New puppy paperwork checklist: everything in the go-home packet

When you pick up a new puppy from a responsible breeder, you should leave with a complete go-home packet — a collection of documents that covers your puppy's identity, health history, genetic background, and legal status. What's in that packet is the difference between walking into your first vet visit prepared and spending the next month tracking down information that should have been handed to you on day one.

The checklist below is organized by category. Use it before pickup — confirm with your breeder in advance what will be included — and verify you have everything before you drive away.

What should be in every new puppy's go-home packet?

1. Veterinary health certificate

A licensed veterinarian must sign and date a health certificate confirming the puppy was examined and found healthy. This is distinct from the breeder's own vaccine record — it requires an independent vet's physical examination. Most states require a health certificate for pets sold across state lines, and many airlines require one for travel. The exam should have occurred within 10 days of the sale date.

The certificate should include:

• Puppy's description (breed, color, sex, date of birth)
• Exam date and findings
• Veterinarian's name, address, license number, and signature
• State veterinarian accreditation number (required for interstate travel)

2. Vaccine records

Every vaccine your puppy received before leaving the breeder should be documented on a certificate or official record that includes:

• Vaccine product name and manufacturer
• Lot number and expiration date of the product
• Date of administration
• Administering veterinarian's name and license number (or, in states where breeders may self-administer, the breeder's name and the product documentation)
• Next vaccine due date

At minimum, most puppies will have received one or two DA2PP (distemper-parvovirus) vaccines before leaving the breeder. Some breeders also give Bordetella. Your vet will continue the series — typically every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age.

3. Deworming history

Responsible breeders deworm puppies beginning at 2 weeks of age, repeating at 4, 6, and 8 weeks. The deworming record should list:

• Product name and active ingredient
• Dosage administered
• Dates of each treatment

Common products include Pyrantel pamoate (for roundworms and hookworms), fenbendazole (Panacur, for a broader spectrum), and Praziquantel (for tapeworms). Your vet may recommend a fecal test at the first visit to confirm clearance and determine whether additional treatment is needed.

4. Genetic health testing documentation

This is one of the most important parts of the go-home packet and one most frequently incomplete in less careful breeding programs. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) (accessed Sep 21, 2026) maintains a public database of breed health test results for registered dogs. A responsible breeder should provide:

• OFA clearances for the sire and dam — relevant tests vary by breed; hip and elbow evaluations are common for large breeds, eye exams (CAER) are relevant to many breeds, cardiac evaluations for breeds prone to heart disease
• DNA panel results — breed-specific genetic tests for hereditary conditions; results from Embark, Optimal Selection, or equivalent panels
• PennHIP report (if applicable) — an alternative hip evaluation method used by some breeders
• Individual puppy testing (if performed) — some breeders now run DNA panels on individual puppies; request a copy if this was done for your puppy

You can verify sire and dam OFA results independently at ofa.org/search. Look up the parent dogs by registered name. If the results aren't in the public database, ask the breeder to explain why.

5. Microchip documentation

Most responsible breeders microchip puppies before sale. Your go-home packet should include:

• The 15-digit microchip number (ISO standard; verify it scans correctly at the vet)
• The registry the chip is enrolled in (HomeAgain, 24PetWatch, Found Animals, PetLink, AVID, etc.)
• Instructions or a form for transferring registration to your name

Do the transfer as soon as you get home. A chip registered to the breeder won't bring your puppy back to you if they get lost. Most registries charge a small annual fee for lifetime registration; some offer one-time lifetime enrollment.

6. AKC registration application

For AKC-registered breeds, the breeder should provide a properly completed AKC litter registration application (accessed Sep 21, 2026) — the "blue slip" or its digital equivalent. This allows you to individually register your puppy in your name. The application should list:

• Puppy's date of birth and sex
• Sire and dam's AKC registered names and numbers
• Litter number (assigned when the breeder registered the litter)
• Breeder's name and signature

You submit the application to the AKC (online or by mail) with the registration fee. AKC individual registration is required for showing, AKC events, and some breeding programs. For a pet-only companion, it's optional but useful for the pedigree record.

7. Pedigree

A three-to-five generation pedigree showing the registered names of your puppy's ancestors. The pedigree is useful for understanding your dog's lineage, tracking hereditary health patterns across generations, and looking up health testing results for dogs further back in the line. Request it even if you have no plans to show or breed your dog.

8. Sales contract and health guarantee

The sales contract is a legal document. Read it carefully before pickup. It typically covers:

• Health guarantee — what conditions are covered, over what time period, and what the breeder will do (refund, replacement, or contribution to vet costs) if the puppy develops a covered condition
• Spay/neuter agreement — many breeders require pet puppies to be spayed or neutered by a specified age and sell with limited AKC registration until that occurs
• Return policy — a responsible breeder will take a puppy back at any point in their life if you cannot care for them; confirm this is in the contract
• Co-ownership terms (if applicable) — some show breeders retain co-ownership for competition purposes; understand what this means before signing

9. Care and feeding instructions

Not a formal document, but important: the breeder should tell you exactly what your puppy has been eating (brand, formula, and feeding schedule) and how to transition to a new diet if you plan to switch. Abrupt food changes cause digestive upset in puppies. A gradual 7–10 day transition is standard.

What should I do with the go-home packet when I get home?

1. Photograph every document. Paper fades, gets wet, and gets lost. Take a photo of every page before it goes in the folder.
2. Add your puppy's private Voocie address to every document that will route records. Your vet, your trainer, your groomer — anyone who generates documents about your puppy can CC that address and have records file automatically.
3. Transfer the microchip registration. Do this today, not eventually.
4. Submit the AKC application. It takes a few minutes online.
5. Schedule your first vet visit. Ideally within the first week. Bring everything.

What if the breeder didn't give me something on this list?

Contact the breeder promptly. Responsible breeders will help you get whatever was missed. If documents were never created — no genetic testing, no vet-signed health certificate — that tells you something important about how the breeding operation was run. At a minimum, tell your vet what's missing so they can adjust their approach to your first visit accordingly.

FAQ

Do I need the AKC papers if my puppy is just a pet?

Not strictly. AKC individual registration is required for conformation showing and some AKC events, but not for basic pet ownership. That said, the registration application proves your dog's purebred lineage and connects them to their pedigree — useful information for the long term. It takes minutes to submit and the fee is modest.

What if my puppy's breeder is in another state?

Interstate transport of puppies requires a federal-accredited veterinarian to sign a health certificate endorsed for your destination state. The breeder is responsible for obtaining this before shipping or handing off the puppy. If you're picking up in person and crossing state lines, confirm the health certificate covers interstate movement. Some states have specific import requirements — check your state's department of agriculture website for details.

What does "limited AKC registration" mean?

Limited registration means the dog is registered with the AKC as an individual, but any offspring they produce cannot be registered. Breeders use limited registration for pet puppies to prevent accidental or uneducated breeding. If your puppy is spayed or neutered as agreed in the contract, the breeder may convert to full registration on request.

My puppy came from a breeder who didn't do OFA testing — should I be worried?

It depends on the breed. For breeds with known heritable orthopedic or genetic conditions, OFA testing parents is a baseline responsibility. Without it, the breeder cannot tell you whether your puppy is at elevated risk for those conditions. Talk to your vet about what health screening is appropriate for your puppy's breed and whether any early baseline testing makes sense for your specific situation.

Can the breeder send records directly into my puppy's Voocie account?

Yes. When you create your puppy's Voocie record before pickup, they receive a private Voocie address. Share that address with your breeder — they can CC it on the health certificate, vaccine records, and any documents they email to you. Breeders using Voocie's litter feature can transfer the entire litter record to you at pickup via a claim link, so your puppy's health story starts before they leave the whelping box.