Discover the process for registering your litter of puppies with The Kennel Club, the benefits of registering with us, pricing details, and insights into rules and regulations. Our registration system is a simple record of a puppy's birth and heritage and provides a number of benefits supporting responsible dog ownership.
Why register your puppies with us?
- Individual registration documents issued for each registered puppy
- The ability to sell your Kennel Club registered puppies through our Find a Puppy service, which performs over 300,000 searches per month
- Free five-week pet insurance for your puppy buyers
- Your registration will remain on The Kennel Club's breed database as a permanent historical record of the breed
- Opportunity to purchase an official Kennel Club pedigree, taking pride in your breeding
- Access to an unparalleled source of information, experience and advice on dog welfare, health, breeding and dog/puppy training
Have you got a kennel name?
Before registering your litter with us, it's a good idea to make sure you have a unique kennel name that serves as your exclusive breeder signature. A kennel name is associated with you and your dogs and creates a lasting identity that can be proudly displayed in your puppies' names.
Not only can you include your kennel name within the names of your puppies at the point of registration, but you can also add it to an existing dog's name in your current ownership. This simple process ensures that every dog you breed proudly carries the hallmark of your expertise.
Take the first step today - all of the information that you need to either register a new kennel name, or make changes to an existing one, can be found in the forms below.
Application for the registration of a kennel name (form 10)
Application to change the registered name by the addition of a kennel name (form 8)
Please complete this online form to add your kennel name to a dog registered in your ownership. Please note that in order to change the registered name the application details must exactly match the ownership of the dog and the kennel name. If a stud book number has been issued, you have 30 days to add a kennel name. After that time, it is too late and the name can’t be changed.
Variation of a kennel name (form 11)
Please download and complete form 11 if you wish to either make a change to the ownership of your kennel name or give permission for a separate interest/holding to be granted i.e. you can give permission for another party to also own and use your kennel name.
Removal of a kennel name (form 16)
How to register your puppies with us
The easiest and quickest way to register your litter is online through your Kennel Club account. Registering online is also the only way you can purchase a space to advertise your litter on our Find a Puppy service.
Alternatively, you can download the PDF version.
When completing our registration forms, please note that:
- The breeder is the person who owned the dam at the date when the puppies were born and must be the registered owner of the dam
- The stud dog owner should complete their details and sign the form
- You must own and be the registered owner of the dam at the date of birth of the puppies
- Both the dam and sire must be registered on The Kennel Club Breed Register
- Subject to The Kennel Club's B Regulations and the Breeding and Sale of Dogs Act
- Dam must be over 1 year of age at the date of mating
- Dam must be under 8 years at the time of birth unless special dispensation has been granted prior to the mating
How much does it cost to register?
The cost for Kennel Club registration is £25 for each puppy.
There is a discount for Kennel Club Assured Breeders, who pay £23 per puppy.
How long does it take for a litter to be registered?
Once a litter has been approved, documents will be dispatched for each of the puppies, usually within 28 working days of receipt of the application. Please ensure all information is accurately completed, as queries with your application may cause delay or be sent back to you.
Once approved, we’re unable to cancel the litter (please refer to our cancellation policy). Amendments may be considered but will be subject to further charges.
Can I make amendments once I have submitted my application?
Amendments may be considered once the litter has been registered, but will be subject to further charges.
Who can register a litter?
Any application must be submitted by the breeder, who is the person(s) who owned the dam at the date of birth of the puppies.
Eligibility for registering
Both mother (dam) and father (sire) of the litter must be registered with The Kennel Club first. Ownership details of both parents must be correct at time of mating for the stud dog and date of birth for the dam.
The Kennel Club Breed Register is only available:
- To puppies whose parents are in the correct registered ownership as recorded with The Kennel Club
- To puppies where the sire was mated with a dam of the same breed, who is also registered with The Kennel Club
- For puppies whose parents are of the same breed, currently recognised by The Kennel Club
- If the breeder is the registered owner of the dam
- If the dog was born within the UK
What are your restrictions on registrations?
We will not register a litter if any of the following apply:
- The dam has already reached the age of 8 years at the date of whelping (relief from this restriction may be considered, as long as an application is made prior to the mating, the proposed dam has previously whelped at least one other registered litter, and the application is supported by veterinary evidence as to the suitability of the bitch involved in the proposed whelping)
- The dam was under 1 year old at the time of mating
- The offspring are the result of any mating between father and daughter, mother and son or brother and sister, save in exceptional circumstances or for scientifically proven welfare reasons
- The dam has already had two litters delivered by caesarean section, save for scientifically proven welfare reasons, as long as the application is made prior to the mating
- The dam was not resident at a UK address at the date of whelping
- If either the dam or sire are endorsed with progeny not eligible for registration (i.e. that there is a restriction on file at The Kennel Club that prevents any puppies from being registered). Please refer to your owner certificate if you are unsure, the endorsement will be clearly displayed
The Kennel Club rules and regulations can be found in The Kennel Club Year Book.
What are the rules for naming of puppies?
There are several rules to follow regarding the naming of puppies:
- A name must consist of more than one word but not exceed 24 letters (including a kennel name)
- A name that conflicts with an approved current kennel name granted to another person will not be accepted
- A registered name cannot be repeated within a breed
- The surname of the applicant is not acceptable
- A word cannot be repeated when naming puppies
- If a kennel name is to be used when registering a litter, the kennel name must appear as the first word in the name
- Numbers in figures and initials are not acceptable and abbreviations may be disallowed
- Canine terms are not permissible e.g. 'dog', 'bitch', 'kennel', 'champion', 'Crufts' and specific names of breeds
Is there a time limit to register a puppy on the breed register?
There is no time limit. However, we advise that the breeder registers all the puppies in the litter at the same time, at approximately 4 weeks of age. This means that the documents can be received in time to pass them to the new owner, so they can then complete change of registered ownership.
Additions to a litter or registering a puppy over 12 months of age would be subject to a late registration fee of £80 per puppy and must be accompanied by a covering letter of explanation.
Colour and registration
When you register your puppies with The Kennel Club you must specify their colour. Each puppy is likely to be either a breed standard colour or a non-breed standard colour. You can find out more about what these are and check the lists of these colours on our Breeds A-Z.
If you can’t find your dog’s colour on either of these lists then you can find out what you should do on our ‘other’ colours page.
Endorsements
Registration endorsements are mainly used by breeders to protect breeding lines and for welfare protection. They're used to avoid breeding where there could be hereditary health issues and if onward breeding is not advisable
You can place an endorsement at the point of registration providing that the dog is in your physical possession. You can place an endorsement by completing the appropriate section on the form during the registration process. The breeder must advise any prospective new owner in writing that there is a restriction on the puppy prior to the puppy being collected. (Any such agreement must be in writing and signed by both the breeder and new owner). Details on endorsements can be found below under the heading 'information about Kennel Club endorsements'.
Currently The Kennel Club permits the use of two endorsements on registrations: progeny not eligible for registration and export pedigree not allowed. Neither of these endorsements prevents the dog from being bred from nor sent abroad, but does prevent any litters being registered with The Kennel Club and the dog from being registered by an overseas kennel club.
Find out more about endorsements.
How can I advertise on Find a Puppy?
We offer Find a Puppy to help you find suitable homes for your puppies.
The service cost starts at £20 and once your litter is registered and your advert will appear on our website for two months. You can request this service when applying for your litter, or after the litter has been registered through your online account.
Please note that if you own a vulnerable native breed then there is no cost to advertise on Find a Puppy. Find a Puppy is also free of charge to Assured Breeders.
I didn’t request to advertise my litter at the time of submitting my application. Is it now too late?
The Find a Puppy advert can be activated after the initial litter application is made. You can request this service and make payment over the phone.
Changing registration for new puppy buyers
Once your litter is registered you will receive a change of Kennel Club registered ownership form (form 6) for each individual puppy (this must be signed by all parties who own the puppy). Sign the reverse of this form and pass to the new owner to enable them to change The Kennel Club's registered ownership. Encourage the new owner to change the ownership of the puppy into their name as an official sign of commitment to the puppy’s well-being. Make sure you activate the free insurance cover for each puppy you sell. This insurance is only for the new owners of the puppy and doesn’t apply to puppies that the breeder chooses to keep. This cover can be activated up to 10 days before the puppy is collected by its new owner. Please note, if you are an Assured Breeder your discount will be applied at the review page before you make payment.
The Breed Record Supplement
The Breed Records Supplement (to the Stud Book) is a quarterly publication where all registration related applications are shown. Your puppies are automatically entered onto it when you register each one.
This includes:
- Litters
- Transfer or ownership
- Change of name
- Exported and imported dogs
- Health results
These are listed per breed and published per breed group. All applications entered on our database within each quarter make up each edition.
The supplement is available as a single copy or as a yearly subscription from our online shop.
Questions
My bitch has had two litters within a 12-month period. Can I register the litter?
We do not endorse this and would recommend that at least a year is given between litters. We do understand that sometimes accidents can happen or a bitch can have irregular seasons. In such circumstances, a second application will be accepted. Breeders who breed more than four litters per year must be licensed by their local authority. Breeders with fewer litters must also be licensed if they are carrying out a business of breeding dogs for sale.
According to The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, licence holders in England must ensure that no bitch:
- Is mated if aged less than 12 months
- Gives birth to more than one litter of puppies in a 12-month period
- Gives birth to more than six litters of puppies in total
- Is mated if she has had two litters delivered by caesarean section
Regulations may differ between nations. Please see our breeding regulations information page for more detail about which regulations apply.
My bitch is over 8 years of age, can I register puppies?
The Kennel Club will normally only register a litter out of a bitch that is over 8 years, provided prior permission has been granted by our Board.
To request permission, please complete the bitch over 8 permission form and submit with a letter from a veterinary surgeon confirming that the bitch is in good health. Once reviewed, we will advise if the application has been successful.
How do I register a litter if an overseas sire has been used?
When the sire is registered overseas, you need to provide us with a certified copy of the three-generation pedigree issued by the overseas kennel club. This will need to confirm the pedigree details and the current registered ownership. This needs to be sent with the litter application form. There is a fee to record the sire. If the dog in question has already been recorded, we require no fee or pedigree to be sent, unless the ownership has changed.
If the sire resides overseas, and is not already on our system, then you are unable to register the litter online.
We have used an overseas sire. Can we register the litter?
You will need to provide us with a certified copy of the Three Generation Pedigree issued by the overseas kennel club. This will need to confirm the pedigree details and the current registered ownership. We require this to be submitted with the litter application. There is a fee to record the sire. If the dog in question has already been recorded, we require no fee or pedigree to be sent, unless, the ownership has changed.
My bitch has had puppies overseas. How can I register?
If you reside outside of the UK, any litters whelped would be out of our jurisdiction. Please contact the kennel club of your country for advice on registrations.
Do you accept half brother and sister matings?
At present the only close matings we do not accept are:
- Father and daughter
- Mother and son
- Brother and sister
We therefore would accept half brother and sister matings, although it is always advisable to contact the breed club for breeding advice and also check our current breeding regulations prior to mating.
How old does a male dog have to be before he can sire a litter?
We do not have any age restrictions on using a dog for sire, although it is advisable to ensure that any relevant health tests have been completed before breeding. Read more about using your dog at stud.
What is the difference between a registration certificate and pedigree certificate?
Upon registering a litter of puppies, you will automatically receive a registration certificate for each puppy that has been registered. The pedigree certificate can either show three or five generations of the ancestry of the dog and can be likened to a family tree. It is an additional item to your registration.
Do my puppies need to be microchipped before registering?
Whilst it is a legal requirement for the breeder to microchip their puppies before they are 8 weeks old, The Kennel Club will still accept a litter application if the puppies have not yet been microchipped.
Can I register my crossbreed litter?
This application is for the registration of a litter on The Kennel Club Breed Register. However, you can apply to register your crossbreed puppies on the Activity Register.
How do I register an inter-variety litter?
An inter-variety mating is the breeding of dogs from two varieties of a breed. Examples include mating a Long-Coated Chihuahua with a Smooth Coated Chihuahua. These dogs are usually bred together to improve genetic diversity while keeping the predictability of the look and temperament of the puppies.
Applications to register the resulting puppies from an inter-variety mating must be made on a paper form (not online) and all enquiries regarding such matings should be directed to
Health and Breeder Services (The Kennel Club).
What should I do if I have used two sires?
If a bitch is served by more than one dog of the same breed as herself in the same heat, the identity of the correct sire each puppy in the litter must be established via DNA testing in order to register the resulting progeny. For further information about our DNA testing services, please visit this page of our website.