Pupnex Breeder Standards

• Puppies must be raised in a home or kennel environment that meets their physical, behavioural, and social needs
• Bitches must not be mated before their second season or before 12 months of age
• Bitches must not produce more litters than is consistent with their long-term health and welfare
• Puppies must remain with their mother for a minimum of eight weeks
• Puppies must be adequately socialised before leaving — exposed to a range of sounds, environments, people and experiences appropriate for their age
• Breeders must be able to demonstrate they have the time, knowledge and facilities to raise healthy, well-adjusted puppies

• Parent dogs must have received health tests appropriate and recognised for the breed — such as hip scoring, eye testing, or DNA screening for known hereditary conditions
• Puppies must receive at least their first vaccination before leaving, with a written vaccination record provided to the buyer
• Puppies must be microchipped and the chip registered, in accordance with applicable legislation in the seller's jurisdiction
• A written vet-issued health certificate or records must accompany the puppy
• Breeders must be transparent about any known health issues in the puppy's lineage
• A signed purchase agreement or sales receipt must be provided at the time of sale

• All information submitted to Pupnex must be accurate and complete at the time of submission
• Breeder contact details must be genuine — Pupnex may verify these before listing
• Puppy photographs must be genuine images of the actual puppy or litter being listed
• Price, availability, and breed information must be accurate and kept up to date
• Breeders must notify Pupnex when a puppy is sold or when listing information changes
• Breeders must not misrepresent the breed, parentage, health status, or origin of any puppy

• Breeders in England must comply with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 if they meet the licensing threshold
• Lucy's Law applies in England (2020), Scotland (2021) and Wales (2021) — puppies may only be sold directly by the breeder or through a rescue organisation
• Breeders in Northern Ireland must comply with the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011
• Breeders in Ireland must comply with the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and register with their local authority if applicable
• All puppies sold in Ireland must comply with microchip registration requirements under the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015 (Ireland)
• Pupnex may request evidence of compliance with applicable legislation and reserves the right to decline or remove listings that do not meet these requirements

• Breeders must not pressure buyers to make a decision quickly or pay a deposit before meeting the puppy
• Buyers must be permitted to visit the puppy in the environment where it was raised, and to see it with its mother
• Breeders must answer buyer questions honestly about the puppy's health, behaviour, and circumstances
• A cooling-off period or clear returns policy should be discussed with buyers before sale
• Breeders should be willing to provide ongoing support and advice to buyers after the puppy goes home
• Breeders must not discriminate unlawfully in who they sell to

Review and enforcement

Pupnex reviews every listing before it goes live. We may ask for supporting documentation and reserve the right to decline or remove any listing that does not meet these standards, contains inaccurate information, or raises welfare concerns.

If you have concerns about a listing — whether as a buyer or a fellow breeder — you can report it using the "Report this listing" link on any listing page. We investigate all reports.

These standards may be updated. The version on this page reflects our current requirements.