OBBA litter registration is the single transactional step that turns a litter of puppies into recorded OBBA dogs with permanent registration numbers, breeder-prefix names, and public profiles in the archive. The fee is $20 per puppy. Most breeders submit between days 8 and 14 of the puppies' lives, after the breeder has confirmed sex and color on each puppy and has names selected.
Each puppy gets a temporary "puppy paper" (a permanent OBBA number issued immediately) that the buyer later converts to a permanent registration in the buyer's name for $20. The puppy paper transfers with the puppy to the new home; the buyer files the conversion themselves. This is standard registry workflow and works the same for OBBA-registered breeders regardless of kennel size or experience.
Honest framing. You need an active OBBA kennel membership to register a litter. Kennel membership is $24/month or $240/year. The kennel membership is what gives you the breeder prefix that goes on every puppy in the litter forever and that gives buyers the public-record proof they bought from a real OBBA breeder. Without the kennel registration, you can register individual dogs but not a litter.
Prerequisites
Before submitting a litter registration, you need:
- Active OBBA kennel membership. Active means current on $24/month or $240/year. New members sign up on /register-kennel and have access to the litter form within minutes.
- Sire registered with OBBA. If the sire is registered with another registry but not OBBA, you can dual-register the sire as part of the same flow.
- Dam registered with OBBA. Same rule applies. The dam is usually the breeder's own dog and is already registered.
- Whelp date confirmed. The actual date the puppies were born, not the breeding date.
- Puppy count by sex and color. Most breeders confirm this on day 5 to 7 once colors and markings stabilize.
- Registered names selected for each puppy. Format:
YourPrefix Name, e.g.Rosebull's Diesel. Naming policy. - Photos of each puppy. Recommended at submission, can be added later. Front-side or three-quarter views work best.
- Microchip numbers if implanted. Optional at submission, common to add when the puppies go home.
What it costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| OBBA kennel membership (annual) | $240/year |
| Litter registration, per puppy | $20 |
| Late filing surcharge (after 90 days from whelp) | none, but discouraged |
| Sire dual-registration (if applicable) | $20 once |
| Dam dual-registration (if applicable) | $20 once |
A typical 7-puppy litter registration: $140 ($20 x 7). Add $40 if the sire and dam need dual-registration. Total in most cases: $140 to $180 per litter beyond the kennel membership.
When to submit
The best window is between days 8 and 14 of the puppies' lives. By then:
- Sex is verifiable
- Colors and markings have stabilized enough to record accurately
- The breeder has had time to identify any issues (cleft palate, runts, etc.)
- You have time to settle on registered names
- The puppies still have 6+ weeks before going home, so registration certificates are ready when buyers pick up
Submitting earlier (under 7 days) is allowed but you will likely amend at least one field (color, name, sex) later. Submitting later (after 14 days) is fine but pushes the processing window closer to the puppies going home, which causes documentation crunch on the buyer side.
How to submit
- Log in to your OBBA breeder dashboard at /login.
- Click Register Litter. The form pre-fills your kennel and prefix.
- Select the sire and dam from your dropdown of registered dogs (or use the dual-registration flow inline if either parent needs it).
- Enter whelp date and number of puppies.
- For each puppy, enter sex, color, registered name, and (optional) microchip number, photo, and notes.
- Review the summary. Confirm. Pay $20 per puppy at checkout. Stripe handles the payment; receipts say "ABRA" because OBBA reuses ABRA's Stripe account.
- Submit. The litter goes into a brief moderation queue (usually under 24 hours) where the registrar verifies the parents and the prefix usage.
- Once approved, each puppy gets a permanent OBBA number assigned in the format
OB{seq}-{YY}. Puppy papers are issued as printable PDFs in your dashboard. Print and give one to each buyer at pickup.
How long it takes
Most litter registrations process in 24 to 72 hours after submission. Edge cases (sire or dam needs verification, prefix conflict, color description ambiguous) can take 5 to 10 business days while we resolve.
Plan to submit at least 3 weeks before the first puppy goes home. That window covers processing, time for buyers to receive their puppy paper at pickup, and a buffer for any documentation issues.
What each puppy gets
- A permanent OBBA registration number (puppy paper)
- A registered name with your kennel prefix that stays for the life of the dog
- A public profile page on bulldoggeregistry.com that goes live once the buyer converts the puppy paper to permanent registration
- Full pedigree linking to sire, dam, and ancestry as recorded
- A printable certificate the breeder gives to the buyer at pickup
Full vs limited registration on litter forms
The litter form lets you mark each puppy's eventual registration type. Most pet puppies sold to buyers without breeding ambitions are marked limited, which means the dog is registered but its offspring cannot be registered with OBBA. Show or breeding-quality puppies are marked full.
The full-vs-limited decision should be in the buyer's sales contract before pickup. Buyers on limited registration typically have a spay/neuter contract; contracts and guarantees covers the standard language.
Amendments after submission
Most fields can be amended after submission with a quick request to the registrar: color clarifications, name changes (within the prefix-stays rule), sex corrections, and microchip additions. Amendments are free during the litter's first 90 days. After that, they cost $20 per change.
Sire or dam corrections after submission are handled case-by-case. If the wrong sire was listed (very rare but happens with co-bred litters), DNA verification may be required.
If things go wrong
- Lost puppies.If a puppy dies between registration and pickup, refund the registration fee through the dashboard. The puppy's record is marked deceased; the OBBA number is retired.
- Sire turned out not to be the sire. Co-bred litters or accidental matings sometimes produce surprises. DNA verification ($150-$250) resolves this. The registry record is updated once the actual sire is confirmed.
- Buyer never converts the puppy paper.The dog stays registered in the breeder's name on the puppy paper. The breeder can request the buyer convert at any time. If the buyer is unreachable, the dog remains technically registered to the breeder until the puppy paper is converted or transferred.
- Litter not registered before puppies leave.Buyers can hold the breeder accountable; the breeder pledge requires registration before pickup. Late registration is still possible but the buyers may file complaints with OBBA, which affects the breeder's public reputation.
Where to go next
- Register your kennel with OBBA (prerequisite for litter registration)
- Submit a litter registration (the form itself)
- Whelping guide
- COI and genetic diversity
- OBBA naming policy