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Before putting down a deposit, ask the breeder which breed-recommended health screenings were completed on both parents, request the full reports, and verify the dogs in the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) database. Start by checking the puppy’s current breed protocol through the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) and the breed’s national parent club. There is no universal test panel for every puppy, and a CHIC number records completed testing and public results rather than guaranteeing normal findings. Because very young puppies cannot be screened for hip dysplasia, parental, grandparental and other close-family records are especially important. After the puppy comes home, arrange a separate veterinary examination and preventive-care plan.
Which health tests should I ask about before getting a puppy?
The right tests depend on the breed, the lines being bred and the current recommendations from that breed’s parent club. Use the CHIC breed protocols as a starting point when the breed participates, then confirm the list with the parent club because recommendations can change and CHIC lists are not necessarily exhaustive.
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Do not accept a generic statement such as “the parents are healthy” as a substitute for records. Ask about the sire and dam separately, identify the exact screenings performed, and request the actual results, dates and testing ages. Some evaluations are designed for mature breeding dogs, so a responsible breeder may not be able to provide every adult clearance for a young puppy itself.
Build your breed-specific question list
- Find the current protocol. Read the breed page and testing requirements in CHIC, then compare them with the national parent club’s guidance. Treat this as the minimum research list, not as proof that every possible inherited risk has been eliminated.
- Note the purpose of each screening. Ask what condition a test evaluates, whether it is a physical or laboratory evaluation, and what age the dog must reach for a meaningful result.
- Check both parents. A result for the sire does not cover the dam, and vice versa. Ask for records tied to each dog’s registered name or other reliable identifier.
- Look beyond the parents. Results from grandparents, siblings, close relatives and previous litters can add context about the family history and the specific pairing.
OFA’s disease and screening guidance explains that breed recommendations are primary rather than exhaustive. A breed that is not listed in CHIC may still have appropriate evaluations; in that situation, consult the parent club and your veterinarian about available screening.
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What exactly should I ask the breeder?
Ask questions that produce verifiable records rather than broad assurances. A reputable breeder should be able to explain the health priorities for the breed and for the particular lines, including limitations or abnormal findings.
- “What inherited or structural health concerns are most relevant to this breed and these lines?” The answer should connect to the breed’s current recommendations, not just to conditions the breeder happens to test for.
- “Which recommended screenings were completed on the sire and dam?” Request a list for each parent, including tests that were not performed and the reason.
- “May I see the complete reports, including the actual results, testing dates and ages?” A certificate title or a verbal clearance is less informative than the underlying report.
- “What are the dogs’ registered names, registration details or other identifiers?” You need enough information to locate the records independently.
- “Are results available for close relatives or previous litters?” Family records can reveal patterns that are not obvious from the two parents alone.
- “If a result was abnormal, or a recommended test was unavailable, how did that affect the breeding decision?” Responsible breeders should be able to discuss risk management candidly rather than implying that every result was perfect.
OFA’s prospective-owner interview guidance recommends requesting parent health results and being wary of records that cannot be verified. You can ask for copies before sending a deposit, subject to the breeder’s privacy practices, and agree on which documents will be supplied with the puppy’s contract.
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How do I verify a breeder’s health records?
Use the OFA search database to compare the breeder’s documents with the organization’s public records. Verification does not replace reading the reports: it helps confirm that the dog, test and result correspond.
- Write down each parent’s exact identifying information. Registered names, kennel names, registration numbers and dates of birth reduce the chance of confusing dogs with similar names.
- Search each parent in OFA. Match the dog’s identity, breed and owner information where displayed. If the breeder supplied a CHIC number, use it as a way to locate the report, not as a pass/fail score.
- Compare the listed tests with the current protocol. Check that both parents completed the recommended screenings for this breed and that the reports are for the same dogs.
- Read the actual outcomes and dates. Note whether a result is normal, affected, borderline, inconclusive or otherwise qualified, and whether the dog met the minimum age for that evaluation.
- Ask about discrepancies. If a document and the database differ, pause the purchase until the breeder explains the difference and supplies authoritative documentation.
- Record family findings. Save links or copies of reports for grandparents, siblings and prior offspring when available so you can discuss inherited-risk context with your veterinarian.
A dog missing from the public database is not automatically proof of a problem. OFA notes that the dog may not have been screened through OFA, or may have an abnormal result that the owner did not authorize for public disclosure. Ask the breeder to explain the absence and provide the underlying report; do not treat an unverifiable claim as equivalent to a published result.
What does a CHIC number mean?
A CHIC number means the dog completed the required breed-specific screenings and that the results were made publicly available. It does not mean every result was normal or that the dog cannot produce an affected puppy.
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The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals states: “The CHIC number itself does not imply normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were performed and the results made publicly available.” Read the associated CHIC report to see which tests were completed, the dog’s age at each evaluation and the corresponding findings. Requirements can change as health priorities and available tests change, so check the current protocol rather than relying on an old litter advertisement.
Phenotypic evaluations are useful evidence for breeding decisions, but they cannot guarantee that a dog will never develop a condition. A “clear” or “normal” result describes that examination at that time; it is not a lifetime warranty for the parent or a health guarantee for every puppy.
Can a young puppy have all of these tests?
No. Many screening programs are intended for breeding-age dogs, and OFA specifically explains that young puppies cannot be screened for hip dysplasia. For hip risk, review the parents’ and grandparents’ evaluations and ask how those records influenced the pairing.
This age limitation does not excuse missing parental records. It explains why the breeder’s documentation is central: the puppy may be too young for a definitive evaluation, while the adults should have been assessed according to the breed’s protocol. Ask which puppy examinations are possible now and which should be scheduled later with your own veterinarian.
After bringing the puppy home, arrange a complete veterinary examination promptly. That visit is separate from evaluating the breeder’s screening program and should cover the puppy’s general condition, vaccination and parasite-control plan, identification, nutrition, and a schedule for age-appropriate follow-up. OFA’s prospective-owner information emphasizes this distinction.
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What if the breed is not listed in CHIC?
A missing CHIC page does not mean that no health screening is relevant. Contact the breed’s national parent club, review its current recommendations and ask a veterinarian which evaluations are available and useful for the known family background.
For a mixed-breed puppy, use every reliable piece of information you have: the known breeds in the pedigree, the parents’ records, the breeder’s line history and your veterinarian’s advice. OFA says dogs do not have to be purebred or registered to receive an OFA evaluation or have results registered. The absence of a formal CHIC protocol therefore does not prevent appropriate screening.
When ancestry is uncertain, be explicit about uncertainty. Ask the breeder what conditions have appeared in previous generations, which screenings were feasible for the parents, and what follow-up your veterinarian recommends as the puppy matures.
How should I compare two breeders or litters?
Compare equivalent evidence, not the number of certificates, the size of a website or the presence of a CHIC number alone. The same framework helps you evaluate different litters fairly.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| Comparison point | What stronger evidence looks like | Questions to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Both parents completed the current breed-recommended screenings. | Are any required tests missing, expired or performed at an unsuitable age? |
| Transparency | Full reports show dates, ages and actual findings. | Will the breeder provide documents rather than only verbal assurances? |
| Independent verification | Parent identities and results can be matched in OFA’s database. | Why is a record absent or inconsistent, and is there supporting documentation? |
| Family context | Close-relative and previous-litter results are discussed openly. | What patterns or known conditions occur in the wider family? |
| Risk decisions | The breeder explains how abnormal or unavailable results affected the pairing. | What mitigation, disclosure or future monitoring is planned? |
A breeder who openly discusses an imperfect result may provide more useful information than one who advertises only “health tested” without details. The goal is informed risk assessment, not a promise that inherited disease is impossible.
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What are warning signs that records are not trustworthy?
- The breeder will not identify the sire and dam or refuses to show any reports.
- A CHIC number is presented as “all clear” without the individual test outcomes.
- Documents show a different dog, breed, owner or date than the dogs being bred.
- The breeder says a commercial or broad health panel covers every concern but cannot map it to the breed’s current protocol.
- Questions about abnormal findings, unavailable tests or affected relatives are dismissed rather than answered.
- The breeder pressures you to pay before you can review records or verify identities.
- A missing OFA record is explained only by “the database is wrong,” with no report or clarification.
One warning sign does not establish misconduct, and privacy or administrative delays can have legitimate explanations. However, you should be able to obtain enough evidence to make a decision without relying on unverifiable claims.
What should I send in a first message to a breeder?
A concise written request helps you ask the same questions of every breeder:
I am researching the current health recommendations for this breed. Which screenings were completed on the sire and dam, and may I review the full reports with dates, ages and results? Please share their registered names or other identifiers so I can verify the records in OFA. Are results available for close relatives or previous litters? If any recommended test was not performed or had an abnormal result, how did that affect this pairing?
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Save the replies and documents together. If the breeder gives a CHIC number, open the report and list the individual tests rather than recording only the number.
What should I do after I choose a puppy?
Bring the records to your veterinarian and ask which findings affect the puppy’s care, what examinations are appropriate at each age and whether any later orthopedic or other screening should be scheduled. Keep copies of the parents’ reports with the puppy’s medical file so future veterinarians have the family context.
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Use the purchase contract and your veterinarian’s examination to clarify return, insurance or treatment provisions, but do not treat contractual language as a substitute for objective screening records. Health testing reduces uncertainty; it cannot remove every genetic, developmental or infectious risk.
How did this checklist prioritize the questions?
The priorities come from the evidence available to prospective owners: start with the breed’s current parent-club and CHIC recommendations; require results for both parents; independently verify identities and findings through OFA; examine close-family history; interpret CHIC as a record of completed public testing rather than a guarantee; and recognize that some evaluations, especially hip screening, are not valid in very young puppies. This approach gives you comparable information across breeders while leaving room for veterinary judgment when a breed or mixed-breed background falls outside a standard CHIC protocol.
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Is a CHIC number proof that a puppy will be healthy?
No. It confirms that the required breed-specific screenings were completed and the results were made public. Open the report and review each finding, because normal results still cannot guarantee that a parent or puppy will never develop a condition.
Can I ask a breeder for the parents’ OFA certificates before paying a deposit?
Yes. Ask for the registered names or other identifiers, the complete reports and the testing dates, then match them in OFA’s database. If a breeder needs to protect personal information, the dog and test details should still be verifiable.
What if the breeder says one DNA panel covers every health concern?
Ask the breeder to map each reported screening to the current recommendations for that breed. Do not assume that one product or panel replaces every evaluation required by the parent club, particularly when the protocol includes examinations that are not the same type of test.
What should I do if a parent is not found in the OFA database?
Ask whether the dog was evaluated elsewhere, whether the owner withheld public disclosure or whether the record is under another registered name. Request the underlying reports and an explanation; an absent record alone does not establish either a normal or abnormal result.
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