You probably have a puppy listing open, or a litter visit booked, and a reasonable wish not to spend the next decade in a vet’s waiting room. No breed is disease-proof, and the five below are not exceptions: every one of them has a known weak spot. Sturdy genetics, responsible screening, exercise, good food and preventive veterinary care all lower the odds, and some breeds do start with fewer inherited problems than others. The weak spot, though, matters more than the list itself, because it is the thing you can check before you bring a puppy home.
Each breed’s parent club works with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to choose the health screening tests that breed should get. A responsible breeder can show you those results rather than promises, and I would put more weight on them than on any ranking, this one included. If your household has both species, the same question comes up for the healthiest cat breeds.
The Paperwork That Replaces the Ranking
So the useful question is not which breed is healthiest. It is which test answers that breed’s particular weak spot, and whether the breeder can show you the result. For some breeds that is a single DNA test. For others it is screening done on the parents before breeding, and for the Chihuahua it is mostly regular checkups over a long life. For any new puppy, those checkups start with the first vaccine visits. Even a healthy breed has accidents and surprise illnesses, so pet insurance is worth weighing early. Energy, grooming and training needs still have to fit your life, and no screening result fixes a mismatch there.
Two Breeds Where One DNA Test Settles It
Australian Shepherds are energetic, athletic dogs with good overall structure, and the catch worth knowing about is genetic. About half the breed carries at least one copy of the MDR1 gene mutation. It can turn certain medications, including ivermectin at doses above the low levels used for heartworm prevention and the anti-diarrheal loperamide, into a veterinary emergency. Loperamide (Imodium) is exactly what an owner might reach for when a dog has diarrhea, so this is not only a problem at the clinic. A one-time DNA test tells your vet which drugs to avoid or dose differently for the rest of the dog’s life.
They thrive on activity and purpose. Without enough exercise or mental engagement, the problems they develop tend to be stress-related behaviors rather than physical illness. When properly managed and screened, Australian Shepherds tend to stay in good health well into their senior years.
Basenjis are often overlooked, but they are one of the more naturally healthy breeds: a short coat, minimal odor and a relatively low incidence of many common canine diseases. They are independent and can be hard to train, and medically they are quite sound day to day.
The one condition worth knowing about is Fanconi syndrome, an inherited kidney disorder that typically shows up between 4 and 8 years of age. Left untreated, it can progress to chronic kidney failure. A DNA test identifies affected dogs and carriers long before signs appear. Affected dogs caught early and kept on a treatment protocol can do well, and with that screening in place, Basenjis are hardy dogs with good longevity.
Two Breeds Where the Parents’ Screening Matters Most
Border Collies have a reputation for excellent overall health, and their lean build, athleticism and high intelligence do contribute to strong physical conditioning when properly exercised. They are not immune to genetic conditions, though. The two the breed tracks most closely are hip dysplasia, a malformed hip joint that can lead to arthritis and lameness, and Collie Eye Anomaly, usually written CEA. Border Collie genetic disease records put hip dysplasia at under 11 percent of dogs X-rayed and CEA at under 2.5 percent. Both can be screened for before breeding, hips by X-ray and CEA by a DNA test, so ask to see the parents’ results.
Mental stimulation matters as much as physical health here. A bored Border Collie can develop anxiety or compulsive behaviors that undercut the breed’s other advantages. Kept busy, they last well: median lifespan in recent breed-longevity research runs around 13 years.
Australian Cattle Dogs are often cited as one of the healthiest breeds in the world. They were developed to work long hours in harsh conditions, and that heritage shows in their physical toughness and stamina. A typical lifespan runs 12 to 16 years.
The inherited problems worth screening for include congenital deafness and progressive retinal atrophy, which causes gradual, permanent vision loss. Neither shows up by looking at the dog: deafness is found with a hearing test, PRA with an eye exam. These dogs also need a lot of physical and mental exercise, and behavior problems can develop when that need goes unmet. A bored cattle dog will find its own work, and it is rarely the work you had in mind.
The Small Breed With a Long Life
Small dogs often live longer than large ones, and Chihuahuas are a good example of the trend. Despite their size they are surprisingly hardy and typically live 14 to 18 years with proper care. Even so, they come with three risks you should know about before choosing one.
The first is periodontal disease, which routine dental care prevents in large part. The second is the joints, because small size does not spare them entirely: Chihuahuas are among the breeds most prone to a slipping kneecap, called patellar luxation. The third is the heart. In a recent study of apparently healthy Chihuahuas, more than a third already had a leaking mitral valve, and that share climbed steeply with age. Their long lifespan is exactly what makes regular checkups worthwhile, including listening for a new heart murmur.
The Five Side by Side
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