Do Puppies Have To Be Vaccinated Before Selling UK?

It is not a legal requirement that puppies need to be vaccinated before being sold. A good breeder will usually vaccinate with at least the first vaccination before they rehome any of their puppies. However, this is not always the case due to the difference in vaccinations from vet to vet. 

It is worth noting the vet that was used for the first one and getting the second vaccination done at the same practice. If your vet uses a different vaccine brand, it can render the first one useless, and the whole process will need to be completed again, which is why some breeders choose not to vaccinate at all.

Why do I need to vaccinate my new puppy?

Vaccinating your puppy is the most important thing to do. Like babies, puppies are prone to catching lots of harmful diseases, and vaccinations will protect against them. Vaccinating your puppy doesn’t just protect your puppy. It also protects other people’s.

When should puppies be vaccinated?

Your puppy will typically need to be vaccinated around eight to ten weeks of age, but they can be vaccinated much earlier at four-six weeks. There is usually a two week waiting period between the first and the second vaccine. Your puppy will usually require a booster vaccination at around six months to a year old.

One other thing to think about is if you will require your puppy to participate in any activities where there is likely to be other dogs, such as puppy classes or boarding kennels. These types of places will require proof that your new puppy is up to date on all vaccinations before they are accepted.

What diseases will the usual vaccinations protect against?

Parvovirus: parvovirus is a highly infectious disease that can be fatal to your new puppy; it is also very expensive to treat if your puppy does catch it. Parvo is spread through contaminated faeces of other infected dogs and causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Your puppy will become very weak and dehydrated. 

Canine distemper 

Canine distemper is a virus that is spread by a dog’s saliva and sometimes urine. It is contracted from direct contact via an infected dog. Early symptoms of canine distemper can include fever, eye and nose discharge, poor appetite, and coughing. Once it takes hold, symptoms can include vomiting and diarrhoea, and it can also cause the paw pads’ skin to harden. 

In the later stages of contracting the virus, the central nervous system can be affected, causing seizures, limb weakness, and poor balance. Severe cases can be fatal, and if your dog does recover, it may suffer ongoing health problems. 

Leptospirosis 

Leptospirosis is a severe and life-threatening disease that can progress very quickly, leading to organ failure. Like canine distemper, it is also spread through the urine of infected animals. Leptospirosis enters the body through the eyes, nose, mouth, or via broken skin. 

Symptoms of Leptospirosis can include excessive thirst, fever, vomiting, muscle pain, and infertility. This disease can also infect humans. 

Adenovirus 1 and 2

Adenovirus is a viral disease with two strains; the first causes hepatitis. Hepatitis is an infection of the liver, also known as Infectious Canine Hepatitis. 

The second strain is a type of kennel cough and causes a respiratory illness. Both are transmitted through saliva, urine, faeces, blood, or the nasal discharge of infected dogs. 

Canine parainfluenza 

Canine parainfluenza is a highly contagious and airborne respiratory infection. Canine parainfluenza is similar to a cold, and It is not usually a severe condition for dogs if they do contract it, but it is something we still vaccinate against.

Do I need a dog breeding license in the UK?

If you plan on having more than two litters in a year, you will need a dog breeding license. Up to two litters is classed as hobby breeding, and for this, you do not need a licence.

Do puppies have to be microchipped before selling the UK?

Yes, a new law has been brought in that requires all breeders to microchip their puppies before they are rehomed. It is then your responsibility to change ownership once you purchase your new puppy. There may be a fee to do this. It is important that you keep the details on the microchip up to date; for example, if you move home, if your dog is lost or stolen, a quick scan of the chip will easily locate you. If the chip isn’t up to date, then you will be challenging to find.

When can puppies be sold in the UK?

Puppies can only be sold when they reach eight weeks old and no sooner. It is illegal to sell a puppy before eight weeks, and you should not buy one if it is younger than eight weeks old. A puppy will learn valuable behaviour lessons from its mum, and taking it away too early can lead to temperament issues.

Is it illegal to sell puppies without papers?

Not all puppies come with papers. You can only register a puppy if it is a pedigree; if you buy a mixed breed puppy, they will not come with papers as you cannot register a mixed breed dog. 

Beware of breeders who sell pedigree dogs without papers. It could mean they are over-breeding and cannot register the litter because they have bred from the bitch too many times. Selling a pedigree puppy without papers is an unscrupulous way of breeding, and therefore you should avoid buying a puppy from a registered breeder who doesn’t supply you with papers.

What questions should I ask when buying a puppy?

There are lots of questions you should ask when buying a puppy, for example;

• Can I see the mum and dad?
• Are there any behavioural issues with the mum and dad?
• How old is the mum and how many litters has she had?
• Do they have any health problems?
• Have the parents been health checked, 
• What are their eye, hip and elbow scores?
• Did they breed the puppy themselves?
• Where are the puppies being kept?
• Do they come with papers?
• Are there any restrictions on the papers?
• How old is the puppy?
• Has the puppy been vet checked?
• Have they been vaccinated, wormed and deflead?
• Has the puppy been microchipped?
• What type of food is the puppy eating?
• Is the puppy being socialised?
• Can I return the puppy if I can no longer take care of it?

The breeder should also ask you lots of questions too. If the breeder is not interested in you or where you will be keeping the puppy, this is a sign you are about to purchase a puppy from a puppy farm. 

Puppy farmers are only interested in the money they make from their puppies’ sale; they don’t care about the puppy’s health or well-being. Puppies that come from puppy farms are usually kept in deplorable conditions, and they are not health tested or even taken to the vet for a check-up. There are many horror stories online that you can research yourself, from real people who have unknowingly bought a puppy from a puppy farm.

How do I know I’m buying from a puppy farm?

The first thing that usually gives away a puppy farm is there will be lots of different breeds of puppies, genuine breeders usually only breed one specific type of dog, maybe two. Puppy farmers will usually have lots of other breeds and lots of litters for sale.

A puppy that is younger than eight weeks old. The legal age for selling a puppy is eight weeks old; puppies take up valuable space so they will want to get rid as quickly as possible.

The mum and day are not available to view. This should be the most significant warning sign when buying a puppy. Many puppies are smuggled into the country illegally and sold by unscrupulous people to earn money. Never buy a puppy without seeing the puppy with the mother.

They won’t allow you to see where the puppies are being kept. There is a reason for this, and that’s because the conditions they are being kept in are so horrible that they don’t want you to see it. 

They want to deliver the puppy to you instead of you collecting. This is probably one of the worst decisions people make when buying a puppy. Where did it come from? Where is the mother? Is it the puppy you ordered?

Getting a puppy delivered without seeing where it came from is madness; you have no idea what you will end up with. The health costs from buying a sickly puppy can mount up so fast. What started as a cute little addition to the family could end up costing you your house, to pay for treatment.

Should puppies be vet checked before buying?

Yes, the puppies should be seen by a vet more than once, at best once after the birth and once before they are going to be sold. You should always book a full check-up with the vet once you purchase your new puppy just to be sure they are healthy and doing everything they should be. If the breeder hasn’t taken them to the vet, then this should raise alarm bells.

How do you tell if a puppy is healthy before you buy it?

Puppies should be doing all of the usual puppy behaviours. Playing, running around, chewing toys etc. they will typically be happy to eat and drink; if the puppy is not eating or drinking or If the puppy is lethargic, vomiting, diarrhoea, or just wants to sleep, you know you have a problem. Many people unknowingly purchase a puppy from a puppy farm and end up with a sick puppy. 

It is essential to add that puppies can have a bout of diarrhoea when they switch food, so you must make the switch very slowly to avoid any unwanted side effects. The breeder will usually give you a small amount of the food they typically feed them so that you can either carry on using the same or have enough to make the switch to a new one.