> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://breederbuddy.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Your Dogs & Litters

> Getting started with your dogs and litters in BreederBuddy — where to add your breeding dogs, puppies, and litters, import your dogs from a spreadsheet, and how heat cycles, health testing, pedigrees, genetics, and the litter planner fit together.

# Managing Your Dogs & Litters

> **Video walkthrough:** [Watch on Loom](#) *(link coming soon)*

***

Every record in BreederBuddy starts with your animals. Your dogs are the foundation — once they're in the system, everything else (litters, health records, pedigrees, finances) builds on top of them automatically.

***

## The Core Idea

You add your dogs once. From there, BreederBuddy connects them to litters, tracks their health history, builds their pedigrees, and displays them on your public program page and website — all without you having to enter anything twice.

Think of it in three layers:

* **Dogs** — your individual animals, each with their own full profile
* **Litters** — a breeding between two of your dogs, tracking every puppy from whelp to go-home
* **Planning** — the Litter Planner lets you map out future breedings before they happen

***

## What Each Feature Covers

> **[Dogs](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/dogs.md)**
>
> Add and manage every dog in your program — health records, weight, gallery, sharing, and more.

> **[Heat Cycles & Breeding Records](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/heat-cycles.md)**
>
> Log heats, progesterone tests, and breedings, then turn a breeding into a litter.

> **[Health Certifications](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/health-certifications.md)**
>
> Upload OFA PDFs and track every health test with expiry badges.

> **[Litters](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/litters.md)**
>
> Track each litter from planned through born and completed. Manage puppies, statuses, finances, and go-home dates.

> **[Neonatal Check-In](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/neonatal-check-in.md)**
>
> Log daily puppy weights, ENS, and ESI from day 3 through day 16.

> **[Litter Planner](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/litter-planner.md)**
>
> See every breeding female's heat cycles, pregnancies, and forecast heats on one timeline.

> **[Pedigrees](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/pedigrees.md)**
>
> View, build, export, and share a family tree for any dog in your program.

> **[Genetics](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/genetics.md)**
>
> Record coat color and trait genetics, then forecast what a pairing could produce.

***

## Where to Start

If you're just getting set up:

1. **Add your sires and dams.** Go to [**Dogs**](https://app.breederbuddy.com/animals) in the left menu, click **Add Dog** in the top right, set **Type** to **Active Breeding Dog**, and click **Create Dog**. Repeat for each breeding dog.
2. **Add any current litters.** Go to [**Litters**](https://app.breederbuddy.com/litters), click **Add Litter**, pick the **Sire** and **Dam**, fill in the **Date Bred** (and **Date of Birth** if they're born), and click **Save**.
3. **Add your puppies.** Open each litter, go to the **Puppies** tab, click **Add New Puppy**, enter a **Name** and **Sex**, and click **Create Puppy**. They link to the litter's parents automatically.

Have a lot of dogs already in a spreadsheet or another program? Skip the typing — see [Importing Your Data](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/getting-started/importing-your-data.md) to bring them in with a CSV or let Buddy read your files.

Once your animals are in, the rest of the system starts working for you.

***

## Tips & Common Questions

> **Should I add puppies from the Dogs page or the litter?**
>
> From the litter. Open the litter, go to the **Puppies** tab, and click **Add New Puppy**. That keeps the puppy linked to the litter, so their date of birth, sire, and dam fill in automatically.

> **Do I need to add outside stud dogs as full dogs?**
>
> No. On the litter, click **Select a Sire** (or **Select a Dam**). Outside dogs you've used before are listed below your own dogs (click **Use**), or click **Add a new outside sire** (or dam) to add one. They're kept in your pedigrees, not your Dogs list. If you want their health records on file too, add them with **Add Dog** instead.

> **How do I keep a puppy as a future breeding dog?**
>
> Open the puppy's profile, click **Edit Details**, change **Type** to **Active Breeding Dog**, and save. Their profile gains the breeding tools, like **Heat Cycles** for girls.

> **Can I import my dogs instead of adding them one by one?**
>
> Yes. On the **Dogs** page, click the cloud icon next to **Add Dog** and choose **Bulk CSV Import** or **Import with Buddy**. See [Importing Your Data](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/getting-started/importing-your-data.md).

***

## Still Have Questions?

We're here to help. If something isn't working the way you expect, or you'd like to have a discussion around a certain topic, please reach out to us anytime through the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen.

Thank you.


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