What a CHIC number tells you about a stud dog
Stud adverts often say "CHIC" as if it settles everything. It does prove something valuable, though not quite what most people assume. This VerifiedStuds guide explains what the number means, what it leaves out and how to check one in a minute.
CHIC stands for the Canine Health Information Center. It is a program run by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), together with the parent clubs of each breed. A CHIC number is issued to a dog that has completed every health test its breed's program requires, with the results made public.
However, each parent club chooses its own list. For example, Golden Retrievers need hips, elbows, a heart exam and an eye exam. In contrast, French Bulldogs need hips, eyes, patellas and a cardiac exam. So a CHIC number always means "this breed's list", not a universal set.
Requirement
Detail
Complete the breed's tests
Every required item on the parent club's list
Meet the age rules
For example, final hip results need 24 months
Make the results public
The owner must release every result, pass or fail
Have permanent identification
A microchip or tattoo, recorded on the tests
Once those are met, OFA issues the number automatically and adds it to the dog's record. Therefore, there is no separate application or exam. Some tests, such as eye exams, must be repeated to keep the record current.
Here is the part many buyers miss. A dog gets one for doing the tests and sharing the results. It does not have to pass them.
So a dog with dysplastic hips can still hold one, as long as that result is public. The program rewards openness, because honest data helps the whole breed. Therefore, never stop at the number. Open the record and read each result.
Go to the OFA website and search by the dog's registered name or registration number.
Open his page. A CHIC number, if he has one, appears near the top.
Read every line. Each test shows the result, the date and his age.
Check the dates. Eye exams and some heart exams expire after 12 months.
Look at his relatives, which OFA lists when their results are public.
If an owner quotes a CHIC number that you cannot find, ask for the dog's exact registered name. After all, a real number always appears in the database.
Tests outside the list. Many breeds have extra DNA tests that careful breeders add. See best DNA tests for dog breeders.
Brucellosis. It is not part of CHIC, yet every stud needs a recent negative test. Read brucellosis in dogs.
Temperament and structure, which no database can grade for you.
Breeds without a program. Crosses, and breeds such as the American Bully, have no CHIC list at all.
On VerifiedStuds, the Verified Health badge follows the same idea. An owner uploads the results on the breed's list, and we show them on the profile beside the fee. It makes that easy, since the results already sit in one public record.
For breeds with no CHIC program, we suggest a list based on the parent breeds or on known risks. Our health testing guides set out each one.
Above all, it tells you the owner tested everything the breed club asked for and hid nothing. That is a strong sign of a serious breeder. In addition, it lets you verify claims without relying on photos of certificates.
To understand the results themselves, read OFA hip and elbow grades explained, the CAER eye exam guide and OFA cardiac exam: basic vs advanced. Then find a health-tested stud, and compare prices in the stud fee guide. Stud owners can list their stud free.
What does a CHIC number mean?
It means the dog has completed all the health tests its breed's CHIC program requires, and the results are public in the OFA database.
Does a CHIC number mean a dog passed its health tests?
No. It shows the tests were done and published. You still need to read each result.
How do I find a dog's CHIC number?
Search the dog's registered name on the OFA website. The number appears on his record.
Do all breeds have a CHIC program?
No. Most AKC breeds do, but crosses and some newer breeds have no official list.
Does a CHIC number expire?
The number stays with the dog. However, some tests, such as eye exams, must be repeated to stay current.
Sources: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, CHIC program, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, browse CHIC by breed, American Kennel Club, breed health testing requirements.
Every stud profile shows his health results beside the fee.