Overall, the Tamaskan breed is healthy with few serious genetically inherited conditions. This is predominantly due to extensive health testing, so that only healthy dogs are allowed to breed, but it is also the result of TDR breeders fully reporting all serious health issues so that carriers (and potential carriers) can be identified. Therefore, reputable breeders can ensure that carrier (or potential carrier) bloodlines are not purposefully crossed, thereby preventing future ‘at risk’ offspring.
The TDR breeding program currently has an open studbook and new carefully-selected outcrosses are added to the gene pool on a fairly regular basis. This means that the breed as a whole has a very low COI (level of inbreeding) and, therefore, not as many recessive disorders compared to most closed-studbook dog breeds.
Notable health issues in the Tamaskan breed, which only affect a very small percentage of the overall population, include: hip dysplasia, cryptorchidism, degenerative myelopathy, epilepsy, Addison’s Disease, juvenile cataracts, and digestive problems / food allergies. Thanks to diligent testing and ethical breeding, some of these issues have also been greatly reduced since the breed was created.
Verified health issues known to the Tamaskan Dog Register are listed within the Health Conditions page. Please note that the issues listed therein span Tamaskan Dog registries, but is not comprehensive, as we can only list issues that are reported. Thus, reporting a dog’s health condition is of paramount importance. If you have a dog with a health condition, please report it here. Your information will be kept confidential to the level as viewed within the health conditions page.