The short answer
Keep the pups with their mother until they are at least 8 weeks old and fully weaned, and ideally after a first vaccination and worming that your vet advises on. Microchip each pup before it leaves and transfer the chip to the new owner. Charge a modest fee rather than giving pups away free, and screen every home. If this was an accidental litter, the most important step is to desex the mother, and any entire males, so it never happens again. You can rehome the pups yourself for free on LocalPetFinder, or surrender the litter to a rescue if you cannot care for them safely.
Rehoming puppies the right way
List each pup free on LocalPetFinder, screen every home, and keep them until they are ready to go. Your email stays private.
List a puppy free →If this was an accidental litter
No judgment. A missed season, a fence a dog got through, a rehomed dog who turned out to be pregnant. Accidental litters are common, and beating yourself up over it helps nobody. What matters is what you do next, and there is one step that matters more than all the others.
Book the mother in for desexing as soon as your vet says it is safe once the pups are weaned, and desex any entire male dogs in the home as well. This is the single most important thing you can do, because it is what stops the next accidental litter. An entire female can come back into season sooner than most owners expect, and a second litter while you are still rehoming the first is a real risk. Some councils and welfare organisations run subsidised desexing, so ask your vet or council what is available if cost is a worry.
Everything else in this guide, the timing, the microchipping, the screening, applies to any litter. But if there is one line to take away, it is this: desex the mother, and you turn a one-off into never again.
When can puppies leave their mum?
Not before 8 weeks of age. This is the rule that trips up well-meaning owners in a hurry to find homes, so it is worth being firm on. By 8 weeks a puppy should be fully weaned onto solid food, and just as importantly it has had the early weeks with its mother and littermates that shape how it behaves for the rest of its life.
Those weeks are where a pup learns bite inhibition, how to read other dogs, and how to settle. Taking a pup away too early is linked to more anxiety, more biting, and more reactivity down the track, problems that can follow the dog into its new home and sometimes back out of it. Waiting until 8 weeks is not a formality. It is one of the biggest favours you can do the pup and its future family.
Many owners also wait until each pup has had its first vaccination and a worming treatment before it goes. Your vet will advise on the right timing for the litter. If you are not certain a pup is ready to leave, your vet is the person to ask.
The legal steps: microchipping and advertising
A few legal points apply when puppies change hands, and they are easy to get right once you know them. In NSW a puppy must be microchipped before it is sold or given away, and the microchip registration must be transferred to the new owner through the NSW Pet Registry at handover. Do the transfer as the pup leaves, so the new owner is on record from day one. If the pup is ever lost, that registration is how it gets home. Your vet can microchip the litter if it has not been done.
When you advertise puppies, several states, including NSW, require identifying details in the ad itself. The exact requirements change and vary between states, so check the current rules for advertising animals with the NSW Office of Local Government, or your own state authority, before you post rather than relying on a figure or rule quoted elsewhere.
One rule is firm across the board: restricted breeds cannot be sold or given away. If any pup in the litter could be a restricted breed or cross, check with your council before advertising it.
Screening homes for puppies
Puppies are in high demand, which sounds like good news but brings its own risk. A free litter of pups draws exactly the wrong crowd, so how you list and screen matters more here than almost anywhere.
Charge a modest fee, and screen every home. A small rehoming fee filters out the minority who collect free animals to flip on for profit, or worse. It is not about the money, it is a filter. Beyond the fee, ask questions of everyone who applies: their living situation, whether they rent or own, whether the yard is secure, what other pets they have, and who is home during the day. Ask why they want a puppy and whether they understand the work and cost involved. Never hand a pup to someone who wants it sight-unseen for cash and no questions. Meet them, trust your read, and it is completely fine to say no.
Our guide to screening adopters covers the questions to ask and the red flags to watch for, and our free-to-good-home guide explains why a small fee protects a litter so well.
What to send home with each puppy
A little preparation makes each pup's move far smoother and sets the new owner up to do right by it. Put together a small pack for every puppy before it leaves:
- The vet record for that pup, including any vaccination given and the microchip number.
- Microchip details for transfer so the new owner can be registered as the pup's owner straight away.
- Some of the food the pup is currently eating. A small bag of the same food prevents an upset tummy while the new owner transitions to whatever they choose.
- The worming schedule so far, written down: what worming the pup has had, when, and what is due next, so the new owner's vet can continue without guessing.
- Honest notes on the pup's personality, what it has been exposed to, and any quirks, so the new family knows the dog they are getting.
Get the worming schedule and any medical detail from your vet rather than quoting it from memory. Puppies need worming more often than adult dogs, and the new owner's vet needs the real dates to pick it up correctly.
If you cannot care for the litter
Sometimes rehoming a whole litter yourself is more than you can take on, or you cannot safely care for the pups until they reach 8 weeks. That is a fair reason to hand the litter to a rescue, and doing so is responsible, not a failure.
Welfare organisations such as RSPCA NSW, Animal Welfare League NSW, and Sydney Dogs and Cats Home take surrenders, usually by appointment rather than as walk-ins. Ring ahead, because intake space is limited and a whole litter needs planning. They will still want the pups healthy, wormed, and honestly described. Whether you rehome the pups yourself or surrender them, our guide to surrendering a dog and our things to do before rehoming cover the wider picture.
Ready to find each pup a good home?
List your puppies free on LocalPetFinder, screen the people who apply, and choose each family yourself. Your email stays private and the pups stay with you until handover.
List a puppy for free →Related guides
The questions to ask and the red flags to watch for before you hand over a pup.
Why a modest fee plus screening protects a litter far better than a free listing.
The same responsible approach for an accidental litter of kittens.
The full owner-to-owner process, free on LocalPetFinder.
Frequently asked questions
At what age can puppies leave their mother?+
Not before 8 weeks of age. By 8 weeks puppies should be fully weaned onto solid food and have had crucial early time with their mother and littermates, which shapes their behaviour for life. Taking a pup away earlier is linked to more anxiety, biting, and reactivity later on. Many people also wait until the pup has had its first vaccination and a worming treatment before it goes, which your vet can advise on. If you are unsure whether a litter is ready, your vet is the person to ask.
I have an accidental litter. What do I do first?+
First, there is no judgment here. Accidental litters happen, and what matters is handling it well from here. Care for the pups until they are at least 8 weeks old and weaned, then rehome them responsibly. The single most important step, though, is to book the mother in for desexing as soon as your vet says it is safe, and to desex any entire male dogs in the home too. That is what stops the next accidental litter, and it is the one thing that turns a one-off into never again. Your vet can talk you through timing and any low-cost desexing options in your area.
How do I desex the mother after a litter?+
Ring your vet and book a desexing appointment. They will advise on the right timing once the pups are weaned and the mother has recovered. Desexing the mother, and any entire male dogs in the household, is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent another accidental litter. Some councils and welfare organisations run subsidised or low-cost desexing programs, so it is worth asking your vet or local council what is available if cost is a concern. Do not put it off. An entire female can come back into season sooner than most owners expect.
Do puppies need to be microchipped before I give them away?+
Yes. In NSW a puppy must be microchipped before it is sold or given away, and the microchip registration must be transferred to the new owner through the NSW Pet Registry at handover. It is a simple online step and it matters, because if a pup is ever lost the registry is how it gets home. Requirements differ between states, so check the current rules for your state or territory, but microchipping before a pup changes hands is the standard expectation across Australia. Your vet can microchip the litter if it has not been done.
Can I advertise puppies for sale or rehoming online?+
You can, but check the current rules first. Several states, including NSW, require identifying details to be included in any advertisement for a dog or puppy, and restricted breeds cannot be sold or given away at all. The rules change and vary by state, so check the current advertising requirements with the NSW Office of Local Government or your own state authority before you post. On LocalPetFinder, listing a puppy is free and your email stays private while you screen the people who apply.
Should I give puppies away free or charge a rehoming fee?+
A modest rehoming fee is safer than a free-to-good-home ad. A small fee filters out the minority of people who collect free animals for the wrong reasons, including those who flip pups on for profit or worse. It also signals to genuine adopters that the pups are valued. The fee does not need to be large, and what matters far more is the screening you do on each home. A fee plus real screening is the responsible combination for a litter. See our free-to-good-home guide for why this matters so much with puppies.
How do I screen homes for puppies?+
Ask questions and never hand a pup to someone who wants it sight-unseen for cash. Ask about their living situation, whether they rent or own, whether they have a secure yard, what other pets they have, and who is home during the day. Ask why they want a puppy and whether they understand the work and cost of raising one. A good adopter is happy to answer and often asks you plenty in return. Someone pushing to collect quickly with cash and no questions is a red flag. Meet them, trust your read, and it is fine to say no.
What should I send home with each puppy?+
Send the pup's vet record, its microchip details for transfer, some of the food it is currently eating, and a written note on its worming schedule so far and what is due next. Add honest notes on the pup's personality, what it has been exposed to, and any quirks. A small bag of the current food prevents tummy upset during the change, and the worming schedule tells the new owner exactly what their vet needs to continue. Being thorough here sets the pup and the new family up to succeed.
How often do puppies need worming?+
Young puppies need worming more often than adult dogs, and your vet will give you the exact schedule for the litter. The important thing when rehoming is to write down what worming each pup has had and when the next treatment is due, and to pass that to the new owner in writing. That way their vet can pick up the schedule without guessing. Do not quote intervals or products from memory. Get the schedule from your vet and hand it over with each pup.
Can I surrender a whole litter to a rescue instead?+
Yes, and sometimes that is the right call. If you cannot safely care for the litter until 8 weeks, or you cannot manage rehoming them yourself, welfare organisations such as RSPCA NSW, Animal Welfare League NSW, and Sydney Dogs and Cats Home take surrenders, usually by appointment. Ring ahead, because intake space is limited and a whole litter needs planning. They will still want the pups healthy, wormed, and honestly described. Surrender and owner-to-owner rehoming are both legitimate. Choose the one that lets you do right by the pups.
Sources
- RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase: weaning age, responsible rehoming, and desexing
- NSW Office of Local Government: advertising rules, restricted breeds, and companion animal law
- NSW Pet Registry: microchipping and transfer of ownership
- Australian Veterinary Association: puppy vaccination, worming, and desexing guidance