Selling puppies: where to list and what paperwork to have ready

There are three ways a litter usually finds its homes: your own waiting list, a listing site and a shop that sells on your behalf. They differ in who screens the buyer, what it costs you and how much of the outcome you still control. In all three the paperwork stays your job.

Rules on selling animals differ widely between countries, states and even cities. Some places require a licence, restrict where puppies can be advertised or sold, or set a minimum age. Check what applies to you with your local authority or breed club before you advertise. Nothing here is legal advice.

Your own list and breed club referrals

This is the slowest route to set up and the one most established breeders end up relying on. Buyers come through people who know your dogs. They expect to wait and they expect to be asked questions. You do all the screening yourself, which is the point.

It costs nothing in fees. It costs time: answering enquiries, keeping a list and saying no.

Listing sites and marketplaces

Specialist breeder listing sites usually ask for a profile and sometimes for proof of registration or health testing. General marketplaces let anyone message you. Some do not allow animal listings at all, so read the rules of the platform before you post.

Before you choose one, find out:

• Whether the fee is a flat listing price, a subscription or a commission on the sale
• Whether the site checks breeders, buyers, both or neither
• How deposits and payments are handled and what happens in a dispute
• Whether you can show health test results and vaccination records in the listing
• How enquiries reach you and whether you can turn a buyer down

The wider the reach, the more screening falls on you. Expect more messages and fewer serious ones.

Selling through a shop

Some breeders place puppies with a shop that sells them for a share of the price. Terms vary from shop to shop and there is no standard split, so get everything in writing before a puppy leaves your home:

• The price, your share and when you are paid
• Who decides which buyer gets a puppy
• Who pays for care and vet costs while the puppy is at the shop
• What happens if a puppy is returned or does not sell

Think hard about this route. You hand over the decision about where your puppies go. In some places selling puppies through shops is restricted or banned. Many breed clubs advise their members against it.

The paperwork to have ready before you advertise

Serious buyers ask for documents early. A breeder who can show them at once stands out. Whatever channel you use, have these ready for each puppy:

• Microchip number
• The vaccination record with the date of each dose and the next due date
• Deworming dates
• The vet check, with the date and the name of the clinic
• Health test certificates for both parents
• Registration papers or the application for them
• A written sale agreement
• Feeding and care notes for the first weeks

A sale agreement is worth having a lawyer or your breed club look over, because what is enforceable depends on where you and the buyer live.

Screening buyers yourself

Whichever channel brings the enquiry, the questions are the same. Ask about the household, who is home during the day, experience with the breed and what will happen if they can no longer keep the dog. Offer a video call or a visit. A buyer who is annoyed by questions has answered them.

Be careful with deposits. Put the amount, what it holds and when it is refundable in writing before you accept any money.

The handover

On collection day the buyer should leave with the puppy and its complete file. Keep a copy of everything you hand over, with the date.

In EverPet a breeder builds each puppy's record as the litter grows. At the sale the record goes to the new owner as a transfer pack that they claim in their own account, so nothing is retyped and nothing gets lost in a paper folder. Costs and income per litter sit alongside it. Buyers who have read how to check a breeder will ask for exactly these papers.