# CERF and OFA search



## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Can anyone tell me how to tell if the parents of a puppy have had their CERF evaluation and what their results are? 

I am planning on buying a puppy sometime in the next year. I found a breeder who is very easy to talk to who has absolutely adorable puppies in a broad range of colors. Her web page doesn't say anything about genetic testing, but she said in an email that all of her dogs were CERF'd annually. She said they have no genetic diseases and were checked yearly for their patellas, but to be fair, she didn't say they had OFA numbers. I went to the OFA page and entered the registration number of one of her stud dogs thinking a CERF rating would pop up, but nothing popped up. 

Am I doing the search wrong? I am hoping this isn't a sign that I am being mislead or anything because I really like this breeder. You can PM me if you want to know the name if you agree to keep it confidential. I have been on dog forums before where breeder bashing was a favorite pastime of everyone, and it was not a fun forum.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Username609 said:


> Can anyone tell me how to tell if the parents of a puppy have had their CERF evaluation and what their results are?
> 
> I am planning on buying a puppy sometime in the next year. I found a breeder who is very easy to talk to who has absolutely adorable puppies in a broad range of colors. Her web page doesn't say anything about genetic testing, but she said in an email that all of her dogs were CERF'd annually. She said they have no genetic diseases and were checked yearly for their patellas, but to be fair, she didn't say they had OFA numbers. I went to the OFA page and entered the registration number of one of her stud dogs thinking a CERF rating would pop up, but nothing popped up.
> 
> Am I doing the search wrong? I am hoping this isn't a sign that I am being mislead or anything because I really like this breeder. You can PM me if you want to know the name if you agree to keep it confidential. I have been on dog forums before where breeder bashing was a favorite pastime of everyone, and it was not a fun forum.


I find it easier to understand the RESULTS of testing on the CHIC website:

Canine Health Information Center: Search

The page I linked should give you all the information on any dog with a CHIC number. If she didn't give you the CHIC numbers on the parents, you can still look them up just by typing in their registered names (and making sure your spell check doesn't CHANGE the names as mine did! :laugh I just "exercised" the system with the parents of my dogs, and had no problem accessing their information. (I knew they were in there from previous searches, but just wanted to make sure it was working NOW for you!)

As far as the specific breeder, please feel free to PM me if you'd like. That said, people on this forum are mostly pretty nice. Unless a breeder has a HORRIBLE reputation, most will give you ideas of things you need to investigate further before choosing a breeder. We all have our favorites, of course, but there are a lot of good breeders out there. (and, conversely, anyone who has bred and sold a lot of puppies is likely to have at least ONE person with a beef of some sort  )


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Well, I tried the CHIC site too, and again, I found nothing. I did search some of the names on this forum though, and I was able to get positive responses using those. Thank you for the link. I did PM you with the breeder's name. I hope it is just what my husband would call "operator error", meaning ME! I don't like to think the breeder would say her animals were CERF'd annually if they weren't. But then again, I wondered why she put it in the email and not the web page.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Username609 said:


> Well, I tried the CHIC site too, and again, I found nothing. I did search some of the names on this forum though, and I was able to get positive responses using those. Thank you for the link. I did PM you with the breeder's name. I hope it is just what my husband would call "operator error", meaning ME! I don't like to think the breeder would say her animals were CERF'd annually if they weren't. But then again, I wondered why she put it in the email and not the web page.


Well, CERF is just ONE of a number of tests that should be done anyway.

Oh, and one "operator error" _I_ ran into when testing it for you... When putting in the sire name for Kodi and Pixel (Ch. Starborn Black Tie Affair) I was just typing fast, without looking. My spell check turned it into "Starboard". Nope. There IS no "Starboard Black Tie Affair" ound:


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## articshark (Apr 4, 2016)

I did a spot check for you as well. When I put in just the kennel name- Starborn- I get all the dogs with that name. So I don't even need to spell it correctly, I just need to make sure the kennel name is correct.


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

I have crossed this breeder off my list. I hate to conclude that someone is actually lying to me about dogs having been tested. Why would you lie and claim one test has been performed but not all of them? But I can't verify what she says, and there are so many other red flags that it just isn't worth it. 

Also, I have found that there is a place on this forum where members can list good or bad experiences with breeders by name. I didn't know that, and I hope I didn't break protocol too much! I had been on a poodle forum where people called that "breeder bashing" and it was a big deal. If it would be helpful for me to leave the name, just let me know, and I will either by PM or posting it.

Lastly, a bit thanks to Krandall for educating me about the variety of tests available and necessary for this beautiful breed and things to look for in a breeder. I thought I had a good grip on that, but I didn't. So thanks!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Username609 said:


> I have crossed this breeder off my list. I hate to conclude that someone is actually lying to me about dogs having been tested. Why would you lie and claim one test has been performed but not all of them? But I can't verify what she says, and there are so many other red flags that it just isn't worth it.
> 
> Also, I have found that there is a place on this forum where members can list good or bad experiences with breeders by name. I didn't know that, and I hope I didn't break protocol too much! I had been on a poodle forum where people called that "breeder bashing" and it was a big deal. If it would be helpful for me to leave the name, just let me know, and I will either by PM or posting it.
> 
> Lastly, a bit thanks to Krandall for educating me about the variety of tests available and necessary for this beautiful breed and things to look for in a breeder. I thought I had a good grip on that, but I didn't. So thanks!


I'm not big on breeder bashing either. I think, if someone has had a personal, bad experience with a breeder, even after trying to work it out, in good faith, with the breeder, it's one thing. But when it comes to preliminary contact when looking for a puppy, there are lots and lots and LOTS of "questionable" and "back yard" breeders. In these cases, I think it's best for us to help people, one person at a time, to learn how to assess a breeder and choose a good breeder who is right for them.


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## Chasing Mayzie (Aug 16, 2016)

Well, I asked the breeder as graciously as I could why she said the parents of her litters had all had CERF evals, but it didn't show up on the site, and she just never replied to me. I hesitate to start accusing anyone of deceit, but that's my story. The breeder was Lovelink Havanese in Washington/Oregon. I hope someone else has better experiences with her. 

I have talked to another breeder who was recommended to me by someone on this board. I gave her my questionnaire, and she thought it sounded okay, and told me to just email her again next year (when I'm ready). Very exciting!


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