The Midwoofery Blog

Your dog's DNA test shows a small amount of a breed you know isn't in the pedigree. Here's why close cousin breeds get mixed up, and when it's worth a closer look.

We select for hips, coats, and temperament. Almost nobody selects for a dam who can whelp and mother on her own. Here’s why that matters, and what to track.

Quick answer: Health testing on the parents lowers the chance of inherited disease in the puppies. It doesn’t get rid of that chance completely. Knowing what testing does and doesn’t catch helps you ask better questions and have realistic expectations. When you start looking at breeders, you’ll see phrases like “fully health tested parents” or “all clearances done.” That’s a good sign. It also doesn’t mean what most people think it means. What does “health tested” actually me

Quick answer: Health testing comes in two flavors. Clinical tests check the dog itself, like hip x-rays and heart exams. DNA tests check the dog’s genes. DNA tests can completely rule out some specific diseases when both parents test clear. But for most of the common stuff we worry about, like hip dysplasia, slipping kneecaps, and most heart defects, there’s no DNA test that clears a dog. For those, testing lowers the risk. It doesn’t get rid of it. Most of us know to run hea

If you are looking for a puppy, you have almost certainly run into the idea that a first cross between two breeds is automatically the healthiest choice. It’s called “hybrid vigor” or sometimes “heterosis.” It comes up in online groups, in short videos, and now in AI answers, usually stated as if it settles the question. The instinct behind that idea is a good one. You want a healthy dog, and that is exactly the right thing to care about. The catch is that the popular version

You have probably had this conversation. A buyer comes to you certain that a first cross is the healthiest dog they can get, because they read about hybrid vigor somewhere, or an AI summary told them, or a video made it sound like settled science. The idea has a clean, confident ring to it. Mix two breeds, get a healthier dog. The trouble is that the popular understanding is being treated like a guarantee, and the real picture is more interesting than that. None of what follo

I want to go over why we often seem to emphasize weight and body condition score in our puppies and dogs and why it is so important.

This post is in response to a question asked about whether dogs of a particular color make the best service and therapy dogs.