# Litter Announcement: A Clear, Current Guide for Prospective Puppy Buyers

Canonical: https://kennelpress.com/blog/litter-announcement
Last updated: 2026-10-30
Author: Dusty Mumphrey (https://kennelpress.com/authors/dusty-mumphrey.md)
Published: 2026-10-30
Category: Running a program

> Create a calm, useful litter announcement with parent records, current details, honest photos and a clear next step for prospective puppy buyers.

A good litter announcement tells a prospective buyer four things: who the parents are, whether the litter is planned, expected or born, which health records you can show, and how to contact you. Put those facts in page text, keep them current, and point every social post back to that page.

A calm, accurate page does more for a family than a beautiful graphic that sends every question into a direct-message thread. I would rather a breeder publish less and keep it true than publish a lot and let it go stale. This guide covers what to include, how to word each stage of a litter, and how to keep the page honest after you publish it.

## What should a litter announcement say first?

Lead with the facts that let a family decide whether to keep reading:

- the breed or variety;
- whether this is a planned breeding, an expected litter or puppies already born;
- the sire and dam, linked to their records where you have them;
- the expected or actual timing;
- where the puppies are raised, at whatever level of detail you are comfortable sharing publicly; and
- the next step for an inquiry.

Then add what helps a family understand your program: the parents' temperament and purpose, their titles or records, your health-testing approach, and how you raise and place puppies. If availability, colors, go-home timing or price are settled and you choose to publish them, state them plainly and change them the day they change.

The AKC advises buyers to ask for proof of health records and screenings for a puppy's parents, in its guide to [spotting a puppy scam](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/spot-puppy-scam/). A page that already links those records answers the question before it is asked. A bare phrase like "health tested" gives a buyer nothing to check.

## When should you announce a planned breeding, and when a born litter?

Announce them separately and label each one, because they make different promises. A planned or expected litter is a statement of intent, and a born litter is a statement of fact.

A planned-breeding page can introduce the parents and explain how your inquiry process works. Keep the language conditional, and do not promise litter size, colors, placement order or a specific puppy before anyone can know those things.

After the puppies arrive, update the same page with what you have confirmed. You might share a photo, the whelp date, the number of puppies, a general update on the dam and how to reach you. Let the care of the dam and litter set the pace, because an announcement can wait until you are ready.

If your program takes deposits or reservations, link to the written terms that explain them. Our [puppy deposit guide](https://kennelpress.com/blog/puppy-deposit-agreements-what-breeders-need.md) lists the points to settle before anyone sends money.

## What health information should a litter announcement share?

Name the specific tests and records instead of leaning on a blanket label. State which screenings were completed, link to a public result when one exists, and say what other records a buyer may request.

If you mention CHIC, use the term precisely. The OFA's [CHIC program page](https://ofa.org/chic-programs/) says a CHIC number is issued when a dog's results satisfy every breed-specific requirement and the owner agrees to make them public. It also says the number itself does not imply normal test results, which is why a buyer should open the actual report. Our guide to [health testing for dog breeders](https://kennelpress.com/blog/health-testing-for-dog-breeders.md) covers which screenings to look for.

Pedigrees and health records give context, and they are not a promise about an individual puppy. Be specific about what your own records show, and send medical questions to the buyer's veterinarian and your own.

## Which photos belong on a litter announcement?

Choose photos that are current, calm and truthful. A clear photo of the dam, a photo of the sire when you have permission to use it, and later photos of the puppies in their ordinary surroundings tell a fuller story than a heavily designed social graphic.

Do not use an old litter's photos as if they were the new one, and do not leave a puppy looking available once it is not. A short caption saying what the image shows and when it was taken is enough. The AKC lists copied or stock photos among the warning signs of a puppy scam, so dated, original photos also help a real breeder look like one.

Write the important details in the page text rather than inside an image. The W3C's guidance on [images of text](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/images-of-text.html) explains that real text can be restyled by people with low vision or reading difficulties, while text baked into a picture cannot. Real text is also easier to update and to read on a phone. The photo can do the quieter job of showing the dogs and the care around them.

## How should a social post point to your litter page?

Give every post one destination, which is the page on your website where the details live. The post itself can stay short: an update, one current photo and a link. The page holds the parents, records, process and contact route together.

This also makes corrections simple. When availability changes, fix the source page first, then revise or add a social post if it helps. Do not promise that a post or a page will produce any number of inquiries, placements or search results. The value is clarity and a public record you control.

Kennel Press lets you update groups, animals, young-animal details, photos, pedigree details and health information from your site, and visitors can use your contact form to make an inquiry. It does not provide waitlist management, applicant ranking or placement decisions, so use your own application or another process when you need one.

## How do you keep a litter announcement current?

Make a short checklist before you publish. Confirm the parent names and links, the status of the breeding or litter, the date on the photo, the contact route and anything you say about availability. Then decide which details need a future review: the expected date, a published price, reservation status or a go-home estimate.

Keep one source of truth. If your site says a puppy is reserved, fix the social caption or story that still says otherwise. When a detail is not settled, say so instead of leaving an old estimate in place.

The same habit helps people researching a future litter. A past-litter page can show the work and care behind your program without suggesting that a puppy is available today.

## What should the call to action ask a family to do?

Ask for a next step you can actually support, such as "read our placement process", "send an inquiry through our contact form" or "complete the application linked here". Do not imply that an inquiry reserves a puppy unless your written process says it does.

An application can come before a longer conversation, especially when it asks about breed fit, daily routine and expectations. Our [puppy application questions guide](https://kennelpress.com/blog/puppy-application-questions.md) explains how to keep that conversation respectful and consistent.

Where money is involved, keep the instructions plain and use payment methods a buyer can dispute or trace. The FTC's [alert on avoiding pet scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/12/getting-pet-avoid-scams) says that only scammers insist on payment by gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency or wire transfer, and a legitimate announcement should never read like that.

## Quick answers

### Should I share a price in a litter announcement?

Share only what your program is ready to stand behind, and make sure it matches your written process. If price or terms are not final, say so rather than publishing a figure you may have to change.

### Can I announce a breeding before puppies are born?

Yes, as long as you present it as a planned or expected litter. Describe the parents and your process, and avoid presenting possible outcomes as promises.

### What should I do when every puppy is reserved?

Update the page. Keep the parents, photos and program information up for people researching a future litter, label the current availability accurately, and give them a clear way to ask about future plans if you want those inquiries.

### Is a social graphic enough?

It can work as an announcement, but it is a poor home for records that change. Link it to a current page on your own site so the details are easy to find and easy to update.

## Sources

- [How to Spot a Puppy Scam Online — American Kennel Club](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/spot-puppy-scam/)
- [CHIC Program — Orthopedic Foundation for Animals](https://ofa.org/chic-programs/)
- [Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.5: Images of Text — W3C](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/images-of-text.html)
- [Getting a pet? Avoid scams — Federal Trade Commission](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/12/getting-pet-avoid-scams)