A breeding revolution for the nation’s pets has been launched this week with the release of the Innate Healt Assessment (IHA) Tool, a 10-Point Checklist designed to transform how dogs are bred in the UK.

The free-to-use tool, created in partnership with PetProov and the veterinary sector and based on 15 years of research from the Royal Veterinary College, is now live on the newly launched IHA website. It aims to empower breeders, owners, and prospective owners to encourage the breeding of healthier dogs.

Canine Principles, one of the UK’s leading canine education providers, has welcomed the IHA Tool as a vital step in tackling Britain’s escalating dog welfare crisis.

Jo Middleton (above), director of the initiative’s key supporter Canine Principles, said: “For too long, aesthetics have trumped welfare in dog breeding. The IHA Tool gives everyday owners and breeders a simple, accessible way to understand what healthy conformation actually looks like. Education is the missing link in ending extreme breeding practices, and this checklist has the power to save future generations of dogs from a lifetime of suffering.”

For over a century, humans have altered how dogs look to suit trends and our perception of what is cute. Dogs have been deliberately bred to have extreme physical characteristics and, as a result, we have created a huge welfare problem and an ‘extreme conformation crisis’.

These body shapes do not exist in nature and carry a high risk of significant health and welfare issues including respiratory problems, painful eye conditions, skin infections, spinal and joint disease, neurological defects, blindness, deafness and reduced life expectancy. Veterinary research shows these choices have created generations of dogs with restricted abilities, impaired health and diminished quality of life.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s (APGAW) Innate Health Assessment has been specifically created to reverse this harm and start a breeding revolution that results in physically healthier dogs. Easy and quick to use, it provides a clear visual checklist of 10 key conformational criteria that are extreme in many dogs today, often resulting in lifelong suffering.

The new tool enables every breeder, dog owner or prospective owner to reliably check a dog’s innate health characteristics and assess their suitability for breeding or acquisition. No equipment or veterinary assistance is required, and the IHA guides users step-by-step through each of the 10 criteria, with full instructions for each assessment.

For dogs who may show some of the 10 extreme conformations, the IHA helps owners understand the challenges they may face, how to care for them, and how future generations can be bred to enjoy a healthier, longer life. Dogs that do not pass the IHA should not be used for breeding.

Created by the APGAW IHA team Professor Dan O’Neil, Marisa Heath (APGAW Director) and Vanessa Barnes (APGAW Legal Advisor),and designed by PetProov, the tool has gained broad support from across the animal welfare and veterinary sectors.

Supporters include Canine Principles, International Institute for Canine Ethics, International School for Canine Psychology, The UK Centre for Animal 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.