Dog breeder records and limits by state

Each state sets its own rules for what breeders must record and how often a bitch can be bred. WhelpHQ’s Compliance Record turns the records you already keep into one PDF laid out for your state.

Queensland

• The code of practice for breeding dogs applies to every breeder, including breeders exempt from registration and owners of an unplanned litter. It covers housing, exercise, food and water, care, handling and record keeping.
• Breeders who keep 5 or more breeding females must record, within 7 days, each breeding dog’s name, date of birth, parents and microchip number, each mating (with the other dog’s name and microchip number), whelpings, puppies born alive and stillborn, illness, vet approvals and treatment, and any death and its cause.
• Keep those records for 3 years after the dog was last bred, or stopped being kept for breeding.
• A bitch may only be bred if she’s physically mature, fit and healthy, or a vet approves it in writing.
• The state sets no limit on dogs or litters, but your council may limit how many dogs you keep.

New South Wales

• Every breeder must record each delivery within 14 days: the date, whether it was a caesarean, the vet and practice for a caesarean, and a copy of any vet approval. Keep these for at least 3 years.
• A bitch can have no more than 5 deliveries in her life, no more than 3 of them by caesarean, and none after a third caesarean. After 2 caesareans, any further pregnancy needs a vet’s written approval.
• No more than 20 undesexed female dogs over 6 months old on one property. Breeders who had more on 24 October 2024 may hold an exemption, which is capped at 50 from 1 December 2026 and ends in December 2035.
• You need at least one person over 14 for every 20 dogs, counting each litter aged 12 weeks or younger as one dog.
• If you breed dogs for sale (other than a one-off accidental litter), you must also follow the NSW Breeding Code. It adds records for every dog (microchip, desexing, vaccinations and litters, kept for 3 years after the dog stops breeding), no mating before 12 months old, and no more than 2 litters in 2 years without a vet’s written approval. From 1 December 2029 the code applies to every breeder who needs a BIN.

Victoria

• With 1 or 2 fertile females (a microbreeder), you don’t need council business registration, but you still need a source number to advertise or microchip a litter.
• Breeding members of an approved organisation, such as Dogs Victoria, can keep up to 10 fertile females under their organisation’s code without council business registration. They still enrol on the Pet Exchange Register.
• Otherwise, with 3 or more fertile females you must register with your council as a domestic animal business and follow the Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Businesses. From 11 fertile females you also need Ministerial approval as a commercial dog breeder, and 50 is the limit.
• That code requires a record for every animal from birth (microchip, health, vaccinations and parasite treatment), each female’s matings and litters (including how many puppies were alive at 8 weeks), and who each dog went to. Keep records for at least 5 years after the animal is sold, given away or dies.
• Under that code, a female’s first mating must be at 12 months or older after a vet check, and she can have no more than 5 litters in her life.
• Every breeder, including microbreeders, must follow the code of practice on breeding animals with heritable defects that cause disease.

Tasmania

• A bitch can’t be mated until after her first season. Without a vet’s written determination, she can have no more than 5 litters in her life and can’t be mated after 7 years old.
• A breeding bitch needs a vet health check after her last litter is weaned and before she’s mated again, or at least once a year.
• Before she whelps, get your vet’s advice on what a normal birth looks like for her. During whelping, check her at least every 2 hours, and contact a vet if there’s no progress within 2 hours of straining.
• A facility must keep records. That includes premises of an organisation with 3 or more undesexed bitches over 6 months old that sells dogs, and premises used mainly for breeding dogs. Keep a record of every dog for 3 years after it’s rehomed or dies, and record every whelping on the day it happens (also kept 3 years).
• These rules are in the Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2026, in force since 19 August 2026.

Your Compliance Record in WhelpHQ

If your kennel profile’s State / Territory is Queensland, NSW, Victoria or Tasmania, WhelpHQ can make a Breeding Dog Compliance Record. It’s a PDF with a cover page setting out your state’s rules, then a page for each of your current dogs: microchip, parents, DNA results, written vet approvals, treatments given by a vet and health events, plus each female’s matings and litters, including puppy deaths before 8 weeks.

1. 1Go to Reports and choose Compliance Record as the Report Type.
2. 2Tap Download PDF Report.

It covers every dog you currently have, with everything on record for each one, whatever dates are set. Dogs that have left aren’t included. For a single dog, tap Export compliance record (the page icon) on its page.