THE HSIMS DATABASE TOOL

What is HSIMS? Launched in February 2019 the HSIMS online database is a development of the SH Test which enables a much more precise application of the test. As suggested by the full name, Hystiocytic Sarcoma Index Mate Selection, it is a breeding selection tool and basically utilises an online database of all the Berrnese who have taken the test and who have been added by their owner. You have to have at least one dog tested in order to be able to use HSIMS but you do not have to use HSIMS because you have had your dog tested, although it is is difficult to justify not doing to make the most of the test if you were breeding your dog.

KEY POINT – Having your dog tested does not mean your dog is automatically made publicly viewable on the database, you have to arrange this manually yourself afterwards. Unless you elect to do this no one else need even know you have tested any dog, let alone what your result is.

Will everyone know my dog’s results?  The database does not disclose the dog’s test result, whether your dog is an index ‘A’ ‘B’ or ‘C’ is never revealed to anyone except yourself viewing your own dogs. In terms of the HSIMS process the nominal grade of each dog is effectively irrelevant. Using the database is entirely about how each dog interacts with a specific other dog and the actual index grading of those dogs is not a part of this process.

What does HSIMS do?  Simply, HSIMS uses the exact result of each dog’s test, not the allotted ‘A B or C’ grading, and compares it against a potential mate’s result to give an exact prediction for the outcome of this mating.

How does it work?  Firstly, a reminder that to get to the given grade the test assesses almost 20,000 points on the dog’s genome which are implicated in incidences of  Histio so therefore indicating a susceptibility to Histio and in terms of the test an increased or decreased risk of developing the disease. If your dog has lots of these indications out of the 20,000 possible it will be scored a ‘C’, if it does not have so many it will be scored an ‘A’.

However, this is a very blunt way of denominating the dog’s ‘Histio’ potential because rather than just the three grades there are these 19,683 comparisons available for every dog. HSIMS takes each of these indications for each dog and compares them individual dog to individual bitch, uniquely specific to each potential mating. Where the indications co-incide this will indicate more likelihood of Histio in the progeny from such a mating. Therefore it is possible from this to give a good indication of the likely breakdown of the ‘Histio’ potential of any litter. This is expressed as a percentage of index ‘A’, index ‘B’ and index ‘C’ puppies expected in the litter. Exceptions can occur butter launch testing and experience has shown these predictions to generally be very accurate and whilst the lower numbers in litters can (mostly) never absolutely tally with percentages I understand that within rounding boundaries the outcomes have been as predicted.

[For example – You have a prediction of A 20%, B 65% and C 15% for a litter. You then go ahead and end up with  7 puppies. 20% of seven is 1.4 so, as you cannot have 0.4 of a puppy, you could expect at least one index A dog in the litter but you might just get two. 65% of 7 is 4.55 and you can expect 4 index B dogs but maybe you will get 5. Finally 15% of 7 is 0.68 which means you are most likely get one C dog but you might be lucky and get none. The point is the numbers can vary a little but still broadly fulfil the prediction. In this example the most likely outcome is probably 1A, 5B & 1C but any of the numbers could differ by one but experience shows that this will be a good indication of the breakdown of the litter.

KEY POINT – The ‘Histio’ test is very different from any other genetic test around and this must be understood in order to make it beneficial for the breed. Index ‘A’, index ‘B’ and index ‘C’ ARE NOT THE SAME as ‘Clear’ ‘Carrier’ and ‘Affected’ in the more traditional, well known, recessive gene type of test and therefore this test cannot be looked at with this mentality or applied in the same way. HSIMS enables the usefulness of SH test results to be maximised for the benefit of the breed.

What Does this mean for breeding?  The idea is that breeders use the HSIMS database as a selection tool to work towards increasing the health of Bernese by decreasing the number of index C dogs. This is much the same aims as the previous simple application of the test which was basically ‘do not mate ‘C’ to ‘C’ but in a completely more detailed and individual dog based way. Do not misunderstand this prediction. It is not a general, ball park, estimated, likelihood for the outcome of two proposed dogs of certain grades but an individual prediction for that mating only. Siblings will not be the same, offspring will not be the same, this has to be done for individual dog to individual bitch.

How Easy it it to use?  The simple answer to this is ‘extremely easy’ once you have tested your dog and clicked the option to put it on the database. Most people being shown it for the first time are amazed how easy it is to use. Each comparison of a potential mating takes just a few seconds to complete and happens as fast as you can enter the details simply by locating and clicking on the male and female dogs you wish to ‘test mate’ in the system, one of which must belong to you.

How do I use it? Please be aware the following step by step description refers to the system on a laptop and obviously the layout is slightly different but very similar on a tablet or phone. This process written out step by step will seem very long winded but it is actually very straightforward and intuitive and most people would probably manage it without any guidance and you certainly won’t need to follow these instructions more than once. Each step below more or less describes a single click so you can see it is far far longer to describe it than to do it.

When you receive the results of your first ever HS test you will be notified of your Antagene account. When you go into this for the first time you will need to set up your account with a password in a typical way to many other internet based accounts most people have nowadays. You might want to bookmark a page at this point to save typing in the details every time

Once you’ve opened your account you have your home page which has several boxes forming links. Click on the  box link entitled “My Animals”, which gives you a list of (guess what?) your registered animals, or if you are doing this for the first time your registered dog.

One of the columns towards the right gives you the option to “Share HSIMS” with a red button to show its importance. If you activate this link your dog will be available on the public database for any other dog of the opposite sex to undertake a simulation with. Most dogs are simply made public and left public but it is completely up to you. Remember no one sees your dog’s grading, just how it combines with a dog of theirs.

I’ll leave you to explore the other options available for each dog via the columns in the list.

“”Moving on to the main function of the list if you look at the top of the list you will see a box “Start a HSIMS Simulation” clicking this starts the process and takes you to a list of ALL the thousands of  bitches in the database which starts to loads. Obviously this is too many so you need to reduce the numbers by making some selections. Your first option is to only look at your own bitches, which is kind of where most people will have their interest, who can I find for my girl? So look for the little tick box “Show only females from my kennel” and ticking this reduces the list to only the bitches on your account. Alternatively you can reduce the search numbers by only showing the bitches from one or more countries. Click on the “Select a Country of Region” tab and you have a list of countries, in French, and you can tick one or more to only view bitches from that country. (The ?is listed as “Royaume-Uni).

For the purposes of this illustrative example let’s stick to a bitch from your kennel, open a list with her in it and click on the “Select” option. You have no chosen your first dog for your simulation. You now have to find a dog of the opposite sex, in this case a male, to simulate the predicted results of a mating. Repeat the selection process picking a country or your own kennel, there is also a search facility where your can put in a full or pet name. Once you have the dog listed in front of you, again click on “Select”.

This time you have a make and female selected so the simulation takes place, in a fraction of a second assuming you have a good internet connection, and you will see a pie chart giving the predicted percentage HSIMS test litter breakdown of  a litter produced between your selected bitch and stud dog. You can then repeat this for other selections you may be interested in or just curious about but one of the two dogs elected will always have to be be your own dog or bitch.

Authenticated – you may notice that some dogs are shown as not authenticated. I think this means that the test sample was not authenticated in strict accordance with the protocols outlined for the process so Antagene cannot say for absolute certain that the sample and the dog match. Perhaps the vet was unable to validate the microchip at the time of the sample, perhaps there was a small problem with the paperwork information. As long as you trust the owners ‘not authenticated’ should not be problem but you may wish to check with any prospective stud dog owner.

How many dogs are available in the system? As I update this in February 2026  figure in April 2024 there are over 2,200 males and almost 3,600 females showing on the system and the number has grown steadily through the years since the system was launched. This is not all the dogs that have been tested as some people choose to test and keep their dogs to themselves, ignoring the option to make them available on the database and it is entirely anyone’s right to do so. Of course not all dogs in the database are available – some will be deceased, some would be unsuitable for other reasons such as hips, elbows etc, some may be unattainable due to their location and some may simply be restricted in usage by their owners policies or their country’s regulations. Whilst it is encouraging to see lots of dogs visible in the database the most important thing is to test your dogs and use the system to guide your own breeding. You can add your dogs to the system whilst you use it and then remove him or her again afterwards if you wished , it is a simple click to add or remove a dog. However, most people who put their dogs on leave them on and there are lots of well known dogs on the system and many big name breeders who have many of their dogs visible permanently. Unless Antagene ever release any summary figures we will never know what percentage of tested dogs are on the database so any figures are pure speculation.

How much does it cost? Use of HSIMS itself is free to everyone who has tested at least one dog. It is supplied and maintained by Antagene, the providers of the test. There is obviously the original charge for the test but after that HSIMS costs nothing extra to use as much and as often as you like.

How important is it with everything else to consider? It is worth reiterating that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE is saying, or has ever said, this test in its previous application or HSIMS should be the sole guiding principle for Bernese mating selection. There are many, many things for Bernese breeders to consider, for example just in the area of health testing UK, and most country’s, breeders have to account for hips, elbows, Histio, and 2 DM tests which are all recommended by the BMDC of GB Code of Ethics for members. This code also recommends consideration of the CoEfficient of Inbreeding for each potential mating and looking at EBVs for Hips and Elbows now they are available. You then may have other more occasional and general health issues such as entropian, epilepsy, fertility, dogs being of generally good health before you even bring massive factors like type and conformation into the mix not to mention temperament of course which will come before any medical factors for most people. HSIMS is simply one tool for breeders to use to assess one breeding factor but with Histio, despite certainly being under diagnosed, consistently accounting for around on 25% of reported BMD deaths it surely is a tool that should have some serious priority for responsible BMD breeders with the overall health of the breed at heart.

Why isn’t everyone using it  Whilst it is clear that some people choose to undertake the test but keep this private and not make their dogs available on HSIMS some breeders are openly apathetic or even hostile to the test which is obviously disappointing. Some of the reasons people give are discussed on the main Histio article on this web site, see link below. Most of these do not stand up to any logical scrutiny but that does not stop people sticking to them.

How can I test my Bernese?  Guidance on using the test itself is available on this website on the main ‘Histio’ page which has links to the necessary Antagene page. (see link below). Perhaps the easiest way is to test your dog at our club’s Autumn event where reduced fee testing is available with full support and process assistance and no vet or postage fees.

What do the test results mean? As explained above you will get a result of A, B or C for your dog but there can be no definitive guidance on what to do with this. The original advice was not to use a ‘C’ with another ‘C’ but this is very generalised. What has always been very clearly stated by the researchers behind the test is that ‘C’ dogs should not be discarded as they account for a significant proportion of the population and therefore gene pool, but just use them carefully.

However, ‘C’ dogs have a great range within their ranks and some ‘C’ dogs will go with others very differently, there is scope for much variation within the grade. HSIMS does away with all the speculation and gives a prediction for every single potential mating. Using the database for tested dogs, you can for example take any one of your own dogs on the database and simulate a mating against any dog of the opposite sex also in the database. As explained above the system will quickly give you a predicted percentage of the ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ puppies they will produce, the proposed parents’ actual grading is irrelevant to this process. What matters is exactly how they combine together.

These slides from a presentation I did explaining the system to the KC may help to clarify matters and the decisions you will have to think about.

In the first chart Matt is the potential stud dog for two bitches who are also both grade ‘B’. This seeks to show that you cannot predict results without testing and just assume that close relatives will give identical results.

This slide continues this theme by showing litter brothers results with three different bitches. Dog 3 is clearly a generally better dog for all of these bitches but Dog 1 would be a disastrous dog to use for the breed and the breeder, especially with Edna and Fame.

This slide shows an excellent dog for both Edna and Fame from a ‘Histio’ point of view, and for Edna could not be any better. However, after research he was seemed to be poor constructionally and lacking breed type so he was not considered any further. This illustrates that the test is important but cannot be given total priority above everything else. It is just one thing to consider.

This slide seeks to explain the crux of decisions if you are looking for a stud for your bitch. Is it better to produce all ‘B’ and not any ‘C’ or less ‘B’ and produce some ‘A’ but also some ‘C’ dogs. There is no magic answer but by using the database and the test you can make an informed choice. It may depend on lots of other factors you are including in your decision and illustrates why breeding decisions are complex and need information to help make them.

Here are some thoughts for consideration repeated from the December 2025 club magazine.

I think most people master the use of database with their own dog or bitch fairly quickly, but the issue then becomes about interpreting and comparing the results in order to make breeding decisions.

So, what queries have people been making? Before going on to comment further there is an important point to make. In discussing this I happily acknowledge, and anyone who has listened to me over the last 12-13 years of explaining this test will know I actively promote, that this is just one aspect of many in the arena of health to consider in breeding selection. However, having said that, even health as a whole is just one area to embrace in that selection process along with temperament, type, size, shape, soundness, longevity etc etc. Nothing here is intended to undermine the need for all round balanced decisions with no aspect being given undue importance. Just like every other decision, how relatively important the issue of ‘trying to lower the incidence of cancer’ is to any breeder’s lines, ahead or behind other considerations, is a matter for every breeder individually.

It is also maybe of help to those with limited knowledge of the test to emphasise that the test is really individual dog to individual bitch. Siblings are not bound to give identical, or even similar, results. In 2018 I gave a presentation about the test at the Kennel Club and the following charts were part of slides used to illustrate this and initiate some discussion.

This slide shows real results of 3 tested litter brothers simulated mating results to 3 bitches, all unrelated. The numbers are the predicted percentages of each grade the litter would produce.

Whilst I hope it is obvious from this we should never use Dog 1 on Edna nor Dog 1 or 2 on Fame and Dog 1 would have to have an impossible lot going for him in other areas to even think of him making ‘whoopi’ with Madell, the other results are, in varying degrees, not so clear nor easy to judge. Dogs 2 and 3 are fairly similar with Edna and Madell but different for Fame. None of them are stand out great results but in reality you have to deal with what you’ve got. (We didn’t use any of these dogs by the way). The variation in the litter brothers demonstrates the individual nature of the tests and ideally you search the database and find a dog who gives good results for your bitch AND is available and accessible. The assortment of numbers makes a simple assessment complex so let’s simplify things with a hypothetical comparison.

Imagine you have narrowed your search for a stud dog for your bitch down to two dogs who in ALL other ways are as identical as possible, hips, elbows, temperament, size, type, inbreeding etc. Your final choice all comes down to this, you HAVE to use one of them!

So, would it be better to produce a whole litter of neutral Grade B’s with no bad, or good, ‘Histio’ dogs? Or better to use Stud Dog 2 and produce less neutral dogs and 25% grade A to benefit the breed but with the counter that you are producing 25% C dogs to sell to your puppy buyers or keep for breeding yourself (because Mr Sod’s Law says that of course your pick of litter will be a C!)

OK, time for another traditional cliché, there is no right or wrong general answer and if that sounds like a cop out it is only because it will be different for different people and their circumstances and motivation for breeding at the time.

For example, if you are breeding to maintain your line and wish to use one of the puppies to breed with or you are selling any for breeding, then you should probably think for the future and go for dog 2 and then look to ensure a Grade A is used to go forward with and improve your cancer status. Maybe you already know that generally you have poor ‘Histio’ lines with a predominance of C graded dogs which would make using Dog 2 and making sure you go forward with a Grade A for your next generation even more relevant to YOUR individual choice. This might mean testing several puppies or even the whole litter before sale decisions can be made. Depending on the size of the litter, it might be harder for you to accept that you are probably selling at least one C graded puppy to a family.

On the other hand if you are just breeding a litter once to sell and/or just keep one as a ‘pet’ then playing safe with Dog 1 is probably your easier choice.

If you have good long living, fairly ‘Histio’ clear lines already with fairly high percentages of Grade As and Bs then you might feel you can concentrate in other health areas such as hip or elbows or maybe other aspects altogether need to be your priority.

The overall point is that it is YOUR subjective choice to make as the breeder and YOUR responsibility to make it but combined with everything else you have to think about for your bitch and your lines, not made in isolation. If you are interested to help improve the breed in the longer term then overall we need more A dogs to be produced and to achieve that we need the test to be used enough to bear influence.

Sometimes the choices come out very easy, you find a combination giving a high level, or even 100%, of Grade As. However, much more commonly the decisions are less clear but I would say that I would much rather buy from a breeder who has tested than one who hasn’t, even if, at purchase, I don’t know the grade of my puppy. A breeder who has scored is more likely to have produced at least some grades other than Cs but a breeder who hasn’t scored, and is probably using a bitch from non graded generations, could have a whole litter of C Grades and wouldn’t even know, or presumably care, if they did.

The biggest point here is that yes, the decisions are not always straightforward but using the test and making a choice moves us away from what has happened far too often in the past when stud dog 3 was used.

OK, it’s a bit simplistically made but people will see the overall point I’m making. The test is described as a predictive test and its purpose was to give breeders information to make evidence based choices so we could finally be able to begin to improve our breed’s status against this vicious and cruel disease so the responsible thing for the breed’s future is to test and use HSIMS to improve, either by making more Grade As to go forward with OR making sure we do not produce any more C Grades than we really have to, or if you are doing really well both in one mating! Making your own choice for your own reasons will be the right thing for the breed.

The summary figures of the first few years of the test showed that the UK had, by some margin, the highest percentage of Grade C Bernese at over 50% and one of the lowest percentages of Grade As. So if people did not test then they were most likely using Cs on Cs and producing more Cs, increasing the chances of early deaths in their lines and in the puppies sold to families.

As use of the test permeates through the breed decisions should begin to get a little easier as the overall grades should gradually improve. With the impending potential improvements in the test I described in the December magazine the important thing will remain to TEST and do a little bit with each mating to improve the breed.

No one has ever said this test will remove the breed’s HS problem overnight but utilised widely enough it should help us move slowly in the right direction, especially with the future improvements to the test being developed.

Where can I find out more? 

There is also much more information about Histio and the test within this web site of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain.

Main ‘Histio’ page on BMDC of GB Web site

Summary  The test itself is completely revolutionary and ground breaking stuff but HSIMS is a fantastic tool to make full use of the test. There is nothing else like this test anywhere, we are unique amongst breeds in having this for a complex condition and HSIMS is a brilliant invention to make use of it. Others may be in development but we have the first one, there are only 14 such tests in the whole world of human medical science. We do have a big problem with this disease and at the moment this is the only way we can begin to tackle it. After years and years of hopelessness we should embrace the possibilities of this test, understand the limitations, but realise it is our first and only chance to begin to turn the tide against this cruel disease and as a breed make full use of HSIMS. We will not change the Bernese Histio situation significantly world in a single generation and there are many other considerations in breeding choices but unless due consideration of HSIMS results become the normal practice in our breed we will never start to address our cancer problem. Breeders have to play a longer term numbers game to improve matters and there will be set backs and problems with individual dogs but overall if breeders keep ‘doing the right thing’ the breed will start to move this problem in the right direction.

Steve Green  BMD Breed Health CoOrdinator

HSIMS page of BMDCA a useful guide to the HSIMS process from the American breed club web site