How Important Is CERF & OFA certification?

[Stellabella]

How important is CERF & OFA certification?

I can't seem to find any breeders that do this, and any dog owners I meet don't know what it is.

Why?

 

[bubbatd]

I feel that they are very important before breeding. Different breeds have different weaknesses......know what to look for in your particular breed. If hips could be a problem, then both parents should be OFA certified, if eyes are a problem, they should be CERF certified. Golden Retrievers breeders are also doing heart checks now. If a breeder doesn't know what you're talking about....run the other way ! Every breed reference talks of the weakness of that particular breed. Good luck !

 

[nohea]

I agree, they are very important, especially with dogs prone to these problems. It's not a guarantee, but it's a good start. Responsible breeders should be checking for their breeds problems to ensure that they aren't passing these weak traits down (or are at least less likely to be).

 

[NewYorker]

DITTO, very important..

 

[Rose's Gal]

They are very important, unless you want your dog to have bad hips or eyes sometime in its life. Most likely early in its life. A breeder that doesn't do these tests on dogs that need them is NOT a good breeder.

 

[Stellabella]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I feel the same way, but needed to hear from some others.