Health Testing & Our Standards
Healthy puppies begin with healthy parents, thoughtful pairings, and responsible breeding.
At Ugly Dad Doodles, responsible breeding starts long before a litter is born. We carefully evaluate the dogs in our breeding program through health testing and genetic screening, then use that information to make thoughtful decisions about which dogs we pair together.
Our goal isn't simply to produce beautiful Goldendoodles. We want to give every puppy the strongest possible foundation for a long, healthy life with their family.
Health Testing Is the Foundation
Health testing gives us valuable information that helps us make responsible breeding decisions.
It can help reduce the likelihood of inherited conditions, identify potential health concerns, and provide important information about the dogs we choose to include in our program.
Our health testing is designed to:
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Reduce the likelihood of inherited health conditions
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Support long-term structural health
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Identify known genetic conditions
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Help us make informed breeding decisions
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Improve the health and quality of future generations
But health testing isn't a guarantee.
No health test can predict every possible health outcome, and no breeder can guarantee that a puppy will never develop a health condition.
Genetics are one part of the picture. A dog's development, environment, nutrition, exercise, training, and lifelong care all contribute to their overall health.
Our responsibility is to do our part before a puppy is ever born.
The Health Tests Behind Our Program
The dogs we choose for our breeding program are evaluated through a combination of orthopedic, cardiac, ophthalmic, and genetic testing, with each evaluation selected based on the dog’s age and stage of development. When appropriate, we may complete OFA preliminary hip and elbow evaluations before a dog reaches one year of age. These early evaluations give us valuable information that helps guide responsible breeding decisions and determine whether a dog is a good candidate to continue in our program. Dogs with results that do not meet our standards are not retained for breeding. OFA preliminary evaluations provide a reliable early look at orthopedic health and, when the results are clear, generally do not need to be repeated, allowing us to make thoughtful decisions as our dogs mature.
OFA Hips or PennHIP
Hip health is an important part of evaluating a breeding dog.
We use OFA hip evaluations and/or PennHIP evaluations to assess hip structure and help us make informed decisions about the dogs we choose to breed.
Prelim Evals
OFA preliminary evaluations may be completed on young breeding dogs before they reach the age required for final certification. These recognized evaluations provide valuable insight into developing hip and elbow health and help guide responsible breeding decisions, but do not replace final OFA certifications.
OFA Elbows
Elbow evaluations provide additional information about the orthopedic health of our breeding dogs. Together with hip evaluations, these screenings help us make thoughtful decisions with long-term structural soundness in mind.
Cardiac & Eye Testing
Our breeding dogs undergo cardiac/heart testing as part of our overall health screening process. OFA eye testing is also performed when indicated as part of our comprehensive health evaluation.
Genetic Screening
Our parent dogs undergo genetic screening through Embark Veterinary or Paw Print Genetics, with results often double-checked through Animal Genetics. Genetic testing allows us to identify known inherited conditions and use that information when planning pairings.
We Don't Breed on Paper Alone
Health testing is important. But a test result doesn't tell us everything about a dog.
When considering a breeding dog or planning a pairing, we look at the bigger picture.
We consider:
Structure & Movement
We want dogs with sound structure and movement.
Temperament
Temperament matters just as much as physical health when we're producing family companions.
Genetic Compatibility
Genetic testing helps us make informed decisions about which dogs are appropriate matches.
Family History
We look beyond the individual dogs whenever information is available about their siblings and previous generations.
Real-World Outcomes
Our experience with our dogs and the puppies they produce provides another important piece of information.
Once we have gathered all of that information, the next step is knowing how to use it.
Health testing tells us what we know. Experience, observation, and lineage information help us understand how to use that information when planning a pairing.
Our goal with every pairing is to make thoughtful decisions that support the health, structure, temperament, and overall quality of the puppies we produce.
We Look Beyond
Responsible breeding looks beyond two dogs on paper.
When evaluating a potential pairing, we look at as much information as we can—not just the individual sire and dam.
We look beyond the dogs in front of us and consider what we know about the generations behind them.
This Can Include:
Parents and grandparents
Siblings
Previous litters
Health history across the family
Genetic testing
Structure and temperament
Real-world outcomes
A database can give us test results, but experience gives those results context.The more we know about a dog's family and the generations behind them, the more thoughtfully we can evaluate the bigger picture.
Transparency Matters
You shouldn't have to simply take our word for it.
We believe families should be able to ask questions about the health testing behind their puppy. We are happy to provide information about our parent dogs' health testing and help families understand what those results mean.
Our goal isn't to overwhelm you with paperwork or make health testing sound more complicated than it needs to be.
We want you to understand why we test, what we test for, and how that information influences our breeding decisions.