Newfoundland — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Hip and elbow dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Malformation of the hip and/or elbow joints causing pain, lameness and early arthritis.
Ask to see: OFA hip evaluation (or PennHIP) and OFA elbow evaluation, on both parents, under the Newfoundland Club of America's CHIC programme
Newfoundland Club of America — CHIC Certification (https://newfdoghealth.org/chic.html)
Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A narrowing below the aortic valve that restricts blood flow out of the heart; it ranges from harmless to a cause of sudden death, and can develop after a dog has already tested clear once at a younger age.
Ask to see: Cardiac evaluation (congenital, advanced or basic) by a board-certified cardiologist, on both parents
Newfoundland Club of America — CHIC Certification (https://newfdoghealth.org/chic.html) · NC State Veterinary Hospital — Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis in Newfoundlands (https://hospital.cvm.ncsu.edu/services/small-animals/genetics/subvalvular-aortic-stenosis/)
Cystinuriacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited defect in the kidneys' handling of the amino acid cystine, which forms crystals and stones that can block the urinary tract — caused by a well-characterised mutation specific to this breed's own form of the condition.
Ask to see: DNA-based cystinuria (SLC3A1 gene) test from an approved laboratory, on both parents
Henthorn et al. — nonsense mutation in cystinuric Newfoundland dogs (PubMed) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11129328/?dopt=Abstract) · Newfoundland Club of America — CHIC Certification (https://newfdoghealth.org/chic.html)
Entropion / ectropion
The breed's loose facial skin predisposes some dogs to eyelids that roll inward or outward; the UK Kennel Club's own conservation plan records it as a specific point of concern, at just under 6% of dogs assessed.
Ask to see: No test; ask whether a vet has checked both parents' eyelids.
Kennel Club Breed Health and Conservation Plan — Newfoundland (https://www.thenewfoundlandclub.co.uk/files/health/Newfoundland_BHCP.pdf) · Newfoundland Dog Health Center — Entropion/Ectropion factsheet (https://www.newfdoghealth.org/pdfs/factsheetectentrop.pdf)
Shortened lifespan tied to giant body sizecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Newfoundland is one of the giant breeds in a 2026 study of UK veterinary records in which giant breeds as a group had a median age at death under nine years, well below smaller breeds, alongside elevated joint and heart disease.
Ask to see: No document changes this. Ask how the breeder manages growth rate in puppyhood and what age dogs in their own lines have actually lived to.
RVC VetCompass — giant dog breeds in the UK (https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/living-it-large-new-rvc-research-reveals-health-and-lifespan-challenges-in-giant-breed-dogs)