A practical record structure for connecting hip tests, dates, laboratories, pedigrees, and later breeding decisions.
A hip screening result is most useful when it remains connected to the dog, the date, the method, and the original report. Keep those elements together rather than relying on a shortened label in a spreadsheet. A clear record allows a later reader to understand what was measured and which limitations applied.
The method should be written beside the result. OFA and PennHIP answer related but different questions, and the age of the dog changes how the result should be interpreted. Recording the laboratory or evaluating organisation, positioning requirements, and report reference prevents an apparently precise score from losing its context.
A breeding record can also link parents, siblings, and offspring without publishing private owner details. Family information is important because hip dysplasia is complex and an individual result does not describe every inherited risk. The record should separate measured findings from the decisions made from them.
Before a planned mating, review the complete family picture and discuss uncertainties with the appropriate veterinary or breed-health professional. A documented process cannot remove all risk, but it makes the reasoning visible and discourages decisions based only on appearance or a single certificate.