from the same breeding program.

Some of our families choose to hunt with their dogs. Others pursue hunt tests, conformation, dock diving, Fast CAT, obedience, or other dog sports. And many simply enjoy life with an active family companion.

Whatever direction you take, we love seeing our puppies become the dogs they were raised to be.

A Lifetime Responsibility

Most importantly, we remain responsible for the dogs we produce.

If circumstances ever change and a family can no longer keep their Nosam dog, we want to be contacted. Our commitment to our puppies does not expire when they leave our home.

We breed them. We raise them. We stand behind them for life.

Our Commitment as Responsible Breeders

Responsible breeding means accepting responsibility for every decision we make—from choosing a sire and dam to deciding where each puppy will spend the rest of their life.

At Nosam Kennels, our goal is to preserve and improve the qualities that define the German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla. We make breeding decisions with consideration for health, temperament, structure, natural hunting ability, trainability, and each breed's standard and original purpose.

We Breed With a Purpose

Every litter should have a reason for being produced.

We carefully consider the strengths and weaknesses of each potential sire and dam and what we believe the pairing can contribute to the next generation. Our goal is to produce versatile sporting dogs capable of succeeding in the field while also possessing the temperament, structure, and trainability needed to be exceptional companions.

We don't believe being purebred alone makes a dog breeding quality. Dogs considered for our breeding program are evaluated through health testing, performance, temperament, structure, pedigree, and the qualities they demonstrate as individuals.

We Carefully Choose Our Puppy Homes

Responsible breeding also means being selective about where puppies are placed.

Prospective Nosam families complete a puppy application so we can learn about their lifestyle, experience, expectations, and goals for their future dog. This process helps us determine whether a German Shorthaired Pointer or Vizsla is an appropriate fit and allows us to thoughtfully match puppies with the homes where we believe they are most likely to thrive.

Our puppies are intended to be part of their families. We do not place puppies in homes where they are expected to live primarily isolated outdoors or permanently separated from normal family life.

We Protect the Future of Our Breeds

Nosam puppies are placed on limited AKC registration unless a dog has been specifically evaluated and approved as a potential breeding prospect.

A dog being purebred or AKC registered does not automatically make it appropriate for breeding. Dogs considered for breeding should demonstrate appropriate health, temperament, structure, and breed qualities before contributing to the next generation.

Our goal is not to produce more German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas.

Our goal is to produce dogs worthy of representing their breeds.

We Encourage Owners to Enjoy Their Dogs

German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas were bred to be active, versatile dogs, and we love seeing our owners explore what their dogs are capable of doing.

That may mean hunting, AKC or NAVHDA events, conformation, dock diving, Fast CAT, obedience, agility, or another dog sport. It may also simply mean providing an active family life filled with training, exercise, and opportunities to use their natural abilities.

Not every Nosam puppy needs to become a competition dog. What matters to us is that each dog is given the opportunity to live an active, fulfilling life appropriate for the breed.

We Remain Accountable for What We Produce

Every Nosam puppy is permanently microchipped before leaving us, with Nosam Kennels remaining connected to the dog's identification as the breeder.

We do not sell puppies through pet stores or brokers, and we do not intentionally produce mixed-breed litters. Our breeding program is dedicated to preserving purebred German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas through thoughtful, responsible breeding.

Most importantly, our responsibility does not end when a puppy leaves.

The decisions we make today affect our puppies, their families, and the future generations of these breeds. We take that responsibility seriously.

 

 

​

AKC Breeder of Merit

Nosam Kennels is proud to be recognized as an AKC Breeder of Merit for both German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas.

The AKC Breeder of Merit program recognizes breeders who demonstrate a commitment to preserving their breeds through health testing, participation in AKC events, responsible puppy placement, and continued involvement with the dogs they produce.

For us, the recognition represents many of the same principles that guide our breeding program every day: producing healthy, sound dogs, proving our breeding dogs through appropriate venues, carefully placing puppies, educating our families, and remaining responsible for the dogs we bring into the world.

Continuing to Learn

Responsible breeding is never something we consider "finished."

We continue our breeder education, follow developments in canine health and genetics, evaluate the dogs we produce, and use what we learn to make future breeding decisions.

Every litter gives us more information about our dogs and our bloodlines. We believe a responsible breeding program should be willing to learn, adapt, and improve over time.

Our goal isn't simply to produce the next litter. It's to make each generation a thoughtful step forward for the German Shorthaired Pointer and Vizsla.