By Abby · Ozark Aussiedoodles · September 25, 2026
Doodle Health Testing Explained: What Genetic Panels and OFA Results Mean
At Ozark Aussiedoodles, every parent dog is health tested before breeding — with OFA hip and elbow evaluations, CAER eye certifications, genetic disease panels, and cardiac exams where applicable — and every puppy comes with a 2-year health guarantee covering genetic conditions.
What health testing means for a doodle breeder
Health testing helps identify and reduce the risk of passing hereditary conditions — like hip dysplasia, eye disease, and certain genetic disorders — to offspring. We only breed dogs that have been cleared through proper health evaluations, so your puppy has the best possible start in life. Responsible health testing is the foundation of producing healthy, long-lived puppies.
Genetic panel results: clear, carrier, affected
A genetic disease panel screens a dog’s DNA for known breed-relevant conditions. Each tested gene comes back as one of three results:
- Clear — the dog does not carry the disease gene and cannot pass it on.
- Carrier — the dog carries one copy of the gene; it will not be affected but could pass the gene to puppies.
- Affected — the dog has two copies and may develop the condition.
By pairing dogs thoughtfully and only breeding cleared parents, we reduce the chance of passing these conditions to the next generation.
Hip, eye, and heart screening
Beyond genetics, we screen our parent dogs for structural and functional health:
- OFA hip and elbow evaluations — screen for joint dysplasia.
- Eye certifications (CAER) — screen for inherited eye disease.
- Cardiac exams — screen for congenital heart conditions, where applicable.
You can meet the dogs behind these results on our parent dogs page.
How our 2-year health guarantee works
Every puppy goes home with a 2-year health guarantee covering genetic health conditions. We stand behind the health of every puppy we produce and are committed to transparency with our families throughout the process. Each puppy is also vet checked, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped before leaving our care, with a complete record of all vet visits and treatments so your local vet can seamlessly continue their care.
Questions to ask any breeder
No matter where you buy, these questions help you find a responsible breeder:
- Are your parent dogs health tested before breeding, and which tests?
- Can I see the OFA, CAER, and genetic panel results for the parents?
- Do you offer a written health guarantee, and what does it cover?
- How are the puppies socialized and raised?
- What vet care has the puppy received before going home?
Frequently Asked Questions
Every parent dog is health tested before breeding. Testing includes OFA hip and elbow evaluations, eye certifications (CAER), genetic disease panels, and cardiac exams where applicable.
“Clear” means the dog does not carry the tested disease gene. “Carrier” means it carries one copy and will not be affected but could pass it on. “Affected” means it has two copies and may develop the condition. We only breed dogs that have been cleared through proper health evaluations, so your puppy has the best possible start in life.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) evaluates hip and elbow joints for dysplasia. OFA hip and elbow evaluations help reduce the risk of passing hereditary joint conditions to puppies.
Every puppy comes with a 2-year health guarantee covering genetic health conditions. We stand behind the health of every puppy we produce and are committed to transparency with our families throughout the process.
Yes — we are happy to share our parent dogs’ health testing results with prospective families. Responsible health testing is the foundation of producing healthy, long-lived puppies, and we welcome your questions.
More questions? See our full FAQ page.