Best practices

Whelpkeep rewards a few simple habits. None of them take long, and together they keep your paperwork current, your buyers happy and your compliance on track. Here's what experienced breeders do.

Start the litter right

• Add the whelp date as soon as the pups arrive. It's the single most important date in Whelpkeep — your legal deadlines, like microchipping and first vaccination, all count from it. Setting it early means every reminder is accurate from day one.
• Set pick order early. Decide who chooses a pup first while the litter is young. Your pick order stays private to you, and getting it down early avoids awkward last-minute juggling.

Keep records current

• Upload records as you get them. Don't save them for later. Uploading as you go keeps your checklist current and lets the document reader do the typing — you just confirm the details. By go-home time, there's nothing to catch up on.
• Weigh pups regularly. Regular weights give buyers a clear picture of healthy growth, and they show up on each pup's page so buyers can watch them grow.

Look after buyers

• Share weekly photos. A steady stream of weekly photos keeps buyers reassured and excited, and saves you writing the same update over and over.
• Connect Stripe before you need a deposit. Set up Stripe ahead of time so you can take a deposit the moment a buyer is ready — not scramble to set it up while they wait.

Stay compliant

• Keep your state ID valid. Your state breeder ID is what lets Whelpkeep stamp the correct legal wording onto contracts and listings. A valid ID keeps everything flowing, so renew or re-check it before it lapses. See How compliance works.

Tip — The thread running through all of this: do the small thing now. An early whelp date, a record uploaded today, a photo shared this week — each one saves you effort later and keeps everything tidy.

Next step

Put these into practice with Your first litter, or set up buyer puppy pages.