Anyone selling a litter of puppies deals with two sets of rules: the law, which fixes when a puppy may leave and how it must be registered, and the unwritten rules of a good placement, which decide whether the puppy still lives with the same family a year from now. This article covers both, in the order you meet them.
Before anything else, read how to breed a litter responsibly; the sale starts with the choice of parent dogs, not with the advert.
The hard minimum: 7 weeks
Puppies may not leave their mother before 7 weeks of age under article 1.20 of the Dutch Animal Keepers Decree (Besluit houders van dieren), and this applies to breeders and private owners alike. Most breeders keep puppies until 8 weeks, because the last week with the mother and littermates does a lot for bite inhibition and confidence. Put a collection date in your advert that fits; a puppy "available from 6 weeks" makes an informed buyer walk away.
Chip, I&R and UBN before the sale
RVO requires puppies to be microchipped no later than 7 weeks after birth, registered with an approved portal within one week of chipping, and to have an EU pet passport no later than 7 weeks after birth. For that you need a UBN (unique location number) in advance; even a one-off litter requires one, requested as a non-commercial dog keeper. How registration works and what a buyer may check is explained in microchipping, registration and the dog passport.
If you have bred, sold, delivered or taken in more than 20 dogs or cats in any consecutive 12 months, RVO treats that as a strong indication that you operate commercially. With 20 or fewer, the inspector still looks at other indications, such as selling to people other than family and friends or having specially fitted rooms. Commercial keepers register their pet location, have a manager with proof of competence and meet housing requirements.
Vaccinations and deworming
The first vaccination is often given while the puppies are still with their mother, and according to the LICG puppies from commercial breeders must be vaccinated against parvo and distemper before 7 weeks. Puppies are usually also dewormed several times before leaving the nest. State exactly which vaccinations were given on which date and hand over the booklet; the dog vaccination schedule shows what the new owner still has to do.
What belongs in your advert
- Breed or cross, date of birth and the collection date.
- Photos of the puppies and of the mother in familiar surroundings. No photo of the mother is the biggest warning sign for buyers.
- The number of males and females, and the price per puppy.
- Health tests of the parents and the pedigree, if there is one.
- Chip numbers per puppy once they are chipped.
- How the litter grows up: indoors, with children, with which sounds and experiences. See socialising a puppy without overwhelming them.
The price
A fair price covers the real cost of a good litter: health screening of the parents, stud fee, vet, vaccinations, chips, food and time. Work it out before naming a figure and do not undercut the market just to move the puppies quickly; a strikingly low price attracts exactly the buyers you do not want. Buyers also read what a dog costs, so expect questions about what the price includes.
Choose buyers instead of accepting them
Ask questions before planning a visit: family situation, working hours, experience with dogs, where the puppy will sleep. Let candidates visit the litter and meet the mother. Never hand over a puppy in a car park or to someone you have not spoken to. On Nestjes, contact runs through the chat so you can select first and share your address later, and interested people join a waiting list per litter.
The handover
At the handover the puppy takes along its EU pet passport with chip number and vaccinations, a sales contract with both names, chip number, price and date, and some food for the first days. Deregister the puppy with your portal and pass on the registration number or safe code; the new keeper registers the puppy with a portal within 2 weeks of purchase and needs no UBN for that. Selling an adult dog rather than a puppy? See selling or rehoming your own dog.
Offering a litter yourself?
The selling puppies page summarises the rules and lets you post an advert for free, with a waiting list and reservations per puppy.
Sources
- Besluit houders van dieren, article 1.20 (minimum age for separating animals) (accessed September 2026)
- RVO – A one-off litter of puppies (accessed September 2026)
- RVO – Owning, buying or selling a dog (accessed September 2026)
- RVO – Keeping pets commercially (accessed September 2026)
- LICG – Vaccinating your dog (accessed September 2026)
