my question is what test need to be done before you can breed labradors. Is it eye test and hip test and whats a good result and a bad result.How much does it cost. thanks Darren.

Hi darren
the tests for labradors are eye test ,hip score and elbow score.
with the hip score you are looking at a cost of around £130-£150 the lower the score the better the score should also be even so perfect being 0/0 total 0 a labradors hip score should be below the total of 16 (breed mean score)
eye tests cost around £40 but you will need to find a specialised tester as not all vets can do this.
Our dogs newspaper/website have a list of eye testing eevents running all over the country.
if you join and let people know where abouts you are someone may be able to reccomend a good vet for hip scoring and eye testing in your area.
finally and importantly you neeed to be sure your bitch is a good example of the breed both in confirmation and temperament,hopefully her breeder will be able to advise you and point you in the direction of a good compatible stud. :)

Eye testing is a yearly test because some conditions can occur later in life. It is a pass or fail.

Hip scoring is a once in a lifetime test and cannot be done until the dog is a minimum of one year old in the UK. (In the USA the minimum age is two years old.)

Elbow scoring is similar to hip scoring in that it is again a once in a lifetime test with the same minimum age limit.

For eye testing you need to have your dog examined by a KC/BVA/ISDS panellist. Eye testing clinics are often organised by breed clubs in conjunction with their open show, at Game Fairs and by individuals such as myself. Panellists often hold clinics at various vet practises around the country although these tend to be dearer because the surgery overheads go on the top of the bill! Dog World and Our Dogs often carry adverts for sessions.

For hip and elbow scores you need to visit a vet to have your dog x-rayed. The plates are then sent to the KC/BVA panel for evaluating and the result will be sent to you in due course. The "Breed Mean Score" (Average breed score) for Labradors is 15 (Total of the two hips). Ideally you should try to only breed average or lower than average hips. Elbows are scored between 0 and 3, anything other than zero is a failure.

Obviously both dog and bitch should be tested.

These are the hereditary tests available for Labradors but obviously there are other problems which can affect them and which should result in them being excluded from any breeding program. Epilepsy being just one.

Regards, John