How to choose a good breeder and what makes a breeder stand out as exceptional? . NON-NEGOTIABLE REQUIREMENTS: Health testing, not a vet check that says the dog is healthy to breed. Eyes, heart, elbows and hips, and DNA need to be tested. Eyes are done annually, and hip can be checked through PennHip and/or OFA. It’s the responsible thing to do to ensure a breeder is not knowingly creating pups that have, or have the potential to have genetic diseases. If a breeder doesn’t do health testing, it’