Hi everyone, hope your all well!!

i was of the understanding, that a dog breeders licence was needed if you had/whelped 4 or more litters in any 12 months on your own premises!

Just downloaded the following quote. whats everyone elses views/understanding?
DOG BREEDERS' LICENCES
'' IN ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, A DOG BREEDER, THAT IS, ANYONE WHO KEEPS MORE THAN TWO BREEDING BITCHES, REQUIRES A LICENCE. THIS IS OBTAINABLE FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY''

how many of us didn't realise this?
kind regards
mark

I'm pretty sure that's an out-dated regulation - it is now the number of litters born in a 12-month period.
:)

hiya Jean
the quote is dated  16-07-2004

Still think it is the old regs. anyone sure of this please as it makes one hell of a difference.

Hi Mark,
Maybe it varies from Council to Council. I found this from one council.

I know with our council it is if one bitch has a litter you should be licenced but I agree with the previous poster that I think it varies from council to council.

I've just found looked up the information issued by my local Council. The relevant section is:

<<A person will be considered as requiring a licence under this act if they have four or more bitches which each produce a litter in a year with the intention of selling the puppies.>>

Seems as if it changes from council to council then. Surprised if you need a licence for having just one litter, which council is that, it would be interesting to know.

Hi, I think some of the councils may have failed to read the actual legislation, which over-rides individual regs!  The sale and breeding of dogs act definetly states that a licence is needed for more than 4 litters per year, and the requirement for licensing with 3 or bitches was superseded by this, in, I think, 2000.   Unless, of course, these local authorities are in Scotland, where I think the legislature can make its own rules anyway.
bye
Gwen
Edited to say, I fogrgot that there is an over-ride on this, that if you can be deemed to be breeding as a business, even if you have less than 4, then the council can require you to be licensed in that case.

I have in a recent occasion had a run in with my local council with the "6 dog rule" and it was mentioned that I am not allowed to breed more than one litter in any 12 month period. I then got a letter from the same council but different department which stated that if I bred more than 4 litters in any 12 month period I would be required to be licensed. It is the case that the legislation which states more than 4 litters bred over a 12 month period requires a license. Not sure if a council can overide this or not? It did tickle me that one dept said one thing and another stated something completly different??? Go figure.
I kept the letter just in case though, just for reference.

Sue

very interesting!
i do agree that it must vary depending what borough you live in!
until i know different for fact i will stick to my original opinion of -4 litters within 12 months on your own premises.
i will give my council a  ring monday morning
mark

Are you in your own property, Sue, or Council-owned property? Councils often have their own rules for their houses.

The council which says you need a licence for one litter is Cambs County Council or at least I think it is them I got put through to half a dozen different departments until I found them.  Mind you this was a couple of years ago when I bred my first litter.  I have not looked into it since as we live in a rural area where half the village breed and show dogs so no one is really bothered. The thing which I think irritated me most was the fact my 18 year old Jack Russell was classed as a potential brood bitch because she had not been spayed!!!

in my breed(toys) i know of 2 people that have many litters a year,last year breeder A registered 7 litters and breeder B registered 5 ,i was under the opion that over 4 needed a license but both breeders say no,that you should have a license not must have one

Hi Ester, that is interesting, "should not must have",  of course, you dont NEED a licence to mate the bitch, but you are acting illegally, so you dont need one to do the thing, just to do it legally!   For whoever siad the council gave them the runaround from one dept to another - the relevant dept is the Enviromental Health Dept, who also deal with licensing Boarding Kennels, Catteries etc.  Each council can have  their own cirteria for suitable facilities before the licence is issued, although most use the "model kennel" outline as a guide, which is not at all relevant if you area applying for a licence to breed from your home, so can give problems with conforming. 

Of course, some councils local pallnning regulations can require you to apply foir permission if they think you are running a business, and this is a whole different thing.
bye
Gwen

thanks gwen,but if it is illegal why do the k.c let people register the litters,surely they know who has a license and who hasnt?

Esther, the licences are issued (or withdrawn) by the Council. It's nothing to do with the KC.

The KC is a club, it has no standing in law and can't take action against individuals, all it can do is withhold it's services but if it does that it is on danger of being sued it's self because it is interfering in the way someone is earning money. The only time the KC can take action is if someone contravenes the rules of the club or one of it's events, and breeding without a licence is not one of the rules because how would they know, it is a private matter between the breeder and their council.

I dont neccesarily think that whether you hold a license or not makes you a better breeder.  My litter of pups are housed in the house with their mum lovingly looked after by our family.  If we wanted to be licensed it would involve have kennels or seperate areas where they will  not get used to all the house sounds and interaction with humans and other pets alike.  Personally if I had the choice of buying a pup from a licensed kennels or a dog which has been homebred and treated as a member of the family until it leaves I know which one I would and have chosen.  From what I read of the forms when I considered registering their main concerns were facilities for feeding and kenneling etc, and having the mother vet checked before mating and after giving birth something which most of us do as a matter of course.  What it does not do is take into consideration  any of the other things which are involved in bringing a well adjusted litter of pups into this world in my limited experience the dogs with the most of problems are those raised in kennels who are not exposed to enough in the first weeks of life. 

Surely the KC should do something especially as you have to tick a box to say whether you are a licenced breeder or not??  Surely if they spotted that you have more than 4 litters a year and are not licenced then you shouldn't be registering the extra pups then ? 

>> I don't necessarily think that whether you hold a license or not makes you a better breeder <<

Missed that bit, did someone say it was, in a lot of cases I think may be the opposite may be nearer the truth.

perrodeagua, Why should the KC be using their funds doing the councils job for them, anyway it is none of their business, providing you are within the KC rules they are obliged to register your litter.

Jackie one of the previous posters said why do the Kc register litters which have not been bred by licensed breeders therefore implying that those of us who are not licensed are somehow inadequate my point is that whether registered or not I know my pups get the best possible start in life. 

Personally, I tend to lump licenced breeders, commercial breeders and puppy farmers in the same category. There are, of course, exceptions, but I view them all with caution until they can prove themselves genuine.

Must have missed that, being a registered breeder just means that your premises fulfil the requirement of the council, even if they have no idea what they are talking about, and you breed a lot of litters. No reason for the breeding of 4+ litter is required and IMO the whole thing is a farce designed to bring a cash inflow to the council. You are as it happens in most cases likely to get a better puppy from an unlicensed breeder, but you have to do the home work to be able to tell the difference between someone breeding a lot of litters for money and those who are interested in a number of breeds, but one hopes not too many else one would doubt their experience in each of those breeds.