Breeder’s Library · Responsible Breeding
Breeding laws, country by country.
What breeders need to know about breeding, selling and registering puppies, from licenses and litter limits to the rules of sale. Pick your country, or the one your puppies are going to.
General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source linked in each guide before you act.
North America 2
United StatesIn the US, the rules for breeding and selling puppies come in three layers: a federal license that applies only in some situations, state…Read the rules →
CanadaCanada has no national breeder license, but it does have something most countries lack: a federal law on selling a dog as purebred. What…Read the rules →Europe & the EU 13
European UnionThe EU's 2026 dog welfare law: approval above five litters, breeding limits, microchips and online ad checks, applying in stages from 2028.Read the rules →
United KingdomCouncil licenses from three litters a year, breeding limits in England and Scotland, and puppies sold from eight weeks, microchipped and registered.Read the rules →
IrelandRegister from six breeding bitches, sell from eight weeks with a microchip, and follow strict ad rules. Breeding limits were proposed in 2026.Read the rules →
SwedenA permit from three litters a year, mating from 18 months, rest after two litters, puppies from eight weeks, plus SKK's stricter rules.Read the rules →
GermanyA permit for commercial breeding, one carer per five breeding dogs, puppies with their mother until eight weeks, and a ban on Qualzucht.Read the rules →
FranceBreeder status and a SIREN number from the first puppy sold, sale over eight weeks, required ad details and a seven-day buyer certificate.Read the rules →
ItalyPuppies must be microchipped and registered within 60 days and may not be sold under two months or unregistered.Read the rules →
SpainOnly registered breeders may breed and sell dogs, pet shops may not sell them, and no dog changes hands unidentified.Read the rules →
PolandBreeding dogs for sale is banned outside national pedigree organizations, and puppies may be sold only where they were bred.Read the rules →
CzechiaNo more than three litters in 24 months, puppies from 50 days, litter records, and a microchip before any puppy is offered for sale.Read the rules →
NetherlandsOne litter per bitch in 12 months, puppies from seven weeks, and chip, passport and registration before any puppy changes hands.Read the rules →
HungaryPuppies stay with their mother until eight weeks, and a dog may change owner only after it has been microchipped.Read the rules →
SerbiaBreeding facilities are registered, dogs are sold only from registered breeders, and breeding before maturity or with hereditary defects is banned.Read the rules →Asia-Pacific 7
AustraliaIn Australia the rules for breeding and selling dogs are set by each state and territory, and they have tightened sharply. Breeder identification numbers,…Read the rules →
New ZealandIn New Zealand the rules for breeders come mainly from animal welfare law: the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and its Code of Welfare for…Read the rules →
JapanRegistered breeders may mate females up to six (or seven), six litters in total, and may not sell puppies under 56 days.Read the rules →
ChinaNo national breeder license; dogs need rabies vaccination and city registration, with strict local rules in Beijing and Shanghai.Read the rules →
IndiaBreeders register with the State Board; mating from 18 months to eight years, one litter a year, five in total, sale from eight weeks.Read the rules →
Hong KongIn Hong Kong you cannot legally sell a puppy you bred without a Dog Breeder Licence, and every litter must be declared to AFCD…Read the rules →
SingaporeIn Singapore, breeding dogs for sale is a licensed activity regulated by the Animal & Veterinary Service. What the licensing conditions say about breeding…Read the rules →Latin America 2
MexicoNo federal breeder law; Mexico City requires breeder registration, sales only in authorized premises and a purchase certificate with the microchip.Read the rules →
BrazilSão Paulo State: breeding from 18 months, two pregnancies a year, puppies sold from 120 days with microchip and vaccinations.Read the rules →Africa 1
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