Managing a kennel is mostly managing information: which dog is due in season, when the litter is due, which puppy gained overnight, who has a deposit on the blue-collar male. You do not need paid software to keep that straight. Every stage below has a free tool on this site, and each one does one job.
This guide walks one litter from the decision to breed to go-home day. At each stage it names the tool to open, what to write down from it, and the deeper guide to read when you want the why. Our record-keeping guide covers what kennel clubs require field by field; this one is about the workflow.
The short version
- Free end to end: Every stage of a litter, from picking the pairing to handing over the go-home packet, has a free BreedTools tool. No account, nothing to install.
- One job per tool: Each tool does one thing well. This guide tells you which one to open at each stage and what to write down from it.
- Your device holds the data: Trackers save to this browser on this device. Export or print before you clear your browser or change phones.
- Free tools vs the app: The free tools cover every stage. The app is a separate product for breeders who want one connected record synced across devices; the comparison section explains the difference plainly.
1. Plan the breeding: clearances, pedigree, COI
A litter starts months before a heat. Confirm both parents' health clearances for the breed, build the pedigree and look at how closely the two lines are related before you commit.
Tools: the Pedigree Chart builds a four-generation pedigree you can export; the COI Calculator computes the coefficient of inbreeding from it; the Breeding Age Calculator gives the minimum age and testing timeline for the breed; the Coat Color Calculator predicts what the pairing can produce.
Record: each parent's registered name and number, every clearance with its date and registry, the pedigree, and the COI you accepted. Read: Health testing before breeding.
2. Heat and timing: log day 1, breed on progesterone
Log the first day of every heat, bred or not. The gap from one day 1 to the next is what predicts her next season. When you plan to breed, time the mating on progesterone results from your vet, not on discharge color.
Tools: the Heat Cycle Tracker logs each season and predicts the next; the Breeding Window Calculator turns progesterone values into mating days.
Record: day 1, every progesterone result with its date and lab, each mating's date and method, and the stud's registered name and owner. Read: Heat cycle tracking guide and Progesterone testing protocol.
3. Pregnancy and whelping prep: due window, box, supplies
Enter the ovulation date if you have it, or the breeding dates if you do not, and you get a whelping window rather than a single day. Size the whelping box from the dam's weight and work through the supplies list in the last two weeks, not the last night.
Tools: the Whelping Date Calculator, the Whelping Box Calculator and the Whelping Supplies Checklist.
Record: the date and result of the pregnancy confirmation, the due window, and your vet's after-hours number where you can see it. Read: Dog pregnancy week by week and Whelping box setup.
4. Whelping day: time every puppy
Write down the time each puppy arrives, its sex, color and markings, its birth weight, and whether a placenta followed. Those lines are the start of every puppy's record and the evidence your vet asks for if labor stalls.
Tools: the Puppy APGAR Calculator scores each newborn's vitality so you know which one needs help first.
Record: the whelping log above, plus any intervention and who did it. Read: What's normal vs not during whelping and keep Dog emergency signs open.
5. Neonatal weeks: weigh daily, at the same time
The first two weeks are run by the scale. Create the litter, add each puppy by name or collar color, and weigh every puppy daily at the same time of day. Weight loss or no gain after the first day is a same-day call to your vet.
Tools: the Puppy & Litter Weight Tracker charts the whole litter on one graph and flags the puppy falling behind; the Tube Feeding Calculator gives per-feed volumes if your vet decides a puppy needs tube feeding — only after they have shown you the technique, because a misplaced tube delivers formula into the lungs and that is fatal in a neonate.
Record: daily weights, feeds given, anything abnormal, and the first deworming — the Care Schedule puts it at two weeks, so generate the dates from the birth date now rather than at weaning. Read: How to care for newborn puppies and Fading puppy syndrome.
6. Growth, weaning and early socialization
From three weeks the jobs multiply: weaning begins, the socialization window opens, and the deworming series that started at two weeks continues at four, six and eight. With the care dates already generated from the birth date, you stop doing the arithmetic.
Tools: the Puppy Growth Chart checks each puppy against its size group; the Vaccination & Care Schedule turns the birth date into exact vaccine, deworming and wellness dates; the Socialization Tracker logs exposures and reactions.
Record: weaning dates, each deworming and vaccine with product and date, and the socialization log. Read: How to wean puppies and the Breeder socialization protocol.
7. Buyers, pricing and contracts
Know what the litter cost before you set a price, screen homes before you take deposits, and put the terms in writing before a puppy leaves. Temperament testing at seven weeks helps match puppies to homes.
Tools: the Litter Cost Calculator, the Puppy Price Calculator, the Puppy Temperament Test and the Puppy Sales Contract Template & Generator.
Record: every expense, each buyer's application and screening notes, deposits with dates, and a signed copy of every contract. Read: Screening puppy buyers and How to price a litter.
8. Go-home day and the records you keep
Each puppy leaves with its health record, weight history, contract, registration papers and the parents' clearances. You keep a copy of all of it, plus who took which puppy and when.
Tools: print the Care Schedule and the Weight Tracker history for each packet; the contract comes from the generator above.
Record: for each puppy, the buyer's name and address, the date it went home, and which papers went with it. Read: Puppy go-home packet and Why record-keeping matters.
The whole litter on one page
| Stage | Open this | Write down |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Pedigree Chart · COI Calculator · Breeding Age Calculator | Clearances, pedigree, COI |
| Heat & timing | Heat Cycle Tracker · Breeding Window Calculator | Day 1, progesterone results, matings |
| Pregnancy prep | Whelping Date Calculator · Box Calculator · Supplies Checklist | Confirmation, due window |
| Whelping | APGAR Calculator | Time, sex, color, weight per puppy |
| Neonatal | Weight Tracker · Tube Feeding Calculator | Daily weights, feeds |
| Growth & weaning | Growth Chart · Care Schedule · Socialization Tracker | Weaning, dewormings, vaccines, exposures |
| Buyers & contracts | Litter Cost · Puppy Price · Temperament Test · Contract Generator | Costs, applications, deposits, contracts |
| Go-home | Care Schedule + Weight Tracker printouts | Buyer, date, papers per puppy |
Every tool is free and runs in the browser with no account. Trackers store data on the device you use them on.
Free tools vs the app: which do you need?
The free tools cover every stage above, for as many litters as you raise. Some breeders also want one record that connects dogs, litters and buyers across years, or the same data open on more than one device. That is a workflow preference, not a requirement. Here is the honest difference.
This site
breedtools.com — free tools
Calculators, trackers and checklists. Open one, use it, done.
- Free, no account, nothing to install — each tool runs in your browser
- Your data stays on this device; nothing is sent to a server
- Single-purpose tools: one calculator, tracker or checklist at a time
- Print or export when you need a copy — the Weight Tracker's export file imports into the app
Separate product
breedtools.app — breeding management
One account for every dog, litter and buyer, synced across your devices.
- Account and cloud sync, so the same records open on your phone, tablet and desktop
- Dogs, heats, litters, puppies, buyers, contracts and costs connected in one place
- Free plan: 10 dogs and 1 active litter, no card, no time limit
- Pro plan: $9 a month or $79 a year for unlimited dogs and litters; every new account starts with a 30-day Pro trial
Kennel management FAQs
1Is there a free way to manage a litter without buying software?
Yes. Every BreedTools tool on this site is free and needs no account: the Heat Cycle Tracker, Whelping Date Calculator, Weight Tracker, Puppy Growth Chart, Care Schedule, Litter Cost Calculator, Puppy Price Calculator and Contract Generator cover a litter from planning to go-home. They run in your browser and store what they save on your device. This guide lists which one to use at each stage.
2Can I use these tools on my phone in the whelping room?
Yes. They are ordinary web pages, so they work in any modern phone or tablet browser. Because the trackers save to the browser you are using, a litter you create on your phone will not appear on your laptop unless you export it and import it there. Many breeders log on paper during a whelping and type it up afterwards.
3Will I lose my records if I clear my browser or change phones?
You can. The trackers keep data in this browser on this device only, so clearing site data, using a private window or moving to a new phone leaves the records behind. Export the Weight Tracker regularly and print or save the calculators' results. The Heat Cycle Tracker keeps its entries in the browser and has no export yet, so copy its dates into your own records.
4Which records does a kennel club expect me to keep?
If you register litters with the AKC, it requires records for every dog you own, every mating and every litter, kept for at least five years after a dog dies, is sold or is given away. Our record-keeping guide lists the exact fields for heats, matings, pregnancies, whelping and puppies. Other registries have their own rules, so check the one you use.
5What is the difference between breedtools.com and breedtools.app?
breedtools.com is this site: free, single-purpose tools that need no account and keep data on your device. breedtools.app is a separate breeding-management product with an account and cloud sync, where dogs, heats, litters, buyers, contracts and costs are connected and shared across your devices. It has a Free plan for 10 dogs and 1 active litter, and a Pro plan at $9 a month or $79 a year. You never need the app to use the free tools.
6Do I have to use the app once I have more than one litter?
No. Plenty of breeders run several litters a year on the free tools plus a paper or spreadsheet file. The app earns its keep when you want one record across dogs and years, a buyer waiting list that follows each litter, or the same data on more than one device. Use whichever keeps you writing things down.