Comprehensive Health Testing for Yorkshire Terriers
EMBARK & OFA Certifications at Essence of Grace Yorkies
At Essence Of Grace Yorkies, we make the health and well-being of our Yorkshire Terriers a top priority. Our commitment to health testing helps ensure we produce beautiful, breed-standard Yorkies that are also genetically sound.
We use EMBARK genetic testing on all of our active breeding dogs and any puppies we are considering for show or breeding homes. This advanced panel screens for over 200+ genetic health risks and identifies breed-specific traits, coat color genetics, and genetic diversity.
Before any dog is bred, they also undergo targeted health exams based on breed needs, including OFA eye certifications and patellar luxation evaluations where applicable.
Important Buyer Note:
Health testing is performed on our breeding dogs — not on every puppy. Occasionally, if we are keeping a puppy for show or breeding, that puppy may be Embark tested before placement, but this is not standard for pet puppies.
Why Our Health Testing Matters
Genetic Screening (EMBARK): Detects breed-specific diseases, coat traits, and recessive carriers before breeding.
OFA Eye Certification (CAER): Performed by a certified veterinary ophthalmologist to identify hereditary eye conditions.
Patellar Luxation Evaluations: Done through OFA to assess knee joint stability in breeding dogs.
We follow these steps to minimize hereditary health risks, but as with all living beings, no breeder can guarantee a dog will never develop a condition in its lifetime. Our testing significantly reduces the risk while preserving the Yorkshire Terrier’s integrity and breed standard.
Individual Dog Health Testing Results
Abbey – AKC CH Essence Of Grace Abbey Road
EMBARK Genetic Test: Completed
OFA Eye Certification: Normal, breeder option noted (PPM iris-to-iris – does not affect vision)
OFA Patellas: Normal
CHIC Certified
Sasha – AKC CH Denstail Dita Fon Diz
EMBARK Genetic Test: Completed
OFA Eye Certification: Normal
No OFA patella results (decision made after negative experience with a non-breeder-friendly vet)
Lucy – Essence Of Grace Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
EMBARK Genetic Test: Completed (Carries 1 copy of PRA-prcd – not affected)
OFA testing will be completed at maturity if used for breeding.
Charlie – GCHS Ziburua Super Charger
EMBARK Genetic Test: Completed
OFA Eye & Patella Testing scheduled after show career
Important Buyer Information
Puppies from our program are not individually health tested unless they are being evaluated for show/breeding.
Even with health-tested parents, no breeder can promise a dog will be free from all health issues for its entire life.
Conditions like patellar luxation can be environmental — meaning they may develop after the puppy goes home, depending on activity, injury, or care.
We do not guarantee against patellar luxation in our health guarantee for this reason.
Liver shunt testing: We do not perform bile acid tests on puppies before placement because the most reliable results require the dog to be older, and our breeding lines have no history of liver shunt issues.
Upcoming Health-Tested Yorkie Litters
Our next planned pairing will be Abbey × Charlie.
While no breeder can guarantee perfection, both parents have undergone health testing and have produced healthy litters in the past with no buyer complaints.
Reminder: Health testing is for the parents, not each puppy. Occasionally, a puppy may be Embark tested if kept for show/breeding, but pet buyers should not expect this as part of a standard placement.