--- title: "Health-Tested vs Untested Puppies: What You Really Get" type: "post" slug: "health-tested-vs-untested-puppies-what-you-really-get" published_at: "2026-10-27T23:05:08+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-27T23:05:22+00:00" url: "https://sagepuppies.com/health-tested-vs-untested-puppies-what-you-really-get/" markdown_url: "https://sagepuppies.com/health-tested-vs-untested-puppies-what-you-really-get.md" taxonomy_category: - "Health & Wellness" - "Puppy Buyer Guides" author: "Matt Milar" publisher: "Sage Puppies" --- # Health-Tested vs Untested Puppies: What You Really Get > **Quick Summary:** Health-tested puppies offer verifiable records that untested puppies lack: the puppy’s vet exam, parents’ OFA results, and DNA reports for inherited variants. Testing reduces known risks but cannot rule out polygenic conditions such as hip dysplasia or diseases without a reliable test, so buyers should check OFA records directly and get contract terms in writing before paying. Sage Puppies shares exam records, parent screening, and DNA results for its Havanese, Havapoo, and Cavapoo puppies. Two puppies can cost the same $3,500 to $4,500 and look identical on a breeder’s site. One comes home with parent OFA results, DNA variant reports, and a written record of its own vet checks. The other comes with a photo, a birth date, and a promise. That is the real gap between health-tested vs untested puppies: a risk you can verify against one you have to guess at. Most families searching for health tested puppies for sale near me are told testing exists, but not what it rules out or how to check results themselves. This comparison breaks the evidence into three layers, shows where untested puppies truly differ, and ends with a clear verdict for buyers who want paperwork they can confirm on their own. ## Health-Tested vs Untested Puppies: At a Glance | | Health-tested puppies | Untested puppies | | --- | --- | --- | | Parent health screening | Breed-appropriate clinical screening plus DNA variant testing on the parents involved in the litter | Often none, or only a verbal assurance that the parents have never been sick | | Verification available to buyers | OFA results are publicly searchable; DNA reports shared directly by the breeder | Nothing to look up; no OFA or DNA record to check | | Coverage of inherited conditions | Reduces known inherited risk; does not cover polygenic conditions such as hip dysplasia or most heart disease | Unknown inherited risk for single-gene conditions, polygenic conditions, and conditions without a test | | Records provided at purchase | Puppy exam and care record, parent screening results, and DNA results for the specific litter | Usually limited to vaccination and deworming history for the puppy | | Contract and health terms | Written contract terms supplied for review; read what is covered, what is excluded, and what deadlines apply | Terms vary widely; health remedies may be limited or worded around inherited conditions | | Price | Sage Puppies puppies are $3,500 to $4,500 depending on the specific puppy | Often lower, but savings are difficult to measure because there is no testing cost to compare against | ## How Health-tested puppies and Untested puppies Compare ### Health-tested puppies These puppies come from breeders who screen the parent dogs clinically and by DNA, then share the records before you commit. They suit buyers who want verifiable evidence, from searchable parent OFA results to DNA reports for the specific litter. ![Health-tested puppies](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sagepuppies.com-1793142111352.webp) Health-tested puppies **Key strengths** - Parent screening matched to the breed, plus DNA variant testing - Publicly searchable OFA results and breeder-shared DNA reports - Puppy exam record, parent results, and litter DNA provided at purchase ### Untested puppies These puppies are sold without documented parent screening or DNA results, so inherited risk stays unknown until symptoms appear. They appeal to buyers focused on price or availability, but there is nothing to verify before paying. **Key strengths** - Often a lower upfront price - Wider availability from casual or high-volume sellers ## What Health Testing Actually Covers for Puppies A health-tested puppy comes with proof at three levels: a vet exam of the puppy itself, clinical screening of the parents, and DNA results for inherited variants. An untested puppy has none of these. The puppy may be perfectly healthy today, but you have no records to check and no way to know what its parents carry. ### The three layers of health evidence Think of the evidence as a stack, and ask for all three layers: - **Layer 1, the puppy exam:** a licensed vet checks the puppy, and you get dated records of that visit. - **Layer 2, parent screening:** the mother and father have OFA eye, heart, and patella results, which for Havanese also means meeting the [Havanese Club of America’s CHIC requirements](https://hca.chic4you.org/health-requirements/) updated in 2025. - **Layer 3, DNA results:** a canine DNA panel shows whether each parent is clear, a carrier, or at risk for specific variants. Two carriers bred together give a 25 percent chance of affected puppies. Each layer answers a different question. If you’re sorting through what to request, our page on [what DNA results to ask for](https://sagepuppies.com/genetic-testing-for-puppies-what-results-to-ask-for/) walks through the paperwork layer by layer. ![Veterinarian gently examining a Havanese puppy](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1793142149741-h8w7en.webp) Veterinarian gently examining a Havanese puppy ### How untested puppies differ in practice An untested puppy usually comes with a quick wellness check and little else. No OFA numbers to look up, no DNA paperwork, no parent health history. That doesn’t mean the puppy is sick. It means conditions like polygenic hip dysplasia, which builds from many genes, stay invisible until years later. The difference shows up in what you can verify. With tested lines, you confirm claims against registries yourself. With untested lines, you’re trusting a sentence on a website, and price is often the only clue left. ## Clinical Screening and DNA Testing Answer Different Questions Neither test replaces the other. A clinical exam is a hands-on checkup on a specific dog on a specific day. A DNA panel reads inherited variants. When you ask whether DNA testing beats health testing, the honest answer is no: they catch different problems, and serious breeders use both. The table below shows the split. | Question | Clinical screening | DNA panel | | --- | --- | --- | | What it checks | The dog’s actual eyes, heart, and kneecaps right now | Inherited variants the dog carries | | What it can catch | Cataracts, heart murmurs, luxating patellas | Carrier and at-risk status for genetic disease | | What it misses | Conditions that develop later or slowly | Polygenic problems such as hip dysplasia | ### What a clinical exam can and cannot catch An OFA eye exam by a veterinary ophthalmologist can find a cataract today. An OFA heart screen can catch a murmur, and a patella check can confirm luxation. But an exam is a snapshot. Clear results at age two do not guarantee a dog stays clear at seven, and some conditions never show up in time. ### What DNA panels actually read A DNA panel reads variants tied to specific inherited diseases, and reports each parent as clear, a carrier, or at risk. For crossbreeds like Cavapoos and Havapoos, panel coverage matters, because some panels test only purebred marker sets. Carrier-to-carrier pairings carry the 25 percent affected risk we covered earlier. Remember, OFA and CHIC language in this section: for Havanese, parent screening also ties to Havanese Club of America CHIC requirements. Breeders who share both kinds of records, clinical and genetic, let you verify rather than trust. A breeder’s puppy paperwork should show which tests each parent passed, not just say “health tested.” ## Why Tested Parents Can Still Produce Puppies With Health Issues **Short answer: no.** Health testing lowers risk, but it cannot guarantee a healthy puppy. Two reasons: - Many conditions are *polygenic*, shaped by several genes plus environment, so a clear DNA panel says little about them. - Some problems have no reliable test at all, so even careful breeders cannot screen for them. That is why testing is a risk-reduction tool, not a promise. ### Single-gene conditions versus polygenic conditions A DNA panel is precise about single-gene conditions. If both parents carry the same variant, each puppy has a 25 percent chance of being affected. Breed the carriers to a clear partner instead, and no puppy will be affected. That part of testing works. Polygenic problems, like hip dysplasia or some heart disease, work differently. Many genes contribute, along with diet, growth rate and injury. Two parents with good OFA scores can still produce a puppy that develops one of these conditions later. Good scores lower the odds across many puppies, but they do not clear any single puppy. ![Puppies contrasted for single-gene and polygenic hip risk](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1793142206597-3aalhq.webp) Puppies contrasted for single-gene and polygenic hip risk ### The gap between a test panel and a diagnosis A test panel reports variants, not health. It tells you a parent is clear, a carrier or at risk for the specific conditions on that panel. It cannot find a variant nobody included, and crossbreed panels like those used for Havapoos and Cavapoos cover fewer conditions than breed-specific ones. A clear panel also says nothing about the heart murmur a vet hears today. That is why the three layers matter together: DNA results, parent exams and the puppy’s own checkup each catch what the others miss. > Ask a breeder what a panel does *not* test for. The honest answer tells you as much as the results themselves. ## How to Verify Health Testing Before You Pay a Deposit How can you verify a breeder’s health testing results? Follow three steps: 1. Get each parent’s registered name or OFA number. 2. Look the dog up yourself on the public database. 3. Ask questions the records cannot answer, then confirm everything in writing. Never accept screenshots as proof. They take minutes to fake, and a real breeder will not mind you checking. ### Where to look up results yourself The OFA keeps health testing records on millions of dogs, and anyone can search them free. Use the [OFA advanced search](https://ofa.org/advanced-search/) with the registered name, registration number, or CHIC number. Eye, heart, and patella results should appear with dates and exam details. For Havanese, a CHIC number matters too, because the [CHIC program](https://ofa.org/chic-programs/) requires breed-specific tests and releases every result, including fails. A dog with no listing either was never tested or the results were withheld. ![Owner searches OFA records beside Havanese puppy](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1793142221982-5d59t.webp) Owner searches OFA records beside Havanese puppy ### Questions that reveal what has actually been done Ask these and watch for vague answers: - What were both parents’ eye exam dates and results? - Which DNA panel did you use, and can I see each parent’s clear, carrier, or at-risk report? - Did any pairing test reveal a carrier match, and how did you respond? A confident breeder answers quickly and offers records. Hedging, or “the vet said they’re fine,” means the testing probably never happened. ### Reading a written contract and health guarantee Put everything in writing before your deposit. A solid contract lists the puppy’s vet exam, vaccination and deworming dates, and what happens if a problem appears later. Read the health guarantee terms closely, since vague promises are hard to enforce. For a worked example, our [Havapoo health record walkthrough](https://sagepuppies.com/havapoo-puppies-how-to-read-a-breeders-health-record/) shows what a complete file looks like. ## Untested Puppies: What You Gain and What You Take On An untested puppy can still be a wonderful dog. The trade is about information, not luck. You give up documented evidence about the parents and the puppy’s inherited risks, and in exchange you usually pay less up front and skip some waiting. Here is what that trade looks like up close. ### Where the price difference actually comes from Testing costs money, and that cost lands in the puppy price. Eye certifications by a veterinary ophthalmologist, heart and patella exams, and DNA panels on both parents can run into the hundreds or thousands per litter. A breeder who skips these has lower expenses, so a lower asking price is real, not a trick. But it reflects the absence of work, not a better deal. The puppy still costs the same to feed, raise, and socialize; you are simply paying for less proof. ![Breeder hands puppy health records to family](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1793142242302-gxr8tt.webp) Breeder hands puppy health records to family ### The cost of not knowing The savings shrink fast if a hidden problem surfaces. Treating luxating patellas, heart conditions, or inherited eye disease can cost several times the price gap, spread over years of vet bills. You also take on uncertainty no contract erases: without parent DNA results, you cannot know whether a carrier was bred to another carrier, the pairing that produces affected puppies. Many health-tested puppies for sale cost more because someone already absorbed that risk on your behalf before the litter was ever born. ## Price, Documentation, and Contract Terms Side by Side ### What a higher price actually buys Health testing costs money before a single puppy is born. Parent OFA eye, heart, and patella exams, DNA panels, and CHIC registration add up, so breeders who do them price that work into their puppies. When you compare two litters at the same price point, the tested litter carries evidence you can verify and the untested one carries hope. A higher price can also buy accountability. Breeders who publish testing results usually stand behind their pairings with clearer contract terms, because their records invite scrutiny. If a breeder charges more but shows you nothing in writing, the price is not buying anything you can check. ### Totals to confirm in writing Ask any breeder to put the full number in writing before you send a deposit. Confirm the puppy price, what the deposit covers, and whether it is refundable or transfers to a future litter. Then confirm what the health guarantee actually promises. Solid puppy health guarantee terms state what conditions are covered, how long you have to have your own vet examine the puppy, and what documentation supports a claim. Vague promises like “healthy and happy” are not terms. You should also see dated vet exam records, parent OFA results, and DNA reports for the parents before pickup. Our pricing and reservation page breaks down what is included and when each payment is due, so totals stay predictable rather than surprising. ## Which Should You Choose: Health-Tested or Untested Puppies? In most cases, yes. A health-tested puppy costs the same as an untested one in this price range, but you get evidence instead of promises: dated vet exams, parent OFA results, and DNA panel answers. The list below shows when each option fits. **When health-tested puppies are the right choice** - You want a companion for 12 to 15 years and want to lower the odds of inherited eye, heart, or knee problems. - You are buying a Havanese and want parents meeting the breed club’s 2025 CHIC screening expectations. - You plan to invest in training, grooming, and vet care, so the puppy’s health baseline matters. - You are a first-time owner who wants records you can verify, not a breeder’s word. - You are comparing two breeders and need a fair way to judge them. When you can’t visit in person, asking the [right questions about a puppy’s parents](https://sagepuppies.com/5-questions-to-ask-about-health-tested-puppy-parents/) keeps the comparison honest. **When a lower-documented puppy can still work** A puppy with a basic vet exam but no parent screening can still thrive. It may make sense if your budget is genuinely tight, you accept the added risk knowingly, and you have a veterinarian you trust for baseline care. Some rescue and rehoming situations work this way too, and that is a reasonable trade-off when you understand what you are missing. What rarely makes sense is paying full breeder prices for a puppy with no records at all. The cheapest documented puppy usually beats the priciest undocumented one. ![Sage Puppies homepage](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/sagepuppies.com-1781544698129.png) Sage Puppies homepage You now know how to read health paperwork, so ask for it. At [Sage Puppies](https://sagepuppies.com) , Cassie shares exam records, parent screening, and DNA results for every Havanese, Havapoo, and Cavapoo. Start the application and see the evidence yourself. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Q1: What is the difference between health-tested and untested puppies? A health-tested puppy comes with three evidence layers: its own vet exam records, parent clinical screening, and DNA panel results. An untested puppy usually has a basic checkup only, so inherited risk stays unknown and there is nothing you can verify before paying. ### Q2: Is DNA testing better than health testing? No. They answer different questions. A clinical exam checks a dog’s actual eyes, heart, and knees today; a DNA panel reads inherited variants. A panel misses polygenic problems like hip dysplasia, while an exam misses carrier status, so serious breeders do both. ### Q3: How do I check a breeder’s OFA results myself? Ask for each parent’s registered name or OFA number, then search the OFA’s free public database. Eye, heart, and patella results should show dates and details. Never accept screenshots, since they are easy to fake. ### Q4: Can two health-tested parents still have a puppy with health problems? Yes. Testing lowers risk, it does not remove it. Polygenic conditions such as hip dysplasia build from many genes plus environment, and some diseases have no reliable test, so a clear panel cannot rule them out. ### Q5: What does a carrier-to-carrier pairing mean for my puppy? If both parents carry the same variant, each puppy has a 25 percent chance of being affected. Breeding a carrier to a clear dog produces no affected puppies, which is why breeders share panel results before pairing. ### Q6: Why do health-tested puppies cost more? Parent eye, heart, and patella exams, DNA panels, and CHIC registration cost hundreds to thousands per litter, and that work is priced in. A lower price from an untested breeder reflects missing testing, not a better deal. ### Q7: What paperwork should I get before paying a deposit? Request dated vet exam records, both parents’ OFA results, DNA reports, and written contract terms covering conditions, exam deadlines, and deposit refunds. Review everything before your deposit moves, and keep copies for your own vet. ## Conclusion Health-tested vs untested puppies comes down to evidence, not luck. A tested puppy arrives with three layers you can check yourself: its own vet exam, parent OFA results, and DNA panel answers. An untested one asks you to trust a promise. Testing lowers inherited risk without promising a perfect dog, and a lower price often just reflects skipped work. Verify records in the public database before any deposit moves, and get every term in writing. The puppy you choose stays with your family for well over a decade, so buy the paperwork, not the pitch.