Can anyone point me in the direction of the rules/guidelines for the ABS, specificially about health testing and litter ages to go home

TIA

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/203

This might be what you need.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/accreditedbreederscheme

Dawn R.

Doh, posting at the same time Jane.

Thanks, but I can't find a definate guideline on when to home pups? Is there one, or is it breeder discretion?

I would say it varies by breed. 

With my breed from 7 weeks is best, I start letting mine go the weekend after they re 7 weeks.

In some toy breeds pups should not leave the breeder until 12 weeks, so no one size fits all for this.

I was told the KC put a minimum of 8 weeks but I can't find any definate info on that. Have seen ABS pups go from 6 weeks onwards which is why I was wondering if such a definate time exsisted or not.

From what i understand...

Everything set out by the ABS at the moment is meerly a sugestion and not a definiative requirement. the scheme is in its infancy at the moment and when it becomes more reliabe than meaning more than suggestions on a piece of paper people will have to take more notice.

> I was told the KC put a minimum of 8 weeks but I can't find any definate info on that. Have seen ABS pups go from 6 weeks onwards which is why I was wondering if such a definate time exsisted or not.

I definitely thought the same as you.  And find it difficult to believe that people let KC pups go at 6 weeks!  All that valuable time lost when mum is helping to teach them.

I insure my pups with Petplan when they go, and I am positive that part of their code of ethics says KC pups should not leave until 8 weeks.  For some reason, I am sure that it would invalidate the insurance.  Of course, I stand corrected if I'm wrong.

But 6 weeks!  :-(

Hi Jean,

You are right re pet plan, we had this debate a while ago, vets can insure pups from 6 weeks with petplan as long as they have a full health check but we as breeders (when I rang pet plan) cannot until 8 weeks. This may have changed since last year so I stand corrected if I am wrong.

Hi Guys,

Not sure where you got this info from but you have been misinformed. With Petplan it is only 8 week + if you are a liicensed breeder for hobby breeders it is 6 weeks +     I have been using Petplan for 8 years and it has always been the same everytime I have used them.

http://www.petplanbreeder.co.uk/documents/dog.pdf

Are at least 6 weeks of age or, where being sold
by a licensed breeding establishment or licensed
Scottish rearing establishment as defined in the
Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Bill 1999,
at least 8 weeks of age.

Just wanted to add that I would never ever let a puppy go that young but I have on the occasion let a puppy go the weekend after they are 7 weeks making them 7.5 weeks etc..

I insure my pups with Petplan when they go, and I am positive that part of their code of ethics says KC pups should not leave until 8 weeks.  For some reason, I am sure that it would invalidate the insurance.

No when I have Malinois pups I always let them go at 7 weeks 2 days onwards and that has never been a problem with PetPlan -obviously they know the ages as they get the birthdate and date of sale.

that link suggests that you can have no more than 6 litters from a bitch.. 6!!!! I wont do more than 3. thats crazy

obviously they know the ages as they get the birthdate and date of sale. exactly :-)

With this petplan info, does that mean a breeder who is producing 2+ litters a year and so I presume has to be licensed by the local authority cannot sell puppies @ 6 weeks and then pet plan them?

>who is producing 2+ litters a year and so I presume has to be licensed by the local authority

It's usually 5 litters or more, not two, and licenced breeders aren't allowed to sell puppies under 8 weeks to the general public.

Wow, that's a pretty large amount of litters a year before you need to be licensed. I really thought 2 or so would be more like it

Sorry I am terrible for making things sound blunt ( I don't meant to lol)   but it means what it says;

Regardless of the criteria for being licensed, as eat each local authority can set their own rules.   If you require a breeding licence then it is as stated.

I guess there are people who should be licenced but are not at this time but again you either are licenced or your not. :-)  Whatever your situation is you follow .

> It's usually 5 litters or more, not two, and licenced breeders aren't allowed to sell puppies under 8 weeks to the general public.

That's where I got the 8 weeks from!  Thank you.

Last time I Insured there was no problem with pups just under 8 weeks.

> Wow, that's a pretty large amount of litters a year before you need to be licensed.

It's actually five or more litters in any 12 months period.

so you can have four litters.

Four litters and four litters is not equal.

In my breed we average 6 puppies, in some breeds it is only two pups a litter and others 10 is quite usual.

I would certainly not be wanting to breed several litters a year when the average is 10 pups!!!, but if I had a breed where the average was two, then more litters would be practicable and even necessary to get the puppy you want.

I average a litter a year, (have had two litters one year and none another) which is quite enough for me to deal with to rear and then follow up with their new owners.