Breed dogs for conformation showing and show-quality puppies? Advertise here
Buyers and trainers use this page to find breeders whose lines do this work. List your kennel free, tick the industries your dogs work in, and advertise litters and stud dogs from proven working lines.
No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.
- Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
- Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
- Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
- Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
- Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.
Is it free to advertise here?
Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.
Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?
In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.
Is my listing already here?
We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.
About conformation showing and show-quality puppies
If you are new to dog showing, UK shows run from village companion shows to the main ring at Crufts. This page explains how conformation showing works, who runs it and how to approach show dog breeders for a puppy to show yourself.
What this work involves
In the show ring a judge assesses each dog against the Royal Kennel Club breed standard for its breed, looking at construction, movement, coat, condition and temperament. Shows range from informal companion shows, which are open to crossbreeds, through limited, open and premier open shows to championship shows, which can cover a single breed, one of the seven breed groups or every breed.
Where Challenge Certificates are on offer, the judge can award a CC to the best dog and the best bitch of the breed. A dog becomes a Champion after winning three CCs under three different judges, with at least one awarded after it is a year old. Gundogs must also prove working ability, for example by passing the Show Gundog Working Certificate, and Border Collies must pass a herding test, before a Show Champion becomes a full Champion. Younger dogs can collect points towards a Junior Warrant between six and 18 months. Wins at championship shows, and at premier open shows, are the main routes to qualifying for Crufts, which the Royal Kennel Club holds each March at the NEC in Birmingham.
Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK
There is no central supplier. Show dogs are bred by private breeders and shown by their owners, by the breeder under a co-ownership arrangement, or by professional handlers. The Royal Kennel Club licenses shows, awards Challenge Certificates, publishes the breed standards and runs Crufts. Breed clubs hold breed shows and seminars, and many keep lists of breeders or planned litters.
Buyers often look for Crufts breeders and champion bred puppies, and generations of successful showing are a good sign of consistent lines, but nobody can promise a puppy will win. When a breeder describes show quality puppies, or a single puppy as show potential, that is their honest opinion of how it looks at eight to ten weeks; teeth, bite, size, coat and movement all change as it matures. Many show breeders keep the most promising puppy, place the rest in pet or show homes, and expect show-home buyers to attend ringcraft classes.
Breeds and lines
Breeds on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register can be shown in breed classes at licensed shows other than companion shows, and each dog must be on the Breed Register and at least six months old on the first day of the show. Newer breeds on the Imported Breed Register are limited to certain classes. Look for breeders whose own dogs are still being shown, whose pedigrees carry titled dogs in recent generations, and whose health testing meets the Royal Kennel Club Health Standard for the breed. In gundog breeds, ask whether the lines are show, working or dual-purpose, as the types can look very different.
What to ask a breeder
- Which of the parents have been shown, at what level, and what have they won?
- Why do you rate this puppy as a show prospect, and what could change as it grows?
- Will the puppy be on the Breed Register, and will you place an endorsement such as “progeny not eligible for registration”?
- What health tests do the parents hold, and can I check them on the Royal Kennel Club Health Test Results Finder?
- Will you help with ringcraft, show entries and handling in the first year?
- Is there a co-ownership or show agreement, and what exactly does it require of me?
Legal and welfare notes
Apart from companion shows, dogs must be registered with the Royal Kennel Club to be shown at its licensed shows. Since 1 January 2023, a breeder placing an endorsement must tell the new owner using the Royal Kennel Club’s endorsement notice form. An endorsement does not stop a dog being bred from, but its puppies cannot be registered unless the endorsement is lifted. In England, anyone breeding three or more litters in any 12-month period, or breeding dogs and advertising a business of selling dogs, needs a licence from their local council, and the ban on third-party puppy sales known as Lucy’s Law means puppies in England should be bought directly from the breeder. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does a show-quality puppy guarantee a winning dog?
No. It is the breeder’s informed opinion of a young puppy against the breed standard, based on experience of their own lines, not a promise. A good breeder will explain what they see and what could still change.
Can I show a crossbreed?
Only at companion shows. Crossbreeds can join the Royal Kennel Club’s Activity Register to compete in agility, obedience, rally and similar sports, but breed classes are for pedigree dogs on the Breed Register.
How does a dog qualify for Crufts?
The Royal Kennel Club publishes the qualifications for each Crufts in advance, based on wins at championship shows and premier open shows during the qualifying period. Check the current rules for your breed before planning a show year.
If you breed and show a Royal Kennel Club recognised breed, you can list your kennel on Canine Breeder and tell buyers about your show record, health testing and planned litters.