Health Testing Before Breeding — OFA, CHIC & DNA

Health testing before breeding is not optional for responsible breeders. It's the foundation of an ethical breeding program — the step that separates informed, intentional decisions from guesswork.

Every breed carries genetic risks. Some are orthopedic (hip dysplasia, luxating patellas), some are cardiac, some are eye-related, and many are hidden in the DNA — invisible until they appear in offspring. Testing identifies these risks before they're passed on.

This article covers the three pillars of pre-breeding health testing: OFA evaluations, CHIC certification, and DNA testing. Together, they give breeders the clearest possible picture of what they're working with.

OFA — Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

The OFA is the largest registry of canine health screening results in the world. Founded in 1966 to combat hip dysplasia, it now manages evaluations for hips, elbows, patellas, cardiac, thyroid, eyes, and more.

How OFA evaluations work

For most OFA evaluations, the process follows a standard path: your veterinarian performs the exam or takes radiographs, then submits them to OFA. A panel of board-certified specialists reviews the submission and issues a grade. Results are recorded in the OFA public database.

For hips specifically, three independent radiologists review each set of X-rays. The consensus becomes the official grade.

Hip dysplasia scoring

OFA hip evaluations produce one of seven grades:

• Excellent — Superior hip conformation. Top ~15% of dogs evaluated
• Good — Well-formed hip joints. The most common passing grade
• Fair — Minor irregularities but within normal limits. Still a passing grade
• Borderline — Not clearly normal or abnormal. Re-evaluation recommended
• Mild dysplasia — Detectable hip abnormality
• Moderate dysplasia — Significant deviation from normal
• Severe dysplasia — Marked dysplasia with substantial joint abnormality

Only dogs rated Excellent, Good, or Fair should be considered for breeding. Dogs with Fair hips should ideally be paired with Excellent or Good partners.

Other OFA evaluations

• Elbows — Graded as Normal or Dysplastic (Grade I, II, or III). Minimum age: 24 months
• Patellas — Graded as Normal or Luxating (Grade 1-4). Can be evaluated at 12 months
• Cardiac — Basic screening by auscultation (stethoscope) or advanced screening by echocardiogram. Minimum age: 12 months
• Thyroid — Blood panel evaluating thyroid function. Results valid for 12 months
• Eyes (CAER) — Annual exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. Must be renewed yearly

CHIC — Canine Health Information Center

CHIC is a joint program between the OFA and the AKC Canine Health Foundation. It was created to encourage health testing transparency by giving breeders a standardized certification to point to.

What CHIC certification means

A CHIC number means two things:

1. The dog has completed all breed-specific health tests recommended by its parent breed club
2. The results — whether passing or failing — have been publicly posted in the OFA database

This is an important distinction. A CHIC number does not guarantee that all results are normal. A dog with mild hip dysplasia can still receive a CHIC number, as long as the results are publicly available. The value is in the transparency, not the outcome.

How CHIC differs from just having OFA results

A breeder can have individual OFA results without pursuing CHIC certification. The difference is completeness and public commitment. CHIC requires all recommended tests for the breed, not just the ones with favorable results. Posting only passing results while hiding failures is not possible with CHIC.

For buyers, a CHIC number is one of the strongest signals that a breeder is committed to transparency. Encourage your buyers to look up breeding dogs at caninehealthinfo.org.

Why buyers should look for CHIC numbers

When educating your puppy buyers, explain that a CHIC number means the breeder has nothing to hide. It doesn't mean the dog is genetically perfect — no dog is. It means the breeder tested honestly and shared the results publicly. That level of accountability is what separates responsible breeding from everything else.

DNA testing

DNA testing has transformed breeding decisions over the past decade. Where breeders once relied solely on physical evaluations and pedigree analysis, DNA panels now reveal carrier status for hundreds of genetic conditions, coat color genetics, and precise inbreeding coefficients.

Embark Breeder vs. Wisdom Panel

Embark Breeder is the most widely used DNA testing service among serious breeders. It tests for 250+ genetic health conditions, provides breed-specific panels, calculates DNA-based COI, and offers a breeding tools suite for pairing analysis. The results integrate well with breeding program planning.

Wisdom Panel offers a similar breadth of testing at a lower price point. While historically more popular for pet owners, their premium panels now cover many of the same conditions. Some breeders prefer Embark's interface and breeder-specific features, but either platform provides valuable data.

What DNA tests reveal

• Genetic disease status — Clear, Carrier, or At-Risk for each condition tested. Carrier dogs can be bred responsibly (to Clear partners), but only if the status is known
• Coat color and traits — Useful for predicting puppy coat colors and understanding color genetics in your line
• Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI) — DNA-based COI is significantly more accurate than pedigree-based calculations

Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI)

COI measures genetic similarity between a dog's parents. Higher COI means more genetic overlap, which increases the risk of inherited diseases and reduces overall genetic diversity.

• 0% — No detectable common ancestry (rare in purebreds)
• Below 5% — Ideal target for most breeding programs
• 5-10% — Acceptable for most breeds, though lower is preferred
• Above 10% — Increased health risk; most breed clubs recommend avoiding this level
• 25% — Equivalent to parent-offspring or full sibling mating

DNA-based COI (from Embark or similar) is more accurate than pedigree calculations because it measures actual genetic overlap rather than theoretical probability based on a 3-5 generation pedigree.

Recommended tests by breed

This table covers the 9 breeds currently on BreedTools plus three popular breeds. For the most current breed-specific requirements, check your parent breed club or the CHIC database.

The testing timeline

Health testing is not a last-minute task. Planning the sequence and timing ensures you're ready when it's time to breed.

1. DNA testing — Can be done at any age. Submit early so results are available well before breeding decisions need to be made
2. Patella, eyes, cardiac — Most can be evaluated from 12 months. Eyes (CAER) must be renewed annually
3. Hips and elbows — OFA official evaluations require a minimum age of 24 months. PennHIP can be done earlier (from 16 weeks) but is a different evaluation system
4. CHIC application — Once all breed-required tests are complete, apply for CHIC certification
5. Track cycles — With health testing complete, use the Heat Cycle Tracker to identify the optimal breeding window

Start planning health tests at least 6 months before you intend to breed. Some tests require appointments with specialists who may have waiting lists, and results can take several weeks.

Making health testing part of your program

Health testing is not a one-time hurdle — it's an ongoing commitment. Each breeding dog should have current, complete health evaluations. Eye exams expire annually. Thyroid results are valid for 12 months. New DNA tests become available as science advances.

Build testing costs into your breeding budget. For most breeds, the total per-dog cost ranges from $500 to $1,500 — a fraction of the cost of producing and raising a litter. Buyers increasingly expect (and ask for) health testing documentation, and the transparency builds long-term trust in your program.

Breed guides for the specific breeds on BreedTools — including French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Cane Corso, and Standard Poodle — include breed-specific health considerations alongside testing recommendations.

Health testing FAQs