Program Management
Breeder Record Keeping: What to Track for Every Dog, Litter and Puppy
Updated September 6, 2026 · 7 min read · By the BreedBloom team
Good records are the difference between a breeder who knows and one who remembers. They also happen to be what registries, kennel clubs, insurers and tax authorities ask for. Here is the minimum set, organised by what it is attached to.
Per dog
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Identity: registration, microchip, DNA profile, photos.
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Health: vaccinations, parasite control, illnesses, surgeries, medications, weight over time.
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Health testing: OFA/PennHIP/CAER/cardiac results with numbers and dates; DNA panels.
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Reproduction: heat dates, progesterone results, breedings with method and partner, pregnancies and outcomes, semen collections.
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Titles, evaluations and temperament notes.
Per litter
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Sire and dam, breeding dates and method, ovulation date.
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Pregnancy confirmation, radiograph count.
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Whelping: start and end times, each birth time, presentation, complications, placentas.
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Dam's post-whelping care.
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Litter-wide protocols: ENS/ESI, deworming schedule, vaccinations, socialization exposures.
Per puppy
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Identification from birth (collar colour, then microchip).
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Birth weight and the full weight curve.
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Individual health events and vet checks.
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Temperament evaluation.
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Placement: family, contract, deposit and payments, registration type, go-home date, packet.
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Post-placement updates and any returns.
Program finances
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Income by litter and by puppy.
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Expenses by category: veterinary, health testing, stud fees, food, supplies, registrations, marketing, travel.
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Deposits held versus earned.
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Mileage and home-use allocations if you claim them.
Registry requirements
Many registries require breeders to keep records of every dog owned, bred, sold or transferred for a set number of years, including identification, dates and the other party's name and address. Check your registry's current rule and keep at least that long.
Paper, spreadsheet or software
Paper fails at retrieval. Spreadsheets fail at relationships: the weight is not connected to the puppy, which is not connected to the litter, which is not connected to the family. Purpose-built software keeps the links, which is what makes a record useful three years later when a family asks about a sibling's hip result. BreedBloom is built around exactly those relationships: dogs, litters, puppies, families and finances in one connected record, exportable at any time.
Frequently asked questions
How long should breeders keep records?
Long enough to satisfy your registry (often 5 years or more for ownership and transfer records) and your tax authority. Health and pedigree records are worth keeping for the life of the dog and its descendants.
What records does the AKC require breeders to keep?
The AKC requires records identifying each dog owned, bred, sold or transferred, including breeding dates, litter details and the names and addresses of the parties, for a minimum of five years. Confirm current requirements directly with the AKC.
Run your program on BreedBloom
Dogs, litters, puppy weights, ENS/ESI tasks, waitlists, contracts and go-home packets in one connected record, with a family portal built in. Free for up to 3 dogs.
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