How to Read OFA Hip Scores Before Choosing a Puppy

A hip certification can look like a small line on a health record: “OFA Hips: Good.” But when you are choosing a puppy expected to share your family’s life for years, that line carries real meaning. Learning to read OFA hip scores helps you look beyond broad claims about health testing and understand the care, planning, and transparency behind a breeding program.

For families looking for a calm, thoughtfully raised companion, hip testing is one piece of a much bigger health picture. It does not predict every outcome, and it should never be treated as a guarantee by itself. Still, it is one of the clearest tools available for evaluating the hip health of a puppy’s parents.

What an OFA Hip Score Measures

OFA stands for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Its hip evaluation program reviews X-rays of a dog’s hip joints for signs of hip dysplasia, a developmental condition in which the ball-and-socket joint does not fit or function as it should.

The dog’s veterinarian takes carefully positioned radiographs and submits them to OFA. Independent veterinary radiologists evaluate the images, looking at the depth of the hip sockets, the fit of the femoral heads, joint shape, and any evidence of degenerative change. The result is a rating for the dog, not a prediction or diagnosis for every future puppy.

Hip structure has a genetic component, which is why responsible breeding programs evaluate the parents before making breeding decisions. But development also involves factors outside genetics, including a puppy’s growth rate, nutrition, body condition, exercise, and injuries. A strong parental health-testing record gives a puppy a better foundation. It cannot remove every variable from life.

How to Read OFA Hip Scores by Rating

OFA uses seven possible hip ratings. The first three are considered normal, while the remaining four indicate increasing concern.

Excellent, Good, and Fair

Excellent means the hips show especially well-formed joints with a deep socket and close fit. It is the highest OFA rating.

Good indicates normal, well-conformed hip joints. There may be slightly less ideal fit or depth than an Excellent rating, but the joints are still considered normal. Good is a positive and widely respected result.

Fair also falls within OFA’s normal range. A Fair rating may reflect a joint that is not as tightly fitted or deeply seated as Excellent or Good, yet shows no arthritic changes and does not meet the threshold for dysplasia.

Families sometimes assume anything less than Excellent is a concern. That is not how OFA ratings work. Good and Fair are normal passing results. A thoughtful breeder considers the whole dog, the other parent, pedigree patterns, overall health testing, temperament, and veterinary guidance rather than reducing a complex decision to one word on a certificate.

Borderline and Dysplastic Ratings

Borderline means the radiologists saw an area that was not clearly normal but was not definitive enough to classify as dysplastic. OFA may recommend repeating the radiographs after time has passed, particularly once the dog has reached full maturity.

The next three ratings - Mild Dysplasia, Moderate Dysplasia, and Severe Dysplasia - indicate increasingly pronounced evidence of hip dysplasia. These findings can include joint looseness, shallower sockets, changes in joint shape, or arthritic changes.

A breeder’s response to a result matters. Clear documentation, appropriate veterinary input, and responsible breeding decisions demonstrate the kind of careful oversight families should expect. A vague statement that a dog is “healthy” is not the same as being able to show the actual testing result.

Final OFA Scores Versus Preliminary Evaluations

A final OFA hip certification is issued when a dog is 24 months or older. This age matters because hips continue to develop as a young dog matures. The final evaluation provides the most meaningful certification for breeding decisions.

You may also see preliminary hip evaluations for younger dogs. These can offer useful early information, particularly when a breeder is tracking a young dog’s development, but they are not a substitute for a final adult certification. If a parent dog is old enough for final OFA hips, families should expect to see the final result rather than only a preliminary assessment.

When reviewing records, look for the dog’s registered name or identification, the result, and the date or age at evaluation. A report that simply says “OFA tested” leaves out the most important detail: what the evaluation actually found.

What a Strong OFA Hip Record Looks Like

The strongest health conversation is specific. Rather than relying on a general statement, a breeder should be able to explain both parents’ hip results and how those results fit into the broader health plan for the litter.

For an F1 English Mini Goldendoodle, the parent breeds bring different characteristics and inherited-health considerations to the pairing. Hip testing is valuable for both sides of the pedigree, but it is not the only screening that matters. Depending on the individual dogs and their breed backgrounds, a complete plan may also include evaluations for elbows, eyes, heart health, and relevant genetic conditions.

A family does not need to become an orthopedic specialist before bringing home a puppy. You do deserve clear answers. The following questions are practical and reasonable:

• What are the final OFA hip ratings for both parents?

• Were the dogs at least 24 months old when their final hip X-rays were evaluated?

• Can I see the official results or the dogs’ OFA identification information?

• What additional health testing was completed for this pairing?

• How does your program use health and temperament information when selecting breeding dogs?

The answers should feel direct and calm, not evasive. Quality breeding is intentional work, and a breeder who knows their dogs well should be comfortable explaining the decisions behind a litter.

Why a Passing Score Is Not the Entire Story

It is tempting to search for one perfect score and treat it as the answer. In reality, hip health is more nuanced. OFA results are a valuable screening tool, but no individual score can account for every gene, every relative, or every part of a puppy’s upbringing.

A puppy from parents with normal hips can still need sensible care during growth. Keeping a puppy at a healthy body condition, feeding an age-appropriate diet, avoiding repetitive high-impact activity while joints are developing, and following your veterinarian’s guidance all support healthy development. This is especially relevant for families with energetic children who are excited to include their new puppy in every adventure from day one.

It also helps to remember that the “best” rating on paper is only one component of a family dog. A well-planned puppy should come from parents selected for stable, affectionate temperament, appropriate structure, health testing, and the ability to thrive in a home environment. For many families, those qualities work together to create the predictability they are seeking.

Common Mistakes When Reading OFA Hip Scores

One common mistake is assuming a Fair score means a dog failed. Fair is a normal OFA rating. Another is treating a preliminary result as equal to a final adult certification. Preliminary evaluations can be informative, but they should be understood in context.

Families can also focus only on one parent. Each parent contributes to a puppy’s genetic foundation, so both records matter. Finally, do not confuse a health guarantee with health testing. A meaningful guarantee can provide added reassurance and accountability, while health testing shows the preventive steps taken before a litter is planned. They serve different purposes, and a carefully run program should value both.

Reading Hip Scores With Confidence

When you read OFA hip scores, look for a complete story rather than a single label. Normal final ratings for both parents, clear documentation, additional relevant testing, and a breeder who can explain their choices are all encouraging signs.

At Power Goldendoodles, we believe families should feel informed long before puppy pickup day. The goal is not to overwhelm you with acronyms or paperwork. It is to give you the confidence that your future companion was planned with the same care you will bring to raising them.