In Sweden the law itself sets a minimum mating age, a rest period after two litters and a ban on breeding after two cesareans, and the Swedish Kennel Club adds its own basic rules for members on top. If you are an SKK member, both apply, so this page sets them out side by side.
The most important first
- You need a permit from the county administrative board (länsstyrelsen) if you breed three or more litters a year, sell dogs from three or more litters a year, or keep ten or more dogs over 12 months old.
- By law, a bitch may not be mated before 18 months of age, must have at least 12 months’ rest after two litters within 12 months, and may not be used for breeding after two cesarean deliveries.
- Puppies must stay with their mother until eight weeks of age, except temporarily or where a veterinarian judges an exception acceptable.
- Every dog must be ID-marked and registered in the national dog register before four months of age, and a new owner must report the change of ownership within four weeks.
- Members of the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK) follow stricter rules: no mating after age 10, a veterinary check before mating from age 7, no more than five litters, and puppies delivered ID-marked and vet-checked from eight weeks.
Last updated: November 8, 2026
Rules last checked: November 8, 2026
We checked this page against the official sources listed below on the date above. Rules can change after that date, and no single page can cover every situation, so something that matters to you may have been amended since, or may not be covered here at all. Before you rely on it, check these as well:
- Your county administrative board: permits are decided by the länsstyrelsen where you keep your dogs; ask it how it counts litters and dogs for your situation.
- The Board of Agriculture’s regulations: SJVFS 2020:8 can be amended; use the current consolidated version on jordbruksverket.se.
- SKK’s rules: SKK’s basic rules and registration rules are revised from time to time; check the version in force before each breeding year.
- EU rules: the EU welfare and traceability regulation applies in Sweden from 2028 — see the European Union page.
- Business obligations: a breeding business has registration and tax obligations of its own.
Check the current rules at the source before each breeding year and before any sale that is new to you, such as a first litter or a first buyer in another state or country. Ask the authority in writing when the answer matters, and keep a dated note of what you checked and what you were told.
Last updated: November 8, 2026
Who needs a permit
The Animal Welfare Act (djurskyddslagen, 2018:1192) requires a permit for keeping or breeding animals professionally or on a larger scale, and the Animal Welfare Ordinance (djurskyddsförordningen, 2019:66) lets the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) define those terms; applications are decided by the county administrative board. According to the county boards, you need a permit if you breed three or more litters a year — litters from a bitch on a breeding loan (fodervärd) count — or sell dogs from three or more litters a year, sell three or more dogs a year that someone else bred, keep ten or more dogs over 12 months old, or house or feed four or more dogs for others. A breeding application must describe your breeding strategy. The general structure of breeding law is in laws, regulations and kennel clubs.
Breeding limits in law
The Board of Agriculture’s regulations on keeping dogs and cats (SJVFS 2020:8, saknr L 102), in force since June 15, 2020, apply to everyone who breeds, with or without a permit:
- Age: a bitch may not be mated before she is 18 months old. There is no upper age limit in the regulations, but the general advice is that a veterinarian should assess whether a bitch aged seven or older is suitable for breeding.
- Rest: if a bitch has two litters within 12 months, she must have at least 12 months’ rest before her next whelping, unless a veterinarian judges a shorter rest acceptable.
- Cesareans: a bitch delivered by cesarean section twice may not be used for breeding again. If the first cesarean reveals anatomical defects that make future cesareans likely, the ban applies after the first.
- Inherited disease: animals may not be bred if they carry diseases, defects or other heritable traits that may cause suffering in their offspring.
Our article on litter limits and age rules compares these limits with other countries.
Selling a puppy
Under the same regulations, puppies may not be separated from their mother, other than temporarily, until they are eight weeks old. An exception is possible if the puppies eat solid food and their health and welfare are good, as assessed by a veterinarian.
ID-marking and registration
Under the Ordinance on the supervision of dogs and cats (2007:1240), the owner must have a dog ID-marked, with a microchip or tattoo, and registered in the national dog register before it is four months old. A dog acquired after three months of age that was not marked and registered by the previous owner must be marked and registered within four weeks, and the same applies to a dog brought into Sweden after three months of age. At a change of ownership, the new owner must report it to the register within four weeks. Give each buyer the ID number and the details they need to register, and record them in your kennel records.
What the Swedish Kennel Club requires
SKK is a member of the FCI, and its basic rules (grundregler, S7), in force from January 1, 2026, bind its members as breeders and buyers. They go further than the law:
- A bitch may be mated from 18 months, may not be mated after she turns 10, and must be examined by a veterinarian before every mating from age seven. She may not have more than five litters, and after two litters within 12 months she must have at least 12 months’ rest.
- Father and daughter, mother and son, and full siblings may not be mated.
- Puppies are delivered at eight weeks at the earliest, ID-marked and examined by a veterinarian, with a veterinary certificate no more than seven days old on the day of delivery.
- The breeder must draw up and follow a contract with content set by SKK, and hand over or transfer the registration certificate at the sale.
- Members may not use dealers or act as one when buying or selling a dog.
Imports, exports and the EU
Sweden follows the EU rules on pet movement, and the new EU regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats will apply here from 2028; both are set out on our European Union page. A dog brought into Sweden after three months of age must be ID-marked and registered within four weeks. See also exporting puppies and international sales.
What the kennel clubs say
The Swedish Kennel Club (SKK) sets its rules on top of the FCI’s International Breeding Rules, which themselves set no age or litter limits. SKK’s basic rules: mating from 18 months and not after age 10, a veterinary examination before mating from age seven, no more than five litters, 12 months’ rest after two litters within 12 months, no father–daughter, mother–son or full-sibling matings, puppies from eight weeks, ID-marked and with a veterinary certificate no more than seven days old, SKK’s contract, the registration certificate at the sale, and no dealers.
Source: Svenska Kennelklubben, Grundregler S7 (from January 1, 2026) and FCI, International Breeding Rules. National kennel clubs may set stricter rules.
Last updated: November 8, 2026
Rules change, so always check with your own kennel club.
In practice
A breeder planning her third litter of the year applies to the county administrative board for a permit, with a short description of her breeding strategy. She checks each bitch against both the law and SKK’s rules: the youngest turns 18 months a month before her planned mating, and the oldest is seven, so she books a veterinary examination before that mating. She puts the vet check for the puppies in the calendar no more than seven days before delivery at eight weeks.
(Illustrative, composite scenario.)
Work on it
A few minutes here will teach you more than re-reading the article.
Ask yourself
- How many litters will I breed and sell in the next 12 months, and will I need a permit?
- Which of my bitches will be seven or older at their next mating?
- Do my contracts follow SKK’s template, and do my buyers get the registration certificate at the sale?
Find out & check
- Read SJVFS 2020:8 and SKK’s basic rules side by side and note every point where SKK is stricter.
Do one thing
- Make a one-page record for each bitch with her date of birth, litter dates, cesareans and veterinary checks, and check it before every planned mating.
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Sources & further reading
- Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) — Statens jordbruksverks föreskrifter och allmänna råd om hållande av hundar och katter, SJVFS 2020:8, saknr L 102. jordbruksverket.se
- Sveriges riksdag — Djurskyddsförordning (2019:66). data.riksdagen.se
- Länsstyrelsen Uppsala län — Tillstånd för verksamhet med hund. lansstyrelsen.se
- Sveriges riksdag — Förordning (2007:1240) om tillsyn över hundar och katter. data.riksdagen.se
- Svenska Kennelklubben — Grundregler för SKK, S7 (from January 1, 2026). skk.se
- Fédération Cynologique Internationale — International Breeding Rules of the FCI. fci.be
- Your Europe — Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU. europa.eu
Where evidence is limited, recommendations rest on established practice and expert judgment, and may be updated as knowledge develops. This is general information, not legal or financial advice: requirements differ between jurisdictions and change over time — confirm the current rules with the authority named here and have your own situation reviewed by a qualified professional where you breed.
Next steps
- Read next: Breeding and selling puppies in the European Union.
- Related: Breeding and selling puppies in Ireland · Pre-breeding regulatory checklist: what to confirm before you breed.
- Return to the area hub: Becoming a responsible breeder.