diff --git a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/avdtestbase.py b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/avdtestbase.py
index 3b0cc094b25..07e8b0c796a 100644
--- a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/avdtestbase.py
+++ b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/avdtestbase.py
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
-from collections.abc import Mapping
 from functools import cached_property
 from ipaddress import ip_interface
+from typing import Mapping
 
 from ansible_collections.arista.avd.plugins.plugin_utils.errors import AristaAvdError, AristaAvdMissingVariableError
 from ansible_collections.arista.avd.plugins.plugin_utils.utils import default, get, get_item
@@ -20,18 +20,18 @@ class AvdTestBase:
     Base class for all AVD eos_validate_state tests.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, device_name: str, hostvars: dict | object):
+    def __init__(self, device_name: str, hostvars: Mapping):
         """
         Initialize the AvdTestBase class.
 
         Args:
             device_name (str): The current device name for which the plugin is being run.
-            hostvars (dict | object): A dictionary that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
+            hostvars (Mapping): A mapping that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
                                       When using Ansible, this is the `task_vars['hostvars']` object.
         """
         self.hostvars = hostvars
         self.device_name = device_name
-        self.structured_config = self.get_host_struct_cfg(host=device_name)
+        self.structured_config = self.get_host_structured_config(host=device_name)
 
     def render(self) -> dict:
         """
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def render(self) -> dict:
         """
         return getattr(self, "test_definition", None) or {}
 
-    def get_host_struct_cfg(self, host: str) -> dict:
+    def get_host_structured_config(self, host: str) -> dict:
         """
         Retrieves and returns the structured configuration for a specified host.
 
@@ -58,16 +58,13 @@ def get_host_struct_cfg(self, host: str) -> dict:
 
         Returns:
             dict: Structured configuration for the host.
-
-        Raises:
-            AristaAvdError: If host is not in hostvars or if its structured_config is not a dictionary or is empty.
         """
         if host not in self.hostvars:
             raise AristaAvdError(f"Host '{host}' is missing from the hostvars.")
         struct_cfg = get(self.hostvars, host, separator="..")
 
-        # Check if struct_cfg is a dict or behaves like a dict (e.g. Ansible 'hostvars' object)
-        if not isinstance(struct_cfg, (dict, Mapping)):
+        # Check if struct_cfg is a mapping object (e.g. Ansible 'hostvars' object or regular dict)
+        if not isinstance(struct_cfg, Mapping):
             raise AristaAvdError(f"Host '{host}' structured_config is not a dictionary or dictionary-like object.")
 
         if not isinstance(struct_cfg, dict):
@@ -79,7 +76,7 @@ def log_skip_message(
         self, message=None, key: str | None = None, value=None, key_path: str | None = None, is_missing: bool = True, logging_level: str = "INFO"
     ) -> None:
         """
-        Logging function that logs the test being skipped appended to a formatted message based on the provided parameters.
+        Logging function that logs the test being skipped, appended to a formatted message based on the provided parameters.
 
         Args:
             message (Any | None): The message to be logged. If provided, it will be logged as is, ignoring other parameters.
@@ -124,7 +121,7 @@ def update_interface_shutdown(self, interface: dict, host: str | None = None) ->
             interface (dict): The interface to update.
             host (str): Host to verify. Defaults to the host running the test.
         """
-        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_struct_cfg(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
+        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_structured_config(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
         if "Ethernet" in get(interface, "name", ""):
             interface["shutdown"] = default(get(interface, "shutdown"), get(host_struct_cfg, "interface_defaults.ethernet.shutdown"), False)
         else:
@@ -160,7 +157,7 @@ def get_interface_ip(self, interface_model: str, interface_name: str, host: str
         Returns:
             str | None: IP address of the host interface or None if unavailable.
         """
-        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_struct_cfg(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
+        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_structured_config(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
         try:
             peer_interfaces = get(host_struct_cfg, interface_model, required=True)
             peer_interface = get_item(peer_interfaces, "name", interface_name, required=True)
@@ -178,7 +175,7 @@ def logged_get(self, key: str, host: str | None = None, logging_level: str = "WA
             host (str | None): The host from which to retrieve the key. Defaults to the device running the test.
             logging_level (str): The logging level to use for the log message.
         """
-        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_struct_cfg(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
+        host_struct_cfg = self.get_host_structured_config(host=host) if host else self.structured_config
         try:
             return get(host_struct_cfg, key, required=True, separator="..")
         except AristaAvdMissingVariableError:
@@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ def validate_data(
             In this case, the function will log a warning message because the key 'c' with value '3' is not found,
             and it will return False as the data doesn't meet all validation requirements.
         """
-        data = data or (self.get_host_struct_cfg(host=host) if host else self.structured_config)
+        data = data or (self.get_host_structured_config(host=host) if host else self.structured_config)
         valid = True
 
         # Check the expected key/value pairs first
diff --git a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/catalog.py b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/catalog.py
index 193616758db..700fb249ad0 100644
--- a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/catalog.py
+++ b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/catalog.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Mapping
 
 from yaml import Dumper, dump, safe_load
 
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@ class Catalog:
     Catalog class that handles management of ANTA catalogs from AVD.
     """
 
-    def __init__(
-        self, device_name: str, hostvars: dict | object, skipped_tests: dict, custom_catalog: dict | None = None, custom_catalog_path: str | None = None
-    ):
+    def __init__(self, device_name: str, hostvars: Mapping, skipped_tests: dict, custom_catalog: dict | None = None, custom_catalog_path: str | None = None):
         """
         Initialize the Catalog class.
 
@@ -44,7 +42,7 @@ def __init__(
 
         Args:
             device_name (str): The device for which this catalog is built
-            hostvars (dict | object): A dictionary that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
+            hostvars (Mapping): A mapping that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
                                       When using Ansible, this is the `task_vars['hostvars']` object.
             skipped_tests (list[dict]): Dictionary of AVD test classes to be skipped.
             custom_catalog (dict): An optional dictionary representing an ANTA Catalog
diff --git a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/get_anta_results.py b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/get_anta_results.py
index c7b6543393b..dfcac537114 100644
--- a/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/get_anta_results.py
+++ b/ansible_collections/arista/avd/plugins/plugin_utils/eos_validate_state_utils/get_anta_results.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import logging
 from asyncio import run
 from json import loads
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Mapping
 
 from ansible_collections.arista.avd.plugins.plugin_utils.errors import AristaAvdError
 from ansible_collections.arista.avd.plugins.plugin_utils.utils import NoAliasDumper
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def _get_skipped_tests_from_tags(run_tags: tuple, skip_tags: tuple) -> list[dict
 
 def get_anta_results(
     anta_device: AntaDevice,
-    hostvars: dict | object,
+    hostvars: Mapping,
     logging_level: str,
     skipped_tests: dict,
     ansible_tags: dict | None = None,
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def get_anta_results(
     Args:
       anta_device (AntaDevice): An instantiated AntaDevice
                                 When running in ansible, the action plugin will pass an AnsibleEOSDevice
-      hostvars (dict | object): A dictionary that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
+      hostvars (Mapping): A mapping that contains a key for each device with a value of the structured_config.
                                 When using Ansible, this is the `task_vars['hostvars']` object.
       logging_level (str): The level at which ANTA should be logging
       skipped_tests (list[dict]): A list of dictionary