The AKC and many breed clubs have official records of tests for these congenital problems. They are called OFA for radiological hip examination, CERF for eye problems that lead to blindness. If you are a new buyer before you buy this breed make sure the dog is suited to your family and your home environment. For example as a Lhasa Apso breeder we almost never sell a Lhasa puppy to a family with very young children. Why, because a Lhasa is a very intelligent aggressive guard dog.
Little children like to bop their dogs, or pull on their coats or chase the dog around a room.
A Lhasa won t take much of this treatment, before they let the kids know who s boss. When this happens an unsuspecting dog owner is on the phone to the breeder to take back the dog. Your much better off with a Havanese or a Shih Tzu , that are easy going dogs that will take this kind of treatment. Make sure that the breeder you are going to buy this puppy from is going to be there for you when you have questions or problems. We know hundreds of responsible breeders that can tell you who bought most of their puppies what kind of a life the puppy lives now that it s grown up etc.