CHIC Certification: What It Means, Why It Matters, and How to Check It

When you’re searching for a new puppy, you might come across the term CHIC certification and wonder what it means. Is it a health guarantee? A special award? Or just another confusing dog breeding term? Understanding CHIC certification can help you make smarter choices when picking a responsible breeder and a healthy puppy. This guide will explain what CHIC certification is, how it connects to the OFA, and why it matters for you and your new furry friend.

What Is CHIC Certification?

CHIC stands for the Canine Health Information Center. It is a program created through a partnership between the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and various breed Parent Clubs. The goal of CHIC is to promote transparency and encourage health testing in purebred dogs. CHIC is designed specifically around the health testing requirements established by AKC Parent Clubs for AKC-recognized breeds.

When a dog is CHIC certified, it means the dog has completed all of the CHIC-required health tests designated by its AKC Parent Club. These tests focus on inherited health risks that are common in that breed. Importantly, CHIC certification does not mean the dog passed every test. Normal results are automatically published in the OFA database. However, owners may also choose to make non-normal results public.

A dog only receives a CHIC number if the owner agrees to release all CHIC-required test results. That means a breeder cannot cherry pick to only publish passing scores and omit non-passing results. This transparency shows that the breeder follows their breed’s established health testing standards and is willing to share the full picture of the dog’s health.

Is CHIC Certification for Puppies or Parents?

CHIC certification applies to the parents, not the puppy. Puppies are too young for most CHIC-required tests, so what really matters is whether their parents completed the full set of breed-specific screenings. When a parent dog has a CHIC number, it means the breeder followed their Parent Club’s health testing recommendations and chose to make those results public. This gives you a clearer picture of the hereditary risks your puppy may inherit.

How CHIC Certification Works with OFA

The OFA is a nonprofit organization that collects and shares health data on dogs. They maintain a large database of test results, including X-rays, DNA tests, and other screenings. OFA does not perform these tests or exams. Instead, breeders submit results from licensed veterinarians, specialists, and approved genetic testing labs. The CHIC program uses OFA’s database to track whether dogs have completed their breed-specific health tests.

Each breed has its own set of required and recommended tests based on the health issues that are most common or serious for that breed. Here are some common, though not complete, examples:

• Labrador Retrievers: Hip and elbow evaluations, an eye exam, and a recommended DNA test for Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC).

• Dachshunds: Patellar luxation evaluation, a cardiac exam, an eye exam, and recommended DNA tests for conditions such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) or Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL).

• Boxers: Advanced cardiac exam, a thyroid evaluation, and a hip evaluation.

  
  

Once a dog completes all these tests, regardless of the results, it earns a unique CHIC number. This number is public and can be looked up online to see the dog’s health testing history.

Why Responsible Breeders Care About CHIC Certification

For breeders, CHIC certification is a way to show they care about the health of their dogs and future generations of puppies. It helps ensure puppies come from parents who have been screened for common inherited diseases.

Breeders who participate in CHIC:

• Commit to transparency by sharing health test results openly.

• Help reduce the risk of passing genetic diseases to puppies.

• Support breed Parent Clubs’ efforts to improve breed health.

• Build trust with puppy buyers by showing they follow best practices.

  
  

If a breeder does not have CHIC certification or cannot provide health testing records, it may be a red flag that they are not prioritizing dog health testing.

What Breed-Specific Health Tests Might Look Like

Each breed has unique health risks, so CHIC requirements vary. For example:

• Golden Retrievers: Hip and elbow X-rays, cardiac exams, and eye exams.

• German Shepherds: Hip and elbow evaluations.

• French Bulldogs: Cardiac exams, eye exams, and patellar luxation screening.

  
  

These tests help identify conditions that can affect a dog’s quality of life. By completing these tests, breeders can make informed decisions about which dogs to breed.

How to Look Up a Dog’s CHIC Status

You can check a dog’s CHIC certification status online through the OFA website. Simply enter the dog’s registered name or CHIC number to see which tests have been completed and the results.

This transparency helps you verify the health background of a puppy’s parents before making a decision. It also encourages breeders to maintain good health records.

When CHIC Certification Matters — and When It May Not

CHIC certification is a valuable tool for puppy buyers who want to prioritize health. It matters most when:

• You are buying a purebred puppy from a breed with known inherited health risks.

• You want to confirm the breeder follows established breed-specific health testing.

• You want access to transparent health testing information.

  
  

That said, CHIC certification is not always necessary. For breeds without long-standing or fully established CHIC requirements, it may not apply. Examples include:

• Newly recognized AKC breeds such as the Barbet, which for a time after recognition did not yet have CHIC requirements in place.

• Breeds not recognized by the AKC and therefore without CHIC programs, such as the Northern Inuit Dog.

• Landrace or non-standardized dog populations, such as the Carolina Dog.

Also, CHIC is not a health guarantee. A dog can have a CHIC number but still develop health problems later.

Use CHIC certification as one part of your research. Combine it with questions about the breeder’s practices, the puppy’s environment, and health history.

How CHIC Fits Into Responsible Breeding

CHIC certification supports the bigger picture of responsible breeding by encouraging health testing and transparency. It helps reduce inherited diseases over time and promotes healthier puppies.

When you choose a puppy from a breeder who values CHIC certification, you support breeders who:

• Prioritize dog health testing.

• Follow breed-specific health recommendations.

• Share health information openly.

• Work with breed Parent Clubs to improve breed health.

  
  

This approach benefits you, your puppy, and the future of the breed.

Choosing a puppy is exciting, and understanding terms like CHIC certification helps you make informed decisions. Remember, CHIC certification shows a dog has completed recommended health tests and that the breeder follows a responsible breeder checklist. It is not a health guarantee but a sign of transparency and care.

Before bringing your puppy home, ask the breeder about their CHIC certification status and check the OFA database yourself. This fundamental step can give you confidence in your puppy’s health background and help you find a happy, healthy companion.

Verifying each dog’s health testing and CHIC status takes time and attention to detail. If you want someone to take the research off your plate—reviewing breeders, verifying CHIC status, and confirming health testing—Puppy Due Diligence can do that work for you. Explore my services to see how I can streamline your search.