Quick Summary: Before paying a Havanese breeder, request and independently verify each parent’s OFA hip and patellar results, a CAER eye exam from the past year, cardiac and BAER hearing tests, CHIC records, and the puppy’s own veterinary records. A CHIC number means tests were completed and disclosed, not that they passed, so check every result in the public OFA database and have an independent vet review the packet. DNA testing adds another layer but cannot predict joint, heart, or hearing problems, and vague answers about missing records are a reason to walk away.
A breeder can hand you a phone full of laboratory reports, and not one of them may belong to your puppy’s parents. A CHIC number can belong to an aunt, not a mother. A Havanese DNA tests panel can show a clear marker for a condition your veterinarian rarely sees in the breed. This Havanese health test checklist sorts it out: which results answer which question, how to verify them yourself in the OFA database, and what to request before any deposit clears. We wrote it as breeders, using the Havanese Club of America’s own requirements, so you can walk into a conversation prepared rather than hopeful.
What the Havanese Club of America Requires for a CHIC Certificate
The Havanese Club of America (HCA) keeps a short list. A Havanese earns a CHIC number from the OFA by completing three tests, and the numbers themselves live in a searchable OFA database. Which health tests do Havanese breeders need for OFA? Here they are at a glance:
| CHIC Requirement | What It Screens For | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|
| OFA hip evaluation | Hip joint looseness and dysplasia | 24 months |
| OFA patellar luxation | Slipping kneecaps common in small breeds | 12 months |
| OFA-CAER eye exam | Inherited eye disease | Annually, any age |
OFA Hip Evaluation for Havanese
Hips come first. HCA’s health and testing guide lists OFA hip certification as one of the three required tests, and it can only be done at 24 months or older, after the joints finish developing. X-rays taken earlier give an estimate, not an official rating. A serious breeder waits.
OFA Patellar Luxation Screening
Patellas are checked by hand. A veterinarian moves each kneecap to see whether it slips out of its groove, then grades the result from normal to severe. This matters more in Havanese than in many breeds because luxating patellas are one of the most common small-breed joint problems, and affected dogs often need surgery later in life.
Annual CAER Eye Examinations
Eyes never get a permanent pass. A board-certified ophthalmologist performs a CAER exam, and HCA requires it every year to keep a CHIC certificate current. Conditions like cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy can appear with age, so a 3-year-old eye certificate tells you far less than a recent one.
What a CHIC Number Does and Does Not Guarantee
Here is the part most breeders skip: CHIC means tested and disclosed, not passed. A dog can carry a CHIC number with failed hips listed right in its record. That honesty is the point. So when you scan the OFA database, read the actual results, not just the number’s existence. It is the same principle behind every entry on a solid Havanese health test checklist, and it is exactly how you should weigh the parent records behind any Havanese puppy care decision you make.
Recommended Tests That Go Beyond the CHIC Baseline
The CHIC baseline is a starting point, not a ceiling. The Havanese Club of America also recommends hearing, heart, thyroid, and skin screening, and this is where your havanese breeder health questions get more pointed. A breeder who only meets CHIC minimums is doing the bare minimum.
BAER Testing
BAER stands for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response. It measures how sound travels from the ear to the brain, and it catches deafness in one or both ears. The test is painless, takes minutes, and is usually done around five to seven weeks of age. Because unilateral deafness hides easily, ask whether parents were BAER tested.
Cardiac Evaluation and Mitral Valve Disease Screening
Mitral valve disease is the most common heart problem in small breeds, and Havanese are not exempt. A board-certified cardiologist can hear a murmur, but an echocardiogram shows the valve working in real time. Ask for a cardiac exam on both parents within the last 12 months, ideally an echocardiogram rather than a stethoscope-only check.
Thyroid, Orthopedic, and Skin Testing
Autoimmune thyroiditis shows up on a simple blood panel and can cause skin problems, weight changes, and low energy later in life. Havanese also benefit from full orthopedic screens beyond the OFA basics, including elbows and shoulders, since small breeds carry joint issues quietly. Skin and allergy history matters too, so ask what the parents’ coats and skin look like year-round.
Questions to Ask When Test Results Are Missing
A missing result is not always a red flag, but vague answers are. Ask these questions and write down the replies:
- Why wasn’t this test done?
- Is it scheduled, and when?
- Will you share the certificate once it’s completed?
- Has this line produced any health issues you know of?
A breeder who tracks these willingly, the way we document every parent at Sage Puppies, makes your havanese health test checklist much easier to finish.
Havanese DNA Tests: What They Can and Cannot Tell You
Ask a Havanese breeder about DNA tests for inherited conditions the breed can carry, plus parentage verification on a registered panel. Ask how each result shaped the pairing, not just whether testing happened. A breeder’s guide to genetic testing breaks the result types down in plain terms.
Parentage Verification
This DNA check confirms that the listed sire and dam really produced your puppy. Reputable breeders run it through the AKC or OFA, and it protects you from a paper pedigree that does not match the dog in front of you. If a breeder cannot produce it, walk away.
Reading Clear, Carrier, and At-Risk Results
A clear dog has two normal copies, so it passes nothing on. A carrier has one mutated copy; it stays healthy but can hand the gene to puppies. At-risk means two copies, so the dog may develop the condition. Two carriers bred together can produce affected puppies, so pairing decisions matter more than any single result.
Why Havapoo and Cavapoo Panels Are Different
Mixed litters inherit genes from two breeds, so each parent needs its own breed-appropriate panel. The Havanese side screens for Havanese conditions; the Poodle or Cavalier side screens for theirs. A single-breed panel misses half the family tree.
The Limits of Screening
DNA tests only find known genetic mutations. They cannot predict hip quality, hearts, or knees; those need OFA exams and a cardiac check. Think of DNA as one layer, not the whole picture.
What Health Test Results Should a Breeder Show You Before You Pay a Deposit?
A responsible Havanese breeder should show you five things before you pay a breeder deposit:
- OFA hip and patellar luxation results for both parents
- A current CAER eye exam for both parents
- Cardiac and BAER hearing results, or an honest reason they are missing
- The parents’ CHIC numbers
- The puppy’s own vet exam, vaccine, and deworming records
You can verify every one of these yourself in minutes. Ask for the documents, then check them against public databases.
The Ten Documents to Request for Both Parents
Request these for each parent, so five per dog:
| Document | What It Proves |
|---|---|
| OFA hip evaluation | Joints were x-rayed and rated at 24 months or older |
| OFA patellar luxation | Kneecaps were examined and rated |
| CAER eye exam | Eyes were checked by an eye specialist, dated within 12 months |
| Cardiac exam | Heart was evaluated, ideally an echocardiogram |
| CHIC number or record | Tests were completed and results disclosed |
Confirming the Puppy’s Own Records
The puppy needs its own paperwork too. Ask for a vet health exam dated within ten days of pickup, a vaccine record with dates and products used, deworming dates, and a microchip number. Serious programs keep these in writing.
Reading the Contract Against the Records
A health guarantee only protects you if it matches the testing. Read what the contract actually covers, how long it lasts, and what proof it requires. If the guarantee promises sound hips but the parents have no OFA results, that promise is empty. Written claims should trace back to verifiable records, and our own puppy health basics guide follows the same rule.
Where to Review a Program’s Published Policy
Most trustworthy breeders publish their testing policy on their website before you ever ask. If you cannot find one, email and request it in writing. A breeder who answers clearly before the deposit is far more likely to answer clearly after.
How to Verify a Havanese Puppy’s Health Test Results Yourself
Don’t take a breeder’s word for health testing. Verify it in four steps:
- Search the OFA’s advanced search by the parent’s registered name or OFA number.
- Match the results to the paperwork you were shown.
- Check the dates and credentials on each certificate.
- Have your own vet review everything before you pay a deposit.
Each step takes minutes, and together they catch most problems.
Searching the OFA Database by Name and Number
The OFA database is public and free. Enter the dam or sire’s registered name exactly as it appears on their papers, or use the OFA number printed on the certificate. Correct matches show every recorded test, the result, and the dog’s age at testing. No record usually means no test was done, not that the database is missing it.
Using the Havanese Club of America Directory and Records
The Havanese Club of America keeps breeder listings and publishes the breed’s testing expectations, so you can compare what a breeder claims against what the parent club asks for. If a breeder claims HCA membership, ask for the kennel name they’re listed under and look it up. Members agree to the club’s code of ethics, which includes honest disclosure.
Confirming Specialty Credentials and Dates
Some results can’t be verified through OFA alone. Eye exams should come from a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist on a CAER form, and hearing tests from a board-certified audiologist or neurologist on a BAER form. Check each certificate for the specialist’s name, the exam date, and the dog’s identity. Eye exams older than 12 months tell you little, since cataracts develop with age.
Having an Independent Veterinarian Review the Records
Before sending a deposit, email or hand the full packet to a vet who doesn’t work with the breeder. Ask one question: does this match a complete Havanese health workup? Most charge little or nothing for a quick records review, and it’s a strong safeguard for first-time buyers.
When Verification Comes Up Empty
Missing records are a red flag, not a reason to negotiate. A breeder may have a pending result, so ask for the test date and follow up. If answers stay vague, walk away. Reputable programs, including our own, expect buyers to check.
Reading the Results: Pass, Fail, Pending, and Suspect
Does a CHIC number guarantee a Havanese puppy will be healthy? No. A CHIC number only confirms the required tests were done and the results were published, good or bad. You still have to read each result yourself.
What Passing and Non-Passing Mean for a Parent
OFA hips are graded in seven categories. Excellent, Good, and Fair are passing scores within normal limits, and each earns an OFA number, according to OFA’s hip grade details. Borderline means the joints were not clearly normal, so the dog is not certified. Mild, Moderate, and Severe indicate dysplasia. For patellas, ears, and eyes, the result is usually a simple normal or abnormal. DNA test results read differently: a carrier or at-risk dog may be healthy itself but can pass a problem gene on, so what matters is how the pair was matched. A breeder who breeds two carriers of the same condition has failed the pairing, not just one test.
Pending Results and Stale Records
A “pending” result means the sample was submitted but OFA has not posted it yet. That is acceptable for a young dog, as long as you get the paperwork before paying a deposit. Stale records are the bigger trap. Eye exams older than 12 months miss changes that develop with age, so ask for current dates. When you review a Havanese parent’s test results, match each certificate to the OFA database entry yourself.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes That Cost Buyers the Most
The biggest havanese breeder health questions get skipped when buyers fall for paperwork that looks official. A CHIC number only proves a dog was tested, not that it passed. Others take a breeder’s word instead of looking up the parents in the OFA database themselves. Some also accept an outdated CAER eye exam, missing changes that develop within a year. The HCA’s puppy buyer education explains how to verify records directly.
Mistakes After the Purchase
Buyers often lose protection by skipping the health guarantee details. Ask what it covers, how long it lasts, and what paperwork it requires, then get it in writing before you pay the deposit. Another mistake: booking the first vet visit late. Schedule an exam within a few days of pickup, and keep every record the breeder gave you.
Now that you know which tests to demand, ask your breeder the hard questions. If you want a Havanese raised with this standard from day one, explore Sage Puppies, where health-tested parents and honest records come first. Reach out today and meet your Wisely Bred puppy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What health test results should a Havanese breeder show me before I pay a deposit?
Request OFA hip and patellar results for both parents, a CAER eye exam dated within 12 months, cardiac and BAER hearing results, CHIC numbers, and your puppy’s own vet, vaccine, and deworming records.
Q2: Which health tests do Havanese breeders need for OFA?
The CHIC certificate requires three tests: an OFA hip evaluation at 24 months or older, a patellar luxation exam at 12 months or older, and an annual CAER eye exam by a board-certified ophthalmologist.
Q3: How do I verify a Havanese puppy’s health test results?
Search the OFA’s advanced search by each parent’s registered name or OFA number, match the results to the certificates, check dates, then have an independent vet review everything before you pay.
Q4: Does a CHIC number mean the parent dogs passed their tests?
No. CHIC only proves tests were completed and results disclosed, good or bad. Read each actual result in the OFA database yourself.
Q5: What can Havanese DNA tests not predict?
DNA panels find known genetic mutations only. They cannot assess hips, knees, hearts, or hearing, so those still need OFA exams, an echocardiogram, and BAER testing.
Conclusion
The Havanese health test checklist comes down to three habits. Know what the Havanese Club of America requires for CHIC certification: OFA hips at 24 months, patellas, and an annual CAER eye exam. Know what goes beyond that baseline, including BAER hearing tests and an echocardiogram for mitral valve disease. And know that CHIC means tested and disclosed, never passed.
Verify everything yourself in the OFA database, read each actual result, and request the full document packet for both parents before paying a breeder deposit. Pair those records with DNA results and a contract that matches them, and you remove most of the guesswork from finding a healthy Havanese puppy.
