With effect from 1st August 2020 the criteria for the Health Scheme has changed. Please read the up to date requirements below before applying to the Health Scheme Administrator for a new style Certificate.
How to Participate in the Health Scheme
The scheme is open to everyone, you do not need to be a member of any French Bulldog Club.
All French Bulldogs must be KC registered, Micro chipped or have permanent tattoo identification and be over 12 months of age to participate.
Basic Health Check – Confirmation of Participation
This Breed Specific examination covers Ears, Eyes, Heart, Breathing, Skin, Basic Conformation, Temperament etc
This can be carried out at your own vet using the form and Nostril Grading Instructions to vets below.
You will be awarded a Confirmation of Participation and your results recorded on the Health Database.
Bronze Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only
You must have obtained the Basic Health Check – Confirmation of Participation
You must have participated in the Official KC/University of Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme.
Silver Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only
To have obtained the Bronze Health Certificate with the following results
Participation in the KC/UoC Respiratory Function Grading Scheme with Grade 0 or 1.
Nostrils Grade 1 or 2 (depending on vets comments exceptions can be made if nostrils are grade 3 but RFG must be a grade of 0 or 1.
Heart test with a normal grade in the previous 12 months (either on the Basic Health Check or with a repeat Heart test).
Putnam Patella test score (Grade 0 or 1 on Basic Health Check)
DNA test (HC HSF4) for Hereditary Cataracts (clear result) or Hereditary Clear.
Gold Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only.
To have obtained Bronze and Silver Certificates
Be over 2 years of age
To have obtained a RFG of 0 or 1 with the official KC/UoC RFG Scheme when the dog is over 2 yrs old.
Repeat Heart Test (Normal) the dog must be over two years of age at the time of examination
Spine X Ray and Evaluation
Optional Recommended tests for All Levels
Participation the BVA Eye Scheme
DNA test Cystinuria Type 3
DNA test for Degenerative Myelopathy
DNA test for HUU
The scheme is open to everyone, you do not need to be a member of any French Bulldog Club.
All French Bulldogs must be KC registered, Micro chipped or have permanent tattoo identification and be over 12 months of age to participate.
Basic Health Check – Confirmation of Participation
This Breed Specific examination covers Ears, Eyes, Heart, Breathing, Skin, Basic Conformation, Temperament etc
This can be carried out at your own vet using the form and Nostril Grading Instructions to vets below.
You will be awarded a Confirmation of Participation and your results recorded on the Health Database.
Bronze Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only
You must have obtained the Basic Health Check – Confirmation of Participation
You must have participated in the Official KC/University of Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme.
Silver Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only
To have obtained the Bronze Health Certificate with the following results
Participation in the KC/UoC Respiratory Function Grading Scheme with Grade 0 or 1.
Nostrils Grade 1 or 2 (depending on vets comments exceptions can be made if nostrils are grade 3 but RFG must be a grade of 0 or 1.
Heart test with a normal grade in the previous 12 months (either on the Basic Health Check or with a repeat Heart test).
Putnam Patella test score (Grade 0 or 1 on Basic Health Check)
DNA test (HC HSF4) for Hereditary Cataracts (clear result) or Hereditary Clear.
Gold Level Certificate – Open to Breed Standard Recognised Colours Only.
To have obtained Bronze and Silver Certificates
Be over 2 years of age
To have obtained a RFG of 0 or 1 with the official KC/UoC RFG Scheme when the dog is over 2 yrs old.
Repeat Heart Test (Normal) the dog must be over two years of age at the time of examination
Spine X Ray and Evaluation
Optional Recommended tests for All Levels
Participation the BVA Eye Scheme
DNA test Cystinuria Type 3
DNA test for Degenerative Myelopathy
DNA test for HUU
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What to do next
Once you have printed off the Basic Health Form including Nostril Guidance.
Complete the top section with your dogs and your personal details and book an appointment with your Vet (and/or an approved KC RFG Assessor).
Your vet will complete an examination of your dog and a basic breathing assessment before and after exercise the results of which should be completed on the form and this signed, dated and stamped.
As an official KC Respiratory Function Grade now forms part of the Bronze and Silver level, we recommend booking the basic health assessment with an approved RFG assessor to minimise cost.
To apply for your French Bulldog's Confirmation of Participation you must send the original copy of the form to the Health Scheme Administrator for verification.
You MUST include a LARGE LETTER POSTAGE STAMP to receive your certificate which will be sent to you in a hard backed 'Do Not Bend' envelope' PLUS 4 x unused 2nd class stamps which go towards the cost of administering the scheme.
NB Your certificate will not be sent to you without a LARGE LETTER STAMP and 4 unused stamps.
Please post to:
Vanessa Bryant, 34 Somersham,Welwyn Garden City,Herts, AL7 2PZ
(recorded delivery recommended)
Please allow up to 6 weeks for processing.
To claim your French Bulldog’s Bronze, Silver or Gold Health Certificates post copies of your test results to the French Bulldog Health Scheme Administrator (address above)
The Bronze and Silver Awards can be claimed at the same time if all eligibility criteria are met.
Please ensure that your dogs NAME, KC Reg and MICROCHIP No are clearly shown on all paperwork.
You MUST include a LARGE LETTER POSTAGE STAMP to receive your certificate which will be sent to you in a hard backed 'Do Not Bend envelope' PLUS (4) unused 2nd class stamps which go towards the cost of administering the scheme, plus copies of the test results to the French Bulldog Health Scheme (address above) ,
Please allow 6 weeks for processing
Your certificate/s will not be sent to you without a LARGE LETTER STAMP and 4 unused stamps
**Your letter will not be delivered to us if you do not put the correct postage stamps on the envelope. We do not pay any excess postage charges
The Scheme is administered financially by the FBCE.
The Breed Health Scheme Administrator is : Vanessa Bryant
All forms and paperwork for the Health Scheme are copyright and cannot be used or copied for any purpose other than participating in the French Bulldog Health Scheme. By submitting your forms to the administrator, you consent to your data being used by the Health Scheme for it's research, which may include sharing anonymous information with the Kennel Club, Royal Veterinary College or other research partners and Non UK Breed Clubs. If you subsequently decide you wish to opt-out of future research , please email F
Your privacy and consent to use your data are important to us. Your personal details will not be shared with a third party.
Once you have printed off the Basic Health Form including Nostril Guidance.
Complete the top section with your dogs and your personal details and book an appointment with your Vet (and/or an approved KC RFG Assessor).
Your vet will complete an examination of your dog and a basic breathing assessment before and after exercise the results of which should be completed on the form and this signed, dated and stamped.
As an official KC Respiratory Function Grade now forms part of the Bronze and Silver level, we recommend booking the basic health assessment with an approved RFG assessor to minimise cost.
To apply for your French Bulldog's Confirmation of Participation you must send the original copy of the form to the Health Scheme Administrator for verification.
You MUST include a LARGE LETTER POSTAGE STAMP to receive your certificate which will be sent to you in a hard backed 'Do Not Bend' envelope' PLUS 4 x unused 2nd class stamps which go towards the cost of administering the scheme.
NB Your certificate will not be sent to you without a LARGE LETTER STAMP and 4 unused stamps.
Please post to:
Vanessa Bryant, 34 Somersham,Welwyn Garden City,Herts, AL7 2PZ
(recorded delivery recommended)
Please allow up to 6 weeks for processing.
To claim your French Bulldog’s Bronze, Silver or Gold Health Certificates post copies of your test results to the French Bulldog Health Scheme Administrator (address above)
The Bronze and Silver Awards can be claimed at the same time if all eligibility criteria are met.
Please ensure that your dogs NAME, KC Reg and MICROCHIP No are clearly shown on all paperwork.
You MUST include a LARGE LETTER POSTAGE STAMP to receive your certificate which will be sent to you in a hard backed 'Do Not Bend envelope' PLUS (4) unused 2nd class stamps which go towards the cost of administering the scheme, plus copies of the test results to the French Bulldog Health Scheme (address above) ,
Please allow 6 weeks for processing
Your certificate/s will not be sent to you without a LARGE LETTER STAMP and 4 unused stamps
**Your letter will not be delivered to us if you do not put the correct postage stamps on the envelope. We do not pay any excess postage charges
The Scheme is administered financially by the FBCE.
The Breed Health Scheme Administrator is : Vanessa Bryant
All forms and paperwork for the Health Scheme are copyright and cannot be used or copied for any purpose other than participating in the French Bulldog Health Scheme. By submitting your forms to the administrator, you consent to your data being used by the Health Scheme for it's research, which may include sharing anonymous information with the Kennel Club, Royal Veterinary College or other research partners and Non UK Breed Clubs. If you subsequently decide you wish to opt-out of future research , please email F
Your privacy and consent to use your data are important to us. Your personal details will not be shared with a third party.
Useful Information
The 'Basic Breathing Assessment ' component of the Basic Health Check is for your information only, your dog is not given a breathing grade. It should not be confused with the official Kennel Club Respiratory Function Grading Scheme which must be carried out by an approved assessor and is a requirement of the Bronze level. Any dogs ineligible for the Bronze Certificate, are encouraged to complete the RFG scheme as the grading systems gives advice to owners on dogs that may require ongoing monitoring to ensure any signs of BOAS do not worsen.
At this time the decision to breed from individual dogs remains with the owner and the knowledge obtained from participating in the Health Scheme, taking into consideration the individual test results.
However vets recommend that -
Dogs that show any sign of suffering from BOAS should not be bred from.
Dogs that have received treatment for BOAS and can now breathe should not be bred from.
BOAS is an inherited condition and it may be passed on to any puppies that you breed.This, means you may be responsible for producing pets that are likely to need significant costly veterinary treatment during their lifetime.
Dogs that have had spine( back or neck) problems should not be bred from.
The 'Basic Breathing Assessment ' component of the Basic Health Check is for your information only, your dog is not given a breathing grade. It should not be confused with the official Kennel Club Respiratory Function Grading Scheme which must be carried out by an approved assessor and is a requirement of the Bronze level. Any dogs ineligible for the Bronze Certificate, are encouraged to complete the RFG scheme as the grading systems gives advice to owners on dogs that may require ongoing monitoring to ensure any signs of BOAS do not worsen.
At this time the decision to breed from individual dogs remains with the owner and the knowledge obtained from participating in the Health Scheme, taking into consideration the individual test results.
However vets recommend that -
Dogs that show any sign of suffering from BOAS should not be bred from.
Dogs that have received treatment for BOAS and can now breathe should not be bred from.
BOAS is an inherited condition and it may be passed on to any puppies that you breed.This, means you may be responsible for producing pets that are likely to need significant costly veterinary treatment during their lifetime.
Dogs that have had spine( back or neck) problems should not be bred from.
** In January 2022, the Kennel Club will be limiting “hereditary clear” status of registered dogs to two generations.From January 2022, the Kennel Club will limit the assignment of ‘hereditary clear’ status of registered dogs to two generations. This change will be put in place to safeguard against the impact that dogs with an incorrect ‘hereditary clear’ status could have on health issues within a breed.
Following on from a recent Kennel Club study, published in the journal of Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, the decision to restrict hereditary status was made by the Kennel Club Board on the recommendation of the Dog Health Group.
Hereditary clear status is given to dogs that are determined to be free of specific genetic material linked to a particular inherited disease. The Kennel Club’s registration system assigns a dog this status if their parents are known to be clear, either because they have both been DNA tested as clear, or because they are hereditary clear themselves.
Dogs could be mistakenly given a false hereditary clear status for a number of reasons; for example if there has been a failure of laboratory protocols, pedigree errors or incorrectly recorded parentage. In these instances it is unlikely that the inaccuracies would be noticed immediately, but rather that several generations later many dogs throughout the breed descended from the individual with the original incorrect status will also have erroneous hereditary status, and the well-intended mating of two such apparently hereditary clear dogs risks producing affected puppies.
The Kennel Club research analysed the risks faced by a population following the incorrect assignment of hereditary status and determined that the rate of dogs with false hereditary clear status could rise considerably over a fairly small number of generations, particularly for genetic conditions that are more common.
To reduce the knock-on effect of these errors, and the risk of unintentionally breeding affected puppies, the Kennel Club will be ensuring that from January 2022, the ‘hereditary clear status’ will be limited to two generations, unless lineage is verified by DNA parentage profiling recorded by the Kennel Club. DNA parentage profiling is a separate procedure to screening DNA for disease causing mutations, but can often be carried out at the same time by the same laboratory.
Kennel Club Genetics and Research Manager Dr Tom Lewis said: “Kennel Club advice has always been that even apparently ‘clear’ lines should be retested every few generations. This change to hereditary status reinforces that view and ensures that breeders can remain confident that the puppies they produce remain free from disease. DNA tests are helping breeders eradicate health issues in dogs and we want our registration system to maximise the impact these tests are having.”
Following on from a recent Kennel Club study, published in the journal of Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, the decision to restrict hereditary status was made by the Kennel Club Board on the recommendation of the Dog Health Group.
Hereditary clear status is given to dogs that are determined to be free of specific genetic material linked to a particular inherited disease. The Kennel Club’s registration system assigns a dog this status if their parents are known to be clear, either because they have both been DNA tested as clear, or because they are hereditary clear themselves.
Dogs could be mistakenly given a false hereditary clear status for a number of reasons; for example if there has been a failure of laboratory protocols, pedigree errors or incorrectly recorded parentage. In these instances it is unlikely that the inaccuracies would be noticed immediately, but rather that several generations later many dogs throughout the breed descended from the individual with the original incorrect status will also have erroneous hereditary status, and the well-intended mating of two such apparently hereditary clear dogs risks producing affected puppies.
The Kennel Club research analysed the risks faced by a population following the incorrect assignment of hereditary status and determined that the rate of dogs with false hereditary clear status could rise considerably over a fairly small number of generations, particularly for genetic conditions that are more common.
To reduce the knock-on effect of these errors, and the risk of unintentionally breeding affected puppies, the Kennel Club will be ensuring that from January 2022, the ‘hereditary clear status’ will be limited to two generations, unless lineage is verified by DNA parentage profiling recorded by the Kennel Club. DNA parentage profiling is a separate procedure to screening DNA for disease causing mutations, but can often be carried out at the same time by the same laboratory.
Kennel Club Genetics and Research Manager Dr Tom Lewis said: “Kennel Club advice has always been that even apparently ‘clear’ lines should be retested every few generations. This change to hereditary status reinforces that view and ensures that breeders can remain confident that the puppies they produce remain free from disease. DNA tests are helping breeders eradicate health issues in dogs and we want our registration system to maximise the impact these tests are having.”