Health

Health information                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      In 2003 The Finnish Lancashire Heeler Club began keeping a list of Finnish Heelers’ clinical PLL results. The aim was to identify the carriers of the illness and thus keep as many dogs as possible in the breeding programme. This list expanded to cover all illnesses and defects the owners and breeders noticed in their dogs. This file was named the Great Health Chart and has been updated by now for almost 20 years. This valuable information has been freely available for everyone, and breeders have been able to use it when making their breeding choices.

For the use of the breeding target programme *) for the years 2022 to 2026, the Finnish LH club’s breeding committee has gathered a plethora of information on the health and structure of the Finnish heeler population, with other information important for breeding. At the same time the Great Health Chart was streamlined and both patella and cruciate problems got their own columns in the chart. We have created a summary of the chart in English, so that it is easier for international audiences to use. This version has information on patella luxations, cruciate problems and neurological problems (like epilepsy and CECS-type seazures), and information on the column “other observations”. By sharing information we can all make sustainable breeding choices and keep our beloved breed as healthy and viable as possible in the future.

*) The Finnish Kennel Club requires that the breed clubs create a breeding target programme, and update it every five years. The purpose of the breeding target programme is to give information about the population, breeding, appearance, character and the health of the breed, and includes the breeding targets and the recommended standard for breeding dogs jointly agreed  in the breed club. 
                                                                                                                            Please feel free to share the chart with anyone you think might be interested in it. And don’t hesitate to get in touch with the breeding committee (e-mail heeler.jalostustoimikunta(at)gmail.com) if you have any questions or comments about the chart.