Pip passes her BAER test

Most Havanese dogs are very healthy and have a long life expectancy, but a few of them have life-shortening conditions. For this and some other breeds, a  whole panoply of disorders seem to be bundled together into a single dangerous syndrome, most often found in dogs that are deaf and/or have structural deviations that are noticeable when the dog is soaped—that is, wetted down with soap and water so the structure of the bones, especially of the front legs, is visible.

Havana Silk Dog breeders are specifically working to exclude from the breeding pool all dogs that show these disorders or produce puppies with them. A deaf dog or one with slightly crooked legs can still make a beloved pet, but dogs that produce puppies with these conditions should not be bred at all, so all HSDAA breeders are required to have their puppies' hearing tested via the BAER test and have photos taken of the soaped puppies. Pip, Herbie, and Joey had their hearing tested on Friday and passed with flying colors—Julie sent me Pip's BAER result. (Ironically, last week I got the results of my own hearing test—I flunked.) Later today, the puppies will get their soaped photos taken.