18.11.25
Today, we’re excited to celebrate the start of a breeding revolution for dogs with the release of the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) Tool – a 10-Point Checklist for better dog breeding.
The IHA Tool, created in partnership with the veterinary sector, is based on 15 years of research from the Royal Veterinary College. It’s FREE to use via the newly launched IHA website and aims to encourage the breeding of healthier dogs.
At Naturewatch Foundation, we’re extremely proud to support this new tool and encourage everyone who cares about dogs and their welfare to get behind it.
Why we need the IHA – ending extreme conformation
For over a century, humans have altered how dogs look to suit trends and our perception of what looks “cute”. Dogs have been deliberately bred to have extreme physical characteristics and, as a result, us humans have created a huge welfare problem for dogs and an ‘extreme conformation crisis’.
Extreme conformations are body shapes that do not exist in nature and carry a high risk of significant health and welfare issues ranging from respiratory issues, painful eye conditions, skin infections, spi
ne and joint issues, neurological defects, blindness, deafness and reduced life expectancy. We have bred dogs with restricted abilities, impaired health and reduced quality of life, and all of this is evidenced by veterinary research.
But, us humans can reverse the damage we’ve done to our best friends.
How the IHA will help dogs
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s (APGAW) ‘Innate Health Assessment’ (IHA) has been created to tackle this issue and to start a breeding revolution that will lead to physically healthier dogs. Easy and quick to use, the IHA provides a visual checklist of 10 key conformational criteria that are extreme in many dogs and lead to lifetimes of suffering.
The IHA allows every breeder, dog owner or prospective dog owner to reliably check any dog’s innate health characteristics and their suitability to breed and/or buy. No equipment or veterinary assistance is needed and the IHA Tool guides users step-by-step through each of the 10 criteria, with full instructions on how to assess each one in any dog.
For dogs who may have some of the 10 extreme conformations, the IHA helps owners by raising awareness of the difficulties they may face and how to care for them, but also how to ensure that future generations have the ability to lead a healthier and longer life. If a dog does not pass the IHA, they should not be used for breeding to avoid passing on harms to offspring. It’s that simple.
Widespread support
The APGAW IHA has been created by Professor Dan O’Neil (Royal Veterinary College), Marisa Heath (APGAW Director) and Vanessa Barnes (APGAW Legal Advisor). It has wide support from the animal welfare and veterinary sector, and is endorsed by The UK Centre for Animal Law (A-LAW), Agria Pet Insurance, APDAWG, Battersea, BSAVA, The British Veterinary Association, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, FOUR PAWS UK, Frontier Economics, GCCF, Hope Rescue, The Kennel Club, LAGECDogs, Naturewatch Foundation, PetPlan, PDSA, RSPCA, The Royal Veterinary College, UFAW and Woodgreen. It has also been shared by the Welsh Government to encourage responsible dog breeding and ownership.
Join the dog breeding revolution – how YOU can help dogs:
- Visit www.innatehealthassessment.org to try out the tool and learn more.
- If you’re thinking about getting a puppy or dog, use the IHA to help you choose a healthier breed or type of dog.
- Tell your dog-loving friends and family about the IHA.
