1. Welfare Comes First

Breeders must place the physical and emotional welfare of their dogs and puppies ahead of convenience or financial considerations.

Dogs should receive:

• Clean and safe living conditions
• Appropriate food and continuous access to clean drinking water
• Appropriate exercise and enrichment
• Regular human interaction and socialization
• Protection from extreme weather and unsafe temperatures
• Appropriate grooming and hygiene
• Veterinary attention when illness, injury or other health concerns arise

Dogs must not be housed in conditions that cause unnecessary pain, distress, fear, injury or prolonged discomfort.

2. Responsible Breeding

Breeding should be undertaken thoughtfully and with consideration for the health, temperament and welfare of both the parents and the puppies produced.

Breeders are expected to:

• Breed only dogs that are physically and temperamentally suitable for breeding.
• Consider known hereditary and breed-related health conditions when planning a breeding.
• Avoid breeding practices that knowingly create an unreasonable risk of serious inherited disease or compromised quality of life.
• Provide breeding females with appropriate veterinary care, nutrition and recovery time.
• Consider the female’s age, health, previous pregnancies, deliveries and overall physical condition before every breeding.
• Seek veterinary guidance when there are concerns about whether a dog should be bred.
• Retire breeding dogs when continued breeding would no longer be in the dog’s best interests.

The health and welfare of an individual dog should always take priority over producing another litter.

3. Health Testing

Responsible breeding includes understanding the health conditions that may affect the breed or breeds involved.

Breeders should complete appropriate health screening for their breeding dogs based on veterinary advice and recognized breed-specific recommendations.

Depending on the breed, this may include testing or evaluation for conditions affecting:

• Hips
• Elbows
• Patellas
• Eyes
• Heart
• Respiratory function
• Genetic diseases
• Other known hereditary conditions

Breeders should be prepared to explain what health testing has been completed and make relevant results available to prospective puppy owners.

A DNA breed identification test is not the same as comprehensive breed-specific health testing.

4. Veterinary Care

Dogs and puppies must receive appropriate veterinary care.

Breeders should maintain a relationship with a licensed veterinarian and seek veterinary attention when a dog or puppy shows signs of illness, injury or distress.

Puppies should receive age-appropriate preventative veterinary care based on veterinary recommendations and the requirements applicable in the breeder’s location.

Any known health condition that could reasonably affect a puppy’s future care should be disclosed to the prospective owner before placement.

5. Pregnancy & Whelping

Pregnant and nursing dogs require additional care.

Breeders should provide:

• Appropriate nutrition
• A clean, secure and comfortable whelping environment
• Regular monitoring
• Access to veterinary care when required
• A quiet area where the mother can care for her puppies
• Appropriate recovery following pregnancy and nursing

Breeders should have a plan for obtaining emergency veterinary assistance if complications occur during pregnancy or delivery.

A history of difficult pregnancies, Caesarean sections or other reproductive complications should be considered carefully with a veterinarian before the dog is bred again.

6. Puppy Development & Socialization

Early experiences can have a lasting effect on a puppy.

Puppies should be raised in an environment that provides appropriate opportunities for normal physical, behavioural and social development.

As appropriate for their age, puppies should gradually experience:

• Gentle human handling
• Normal household or environmental sounds
• Different safe surfaces and surroundings
• Age-appropriate play
• Positive interaction with people
• Interaction with their mother and littermates
• Gradual introduction to everyday experiences

Socialization should always be appropriate for the puppy’s age, health and vaccination status.

7. Minimum Placement Age

Puppies listed through Pupify must not leave for their new homes before eight weeks of age.

Where provincial, territorial, state or local law requires a later placement age, the breeder must follow the applicable law.

Breeders should also consider the individual puppy’s development and veterinary advice when deciding whether a puppy is ready to leave.

Eight weeks is a minimum—not a requirement that every puppy leave at exactly eight weeks.

8. Safe & Clean Living Environment

Dogs and puppies must be housed in an environment appropriate for their age, breed, size and physical needs.

Living areas should:

• Be kept reasonably clean and dry
• Provide adequate room for normal movement
• Provide comfortable resting and sleeping areas
• Protect dogs from hazardous weather and temperatures
• Provide appropriate ventilation
• Be free from dangerous objects and preventable hazards
• Allow appropriate exercise and normal behaviour

Crates may be used appropriately for training, transportation, recovery and temporary confinement, but should not be used as permanent living accommodation.

9. Nutrition & Water

Dogs must have access to clean drinking water and receive nutritionally appropriate food in quantities suitable for their age, size, activity level and physical condition.

Pregnant and nursing females and growing puppies have additional nutritional requirements that should be considered with veterinary guidance.

10. Honest Listings

Pupify listings must accurately represent the puppy, dog and breeder.

Breeders must not knowingly:

• Misrepresent a puppy’s breed, parentage, age, sex or health.
• Use photographs of another breeder’s puppies or dogs as though they were their own.
• Conceal known significant health conditions.
• Falsify health tests, veterinary records, registrations or pedigrees.
• Claim certifications, registrations or credentials they do not possess.
• Advertise a puppy as registered or registrable when that representation is knowingly false.

Photos should represent the actual puppy or litter whenever the listing suggests that a particular puppy is being offered.

11. Documentation

Breeders should maintain appropriate records for their dogs and litters.

When applicable, puppy owners should receive documentation relevant to their puppy, which may include:

• Veterinary records
• Vaccination records
• Parasite prevention or treatment records
• Microchip information
• Registration documents
• Health-testing information
• Sales or placement agreement
• Feeding information
• Basic care instructions

Documents provided to buyers must be authentic and must not intentionally misrepresent the puppy or its history.

12. Puppy Placement

Responsible breeding does not end when a puppy is born.

Breeders should make reasonable efforts to determine whether a prospective home is appropriate for the puppy.

This may include discussing:

• Household and lifestyle
• Experience with dogs
• Children and other pets
• Housing
• Activity expectations
• Grooming requirements
• Expected adult size and temperament
• Financial responsibility associated with dog ownership

The goal is not to find the fastest home. It is to find an appropriate home.

13. Transparency With Puppy Families

Prospective owners should have an opportunity to ask reasonable questions about the puppy, parents and breeding program.

Breeders should be prepared to discuss:

• The puppy’s parents
• Health testing performed
• Known breed-related health concerns
• Temperament
• How puppies are raised
• Socialization practices
• Veterinary care received
• Registration, if applicable
• Contract terms
• What support is available after placement

Pupify encourages prospective owners to ask questions and conduct their own research before making a commitment.

14. Contracts & Deposits

Breeders are encouraged to use clear written agreements.

Before accepting a deposit or final payment, breeders should clearly communicate important terms including:

• What the payment covers
• Whether a deposit is refundable
• Circumstances under which a refund may or may not be provided
• Pickup or transportation arrangements
• Health guarantees, if offered
• Registration terms, if applicable
• Breeding or non-breeding conditions, if applicable
• Return or rehoming provisions

Pupify does not determine private contract terms between buyers and sellers, but information presented through Pupify must not be intentionally misleading.

15. Lifetime Responsibility

Responsible breeders recognize that circumstances sometimes change.

Breeders are strongly encouraged to remain available as a resource to the families who obtain their puppies.

When reasonably possible, breeders should assist if a dog they produced needs to be rehomed or can no longer remain with its original family.

Dogs should never knowingly be abandoned or placed into unsafe circumstances.

16. Compliance With Local Laws

Animal welfare, breeding, licensing, sales, transportation and consumer-protection requirements differ across Canada and the United States.

Breeders are responsible for understanding and complying with the laws that apply where they live and operate.

This may include:

• Federal requirements
• Provincial or territorial legislation
• State legislation
• Municipal or county bylaws
• Breeder or kennel licensing
• Import and export requirements
• Veterinary documentation requirements
• Consumer-protection laws
• Animal transportation requirements

Meeting Pupify’s Code does not replace a breeder’s legal obligations.

17. Respectful Conduct

Pupify is intended to support a respectful dog community.

Members are expected to communicate honestly and professionally with prospective owners, other breeders, dog professionals and the Pupify community.

Harassment, intentional deception, fraudulent documentation or deliberate misrepresentation may result in content removal or restrictions on use of the platform.

18. Reporting Welfare Concerns

Pupify encourages members to report listings or activity that appear to violate Pupify policies.

Where there is an immediate animal welfare concern, suspected neglect or suspected cruelty, users should contact the appropriate animal welfare or law-enforcement authority in their jurisdiction.

Pupify is not an animal welfare enforcement agency and cannot replace veterinary professionals, animal protection organizations or government authorities.

Our Goal

Pupify is not here to decide who is a “perfect breeder.”

Our goal is to encourage transparency, responsible practices and better-informed decisions while keeping the welfare of dogs at the centre of the Pupify community.

Responsible breeding means continuing to learn, making thoughtful decisions and being accountable for the dogs brought into the world.

Healthy dogs. Responsible choices. Better connections.