When looking for an Australian Labradoodle puppy in North Carolina, credentials are more than just logos on a website. They are verification from a third party that a breeder meets or exceeds the highest health and ethical standards in the community. We will explain all of River Days Australian Labradoodles’ credentials below, including what it takes to earn them and why they are important for every family looking for a healthy, well-bred puppy.
Breed Organization Credentials
ALAA Platinum Paw Award — Australian Labradoodle Association of America
The Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) is the oldest ALD breed association to register and set standards for the Australian Labradoodle breed. There are three levels in their Paw Reward Program: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Platinum Paw is the highest level you can reach. To get it, every breeding dog must pass a full set of health tests.
What this means for you: An independent audit of a Platinum Paw breeder has shown that all health tests are up to date, real, and on file, not just what the breeder says. Families can check a breeder’s reputation immediately on the ALAA website, which gives you unbiased assurance from a third party before you even contact a breeder.
River Days status: We are proud to have the ALAA Platinum Paw and keep it by making sure that all of our dogs are healthy before we prepare a new litter. This is the ALAA’s top honor.
WALA All-Star Award — Worldwide Australian Labradoodle Association
The Worldwide Australian Labradoodle Association (WALA) connects Australian Labradoodle breeders from all over the world and makes sure that the breed adheres to its origins. The WALA All-Star award is their greatest recognition. It goes to breeders who continuously go beyond the minimum criteria for health testing, litter registration, and breeder education.
What this means for you: Having your dog registered with both the ALAA and the WALA implies that two separate groups have checked its pedigree. When you see these certificates combined, you know that the breeder is doing the best job possible for the breed.
River Days status: We have the WALA All-Star title and register all of our dogs with both groups. Your puppy’s lineage is traceable and internationally verified.
GoodDog Excellent — GoodDog Platform
Every year, millions of people use GoodDog, an independent breeder marketplace and screening platform, to acquire puppies. Their tiered ranking system looks at breeders’ health testing compliance, communication, evaluations from adopters, and ethical practices. The platform’s highest distinction is Excellent, which is only given to breeders that consistently fulfill or surpass all of the platform’s standards.
What this means for you: GoodDog ratings are based on real reviews from confirmed adopters, not breeder-controlled websites. A GoodDog Excellent rating means we exceeded the parent health testing standards.
River Days status: We hold both the GoodDog Member badge and the GoodDog Excellent distinction, reflecting consistent health testing for all of our parent dogs. Ensuring healthy labradoodle puppies in NC
Health Testing Credentials
OFA’s CHIC Program — Canine Health Information Center
The OFA’s Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) program establishes a breed-specific battery of health tests that every participating dog must complete before receiving a CHIC number. For Australian Labradoodles, this means certifying the hips and elbows, the eyes, heart, and screening for diseases based on DNA. The OFA database at ofa.org has all the results, whether they are pass or fail.
What this means for you: CHIC is not self-reported. Every test result is submitted directly to the OFA by a veterinarian or specialist, then verified and published publicly. Anyone who buys a puppy can utilize the OFA CHIC number to look up their parent dog’s health results. There is no way to hide a bad result; it enters public record. This is the gold standard for breeding transparency.
River Days standard: We complete CHIC certification on every parent dog before their first litter; not after. This is a level of dedication that few breeders are willing to make. You may check the results of our dogs right on ofa.org.
OFA Hip & Elbow Evaluation — Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) looks at X-rays of a dog’s hips and elbows and gives them a grade on a scale from Excellent to Dysplastic. It’s important to note that the OFA does not give final hip grades to dogs younger than two years old. The bones must be fully grown for the assessment to be valid and dependable. Younger dogs cannot get final clearances based on preliminary examinations.
What this means for you: Hip dysplasia is a frequent and expensive genetic disorder that dogs can get. Breeding dogs that have just had preliminary or incomplete hip examinations greatly raises the chance of having puppies with joint disorders. Always ask a breeder if their dogs have had final OFA hip evaluations and how old the dogs were when they were evaluated.
River Days standard: We only breed parent dogs once they are at least two years old and have passed their final OFA hip examinations. We do not accept early findings as alternatives.
Antech’s PennHIP Evaluation — Advanced Hip Joint Analysis
The University of Pennsylvania created the scientifically proven three-radiograph method known as PennHIP (Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program). It gives a Distraction Index (DI) score by measuring how loose the hip joint is. A lower DI means that the hips are tighter and healthier, which lowers the likelihood of hip dysplasia. Many people think that PennHIP is the best instrument for predicting the health of a dog’s hips.
What this means for you: OFA looks at joints based on how they look, whereas PennHIP gives you a number score that is directly related to the chance of getting an illness in the future. PennHIP enables breeders data-driven knowledge to choose only the healthiest dogs for their program, which leads to healthier puppies for your family.
River Days standard: PennHIP is part of our full hip diagnostic procedure. It gives us and you the most complete picture of each parent dog’s joint health before we make any decisions about breeding.
Genetic Health Testing
Paw Print Genetics — Comprehensive DNA Disease Screening
Paw Print Genetics, now merging with Orivet, is a USDA-accredited veterinary genetics laboratory that tests for hundreds of known canine genetic disease mutations. For Australian Labradoodles, the panel screens for conditions including Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC), Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), von Willebrand’s Disease, and others.
What this means for you: Genetic disease testing means that your breeder is using DNA to make decisions about breeding pairs. This makes sure that two carriers of the same recessive mutation are never bred together, which could lead to affected puppies. Regardless of whether or not they are carriers, puppies from parents who have been appropriately screened are safe from getting common genetic disorders.
River Days standard: All of the parent dogs have been tested by Paw Print Genetics or Animal Genetic, Inc (below). Reports are made available to approved applicants upon request.
Animal Genetics Inc. — Comprehensive DNA Disease Screening
Animal Genetics is an accredited veterinary DNA laboratory offering testing for inheritable disease mutations, coat genetics, and parentage verification. For Australian Labradoodle breeders, in addition to the genetic disease panel, it provides complementary testing for mutations and coat characteristics — including the furnishings and curl genes.
What this means for you: Genetic disease testing means that your breeder is using DNA to make decisions about breeding pairs. This makes sure that two carriers of the same recessive mutation are never bred together, which could lead to affected puppies. Regardless of whether or not they are carriers, puppies from parents who have been appropriately screened are safe from getting common genetic disorders.
River Days standard: All of the parent dogs have been tested by Paw Print Genetics (above) or Animal Genetic, Inc. Reports are made available to approved applicants upon request.
Ask Your Breeder These Three Questions
These questions will quickly reveal whether a breeder truly meets health testing standards; or just claims to:
How old were your parent dogs when they received their final OFA hip evaluations?
Can I look up your dogs’ health results directly in the OFA public database?
Are your puppies raised exclusively by you, or farmed out to others?
A reputable breeder will answer all three immediately and with specifics. We encourage every family to verify our credentials independently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breeder Credentials
What is the difference between the ALAA and WALA?
The ALAA (Australian Labradoodle Association of America) is the primary North American registry and standards organization for the breed, but also has international membership. The WALA (Worldwide Australian Labradoodle Association) is smaller in North America but has a larger international membership. Both maintain registries, set health testing requirements, and audit member breeders. Holding recognition from both, as River Days does, means a breeder is accountable to international as well as domestic standards simultaneously.
Can I verify River Days’ health testing myself?
Yes, for sure. You may find our dogs’ OFA CHIC results in the OFA database at ofa.org. Any potential puppy family can check out all of our credentials on their own.
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Are Australian Labradoodles good for families with allergies?
Many people think that multi-generational Australian Labradoodles are one of the best dog breeds for those with allergies because their fleece or wool coats don’t shed much or at all. River Days only breeds multi-generational dogs. Everyone reacts differently, so we tell families with allergies to spend time with a variety of dogs before making a decision, including dog sitting!
What does “multi-generational” mean for an Australian Labradoodle?
A multi-generational Australian Labradoodle is the outcome of breeding Australian Labradoodles with other Australian Labradoodles for many generations. This means that neither parent is a Labrador Retriever, Poodle, or other foundation breed. This results in more uniform coat type, temperament, and size outcomes compared to early-generation crosses. The ALAA and WALA are two responsible breed associations that keep track of and register multi-generational dogs individually for this purpose.
Why does it matter that parent dogs are at least two years old before breeding?
The OFA doesn’t give final hip ratings to dogs under two years old since their bones are still growing and the results wouldn’t be reliable. A breeder that employs preliminary hip examinations or examines dogs at 12 or 18 months is making decisions about how to mate them based on limited information. The only acceptable way to lower the risk of passing on orthopedic problems to offspring is to wait until they are fully grown and have received their final OFA approvals.