Dog Breeding Checklist: Pre-Breeding to 8-Week Placement

Most first litters do not fail because of bad luck. They fail because the breeder skipped a step they could have measured. This dog breeding checklist is the step-by-step version of the AKC's responsible breeding guidance. Every item below is either a published standard or a number you can check. The checklists run in order, from the day you decide to breed through the day puppies leave at 8 weeks.

If you have not picked a breed yet, the best age to breed a dog post has the breed-by- breed age table. If you have picked a breed, the German Shepherd breeding guide walks through the same checklist from start to finish for one breed.

What is the complete dog breeding checklist?

The checklist breaks into 6 phases. Phase 1 (health clearances) takes the longest. Phase 2 (cycle timing) is the easiest to get wrong. Phase 6 (placement) is where most first-time breeders cut corners. Each phase has its own card below.

What pre-breeding health tests should be done?

Pre-breeding testing is the line between a planned breeding and an accidental one. The OFA Canine Health Information Center publishes the exact tests required for each breed. Most breeds need 4 core tests plus 1 to 3 breed-specific ones. The full panel takes 6 to 12 months because OFA hip and elbow scores cannot be final until the dog is past 24 months. Start the testing the day you decide to breed.

Brucellosis gets its own callout because skipping the test is the most common mistake first-time breeders make. AKC guidance and Cornell's testing protocol both call for a PCR within 30 days of every breeding for both stud and dam, with stud dogs re-tested every year. Brucella canis spreads between dogs and to humans, has no cure, and positive dogs cannot be safely bred.

How do you time mating with progesterone testing?

Getting the timing wrong by 48 hours is the most common reason a mating fails to produce puppies. The fertile window inside a heat cycle is only 4 to 7 days, and it is centered on the day she ovulates. A progesterone blood test at the vet is the only reliable way to find that day. AKC guidance and the Merck Vet Manual both define ovulation as the moment progesterone crosses 5 ng/mL.

For natural matings, two breedings 48 hours apart will cover the fertile window safely. Frozen-semen artificial insemination uses different timing: breed 5 days after the LH hormone surge, when the eggs are ready to be fertilized. For the age window that goes with this timing protocol on your breed, see the best age to breed a dog guide. It has a reference table covering 50 breeds.

Whelping prep: the 7-day countdown

The week before whelping is when missing supplies turn into emergencies. The dam's rectal temperature is the most reliable signal that labor is about to start. Her normal temperature is 101 to 102.5F. When it drops to 98F or below, contractions will begin within 24 hours. Everything in the countdown below should be done before that drop happens.

The whelping kit list comes from Revival Animal Health's breeder supply guidance. The 1F temperature drop signal is also confirmed by VCA Animal Hospitals. For flat-faced breeds (Bulldogs, Frenchies, Pugs), book a planned C-section that week instead of waiting for natural labor.

What are the signs of dystocia and when do you call the vet?

Dystocia means a difficult or stalled birth. Cornell's veterinary college and Purina ProClub's dystocia overview both call it an emergency every time. Even with a C-section, 13 to 20 percent of puppies in a dystocia case do not survive, so there is no wait-and-see option. If you see any of the flags below, call your vet right away.

Normal labor has three stages. Stage 1 (restlessness, panting, nesting) lasts 6 to 12 hours. Stage 2 (the dam actively pushing puppies out) runs from 30 minutes to several hours. Stage 3 is the placenta coming out, and the dam usually delivers one placenta after each puppy. Rest gaps up to 2 hours between puppies are normal. Anything longer than 2 hours is on the red-flag list above, and you should call the vet.

From newborn week 0 to placement at week 8

The 8 weeks between birth and placement run on a tight schedule of weight checks, deworming, vaccines, and the socialization window that opens around week 3. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) published a literature review on socialization that explains why puppies need to stay with their dam and littermates until at least 8 weeks. Many US states also require an 8-week minimum by law.

Weeks 5 and 6 are when socialization moves from passive (sights, sounds, new surfaces) to active (handling, new people, new objects). The full guide to this period is the puppy socialization guide. Skipping it produces dogs who fail temperament tests at 12 months. Weeks 7 and 8 are the vet check, microchip, registry paperwork, and the new-owner packet.

How do you place puppies responsibly?

Placement is where a real breeder is different from a seller. A real breeder screens every buyer in writing, signs a spay/neuter agreement for pet-quality puppies, and keeps a return clause so a puppy can always come back. The checklist below is the standard application package used by AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. breeders.

If you list puppies on Petmeetly, the platform handles the buyer-facing parts: a verified profile, breed listing, location filter, and direct messaging. See how the breeding side works or browse the breeding directory to find studs and dams already on the platform.

Responsible breeding is something you can plan, not something you gamble on. Every item in the checklists above comes from a published guideline at OFA, AKC, AVMA, Cornell, or the Merck Vet Manual. Work through them in order, and ask your vet anything you are not sure about. If you run the checks before mating, most problems with a first litter show up early, where you can still do something about them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you do before breeding your dog?

Before breeding, complete the OFA CHIC tests required for your breed (typically hips, elbows, cardiac, CAER eye exam, and a breed-specific DNA panel), run a brucellosis PCR on both dogs within 30 days of breeding, confirm the dam is at least on her second heat cycle and skeletally mature for her breed size, and have a stocked whelping kit and a vet on call before mating happens. Skipping any of these is the most common reason first litters fail.

How long is a dog's gestation period?

The average canine gestation is 63 days counted from ovulation, with a normal range of 58 to 68 days when counted from the breeding date. Ovulation timing makes the 63-day estimate accurate; calendar-counting from a single breeding date is not. A pre-whelp X-ray around day 55 confirms puppy count and position before labor begins.

What supplies do you need for whelping?

A whelping box railed to prevent crushing, a digital rectal thermometer, a bulb syringe, hemostats, blunt-tip surgical scissors, unwaxed dental floss, iodine, a heating pad that holds 85 degrees Fahrenheit ambient, a puppy gram scale, towels, puppy milk replacer, and calcium gluconate for slowing contractions. Have your vet's emergency number and a pre-paid C-section budget ready before the dam goes into labor.

When can puppies leave their mother?

Puppies should stay with their dam and littermates until at least 8 weeks of age. The AVMA literature review on socialization confirms 8 weeks as the earliest behaviorally safe placement age. Earlier placement increases bite inhibition failures, fear-based aggression, and resource-guarding issues that show up months later. Many US states also require an 8-week minimum by law.

How do you know if your dog is ready to breed?

The dam is ready when she is past her first heat cycle (typically the second or third, 18 to 24 months depending on breed size), has passed every OFA CHIC test required for her breed, has a negative brucellosis PCR within the last 30 days, and her progesterone has crossed 5 ng/mL signaling ovulation. Breed 2 days after the 5 ng/mL marker, not the day of, because the eggs need 48 to 72 hours to mature.