How to Sell Pug Puppies in Canada | PetzLover
To sell Pug puppies in Canada, breed only from parents that breathe quietly at rest and have their health results, keep the litter with its mother until at least eight weeks, and sell each puppy in person with a written sales agreement, vet records and its microchip or tattoo number. If you advertise the puppies as purebred, the Animal Pedigree Act requires them to be registered or eligible for registration with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), with the transferred certificate reaching each buyer within six months.
Canadian vets have become outspoken about flat-faced breeds, and buyers increasingly ask for breathing grades. This guide covers the law, health testing, the litter, pricing, the ad, choosing buyers and a safe handover.
Key points
- Selling as purebred means CKC registration or eligibility, with papers at no extra cost.
- Never breed from a Pug that snores or breathes noisily while awake and at rest.
- Give buyers each parent's breathing grade, PDE DNA result, eye exam and kneecap result.
- Hand puppies over in person; Air Canada does not carry snub-nosed breeds in the baggage compartment.
What rules apply when you sell Pug puppies in Canada?
- Animal Pedigree Act (federal): it is an offence to sell an animal as purebred unless it is registered or eligible, or to give a false impression about its registration. Fines can reach C$25,000 on summary conviction and C$50,000 on indictment.
- CKC Code of Practice: member breeders microchip or tattoo each puppy before it leaves, give a written sales agreement and guarantee, pay for registration and transfer themselves, and never sell to pet stores, auctions or raffles.
- Criminal Code: causing an animal unnecessary suffering (section 445.1) and failing to provide adequate food, water, shelter and care (section 446) are offences.
- Provincial law: Ontario's Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 sets standards of care, and the province passed the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, 2024 to target puppy mills. The BC SPCA enforces British Columbia's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and Quebec has its Animal Welfare and Safety Act.
- Municipal by-laws: licences, limits on dogs per home and kennel rules vary by city.
Which health tests should Pug parents have before you breed?
Careful buyers compare breeders with the US breed club, the Pug Dog Club of America. For its health certificate with the US-based Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) it requires a Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE) DNA test, an eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and a patella evaluation; hips, elbows, spine, trachea, heart and a PK deficiency DNA test are optional. OFA also offers the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme for Pugs: grades 0 and I count as clinically unaffected, II and III mean moderate or severe signs.
Plan PDE pairings with care. According to Purina Pro Club, about 40 per cent of Pugs carry the risk marker and dogs with two copies have about 12.75 times the lifetime risk, so pairing at-risk dogs with clear mates avoids high-risk puppies.
How do you prepare Pug puppies for their new homes?
- Plan the birth with your vet, and keep the litter cool in summer and warm in winter.
- Keep puppies with their mother until at least eight weeks; the BC SPCA advises buyers not to take a younger puppy.
- Have each puppy examined, including nostrils, eyes, heart and kneecaps, with first vaccines and deworming.
- Microchip or tattoo every puppy and, if you sell as purebred, register the litter with the CKC.
- Prepare a puppy pack: health record, the parents' results, a feeding plan to keep the puppy lean, notes on heat, cold, eye care and wrinkle cleaning, and when rabies vaccination is due. Ontario, for example, requires it for dogs three months and older.
How should you price Pug puppies?
There is no official price list. Base yours on what you have done for the parents and the litter, and compare Pug puppies for sale in your province; a price far below the market draws resellers and scammers.
| Factor | What buyers will ask |
|---|---|
| Breathing | Each parent's breathing grade, and a video of quiet breathing |
| Other results | PDE DNA, eye exam and patella for both parents |
| Vet care | Exam, first vaccines, deworming, microchip or tattoo |
| Registration | CKC papers included, never charged as an extra |
| Support | A written guarantee and a promise to take the dog back |
Do not price by colour or by how flat the face is. The CKC standard accepts only fawn, silver fawn and black, disqualifies every other colour, and asks for a short muzzle that is not up-faced.
How do you write an honest Pug puppy ad?
- Title: breed, sex, age and nearest town, not your street.
- Photos and video: each puppy and both parents, plus a clip of the parents breathing after a short walk; no house numbers or car plates.
- Facts: date of birth, ready date, vaccines, microchip or tattoo, and the parents' registered names and results.
- Health: state any vet finding, such as narrow nostrils or an eye concern, plainly.
- Terms: price, deposit policy and that buyers meet the puppy in person.
You can post your Pug litter for free, and buyers will message you through PetzLover. Keep your phone number and home address out of the ad text.
How do you screen Pug puppy buyers?
Ask every buyer the same questions. Pugalug Pug Rescue's own adoption rules are a good benchmark: air conditioning with a cool room, fenced pools, indoor living and supervision outdoors because Pugs are often stolen.
- Is there air conditioning for summer, and how will the puppy be walked in winter?
- Who lives in the home, and how will children be taught to handle a puppy with prominent eyes?
- Do they understand the breathing, heat and vet-cost issues, and how will they pay for care?
- Does their lease or condo board allow a dog, and what will they do if they cannot keep it?
Give your address only after screening, and turn down buyers who want several puppies, a rare colour or a puppy shipped. Our guide to buying a Pug puppy shows what careful buyers will ask you.
How do you take payment and hand over a Pug puppy safely?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns sellers about fake payment notices, overpayments with a request to send back the difference, and QR codes that must be scanned to receive money.
- Put the deposit, its refund terms and the price in writing, and confirm the money is in your account before the puppy leaves.
- Hand over at your home. Air Canada says snub-nosed breeds cannot travel in the baggage compartment, and the CVMA prefers local homes for puppies.
- Sign the agreement together: buyer's name, date, the puppy's identification number, the guarantee and a return clause.
- Hand over the health record, the parents' results and the registration papers, or the date they will follow.
Placing an adult Pug instead? Read how to give away a Pug for free without risk, or answer a Pug wanted ad from someone already looking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a licence to sell Pug puppies in Canada?
It depends on your province and city, since breeding rules are set mostly at those levels. Check municipal by-laws on kennels and dog numbers, your province's animal welfare law and, if you sell as purebred, the federal Animal Pedigree Act.
Can I sell Pug puppies as purebred without CKC papers?
No. The Animal Pedigree Act makes it an offence to sell a dog as purebred unless it is registered or eligible for registration, and the CKC says those papers come at no extra cost. Describe unregistered puppies honestly.
What health tests do buyers expect for Pug puppies for sale?
A breathing grade and the three results the US breed club requires: a PDE DNA test, an eye exam and a patella evaluation. Give the parents' registered names so buyers can check the OFA database.
Should I breed my Pug if it snores?
No. The position paper the CVMA shared in 2025 says a flat-faced dog that breathes noisily while awake at rest or during light exercise has severe respiratory disease and should never be bred from. Ask your vet about a breathing grade first.
Can I ship a Pug puppy to a buyer in another province?
It is best not to. Air Canada does not carry snub-nosed breeds in the baggage compartment, and heat in transit is dangerous for Pugs. Ask buyers to collect by car, which also lets you meet them.
Helpful guides
Pet for SaleHow to Buy a Pug Puppy in CanadaBuy a Pug puppy in Canada from a breeder who shows both parents' breathing grade and health results, lets you hear the parents breathe at rest, supplies CKC papers at no extra cost and hands the puppy over in person.
Pet for FreeHow to Get a Free Pug Safely in CanadaMeet a free Pug in person, ask why it is free, listen to it breathe at rest, get its vet records and your own vet check, budget for breathing, eye and skin care, and never pay fees for a Pug you have not seen.
Pet for FreeHow to Give Away a Pug for Free Without Risk in CanadaCheck your breeder or rescue contract, consider a Pug rescue, disclose breathing, eye and skin issues honestly, screen for a cool, indoor home, sign a short agreement and hand your Pug over in person.
Pet WantedHow to Respond to a "Pug Wanted" Ad in CanadaMessage the poster first, ask how they will keep a Pug cool, warm and at a healthy weight, verify them by video and in person, refuse overpayments and shipping, and hand over with the records and a written agreement.
Pet WantedHow to Post a "Pug Wanted" Ad and Get Replies in CanadaSay what Pug you want, give a realistic budget, describe your air-conditioned, indoor home and winter routine, ask for breathing and health results, and meet any dog in person before paying when you post a Pug wanted ad in Canada.