Commercial Dog Import to Canada for Breeders
If you are a breeder bringing puppies into Canada to breed or resell, that is a commercial import, and it runs on a different, stricter track than a family bringing home one pet. It needs a CFIA import permit, a tighter 48-hour health certificate, a pre-scheduled border inspection, and a customs-broker document package. Here is the whole picture, plus how we fit in as your transporter.
Is this you? Personal vs. commercial
This page is for commercial imports: a breeder bringing puppies into Canada to breed or resell (resale includes adoption). If instead you are a family bringing home a single puppy you have bought as your pet, that is a personal pet import, which is simpler and is a different page.
The line matters, and it is enforced. The personal route is nota shortcut around the commercial rules. Border officers can and do look importers up online, so a breeder or kennel bringing in stock as "just my pet" is taking a real risk. If you breed or resell, use the commercial route below.
The import permit
A commercial import needs a CFIA import permit. For the breeding end use, the limits are:
- 2 import permits per year
- 2 puppies per permit
If you need more than that, you fall under the separate resale/adoption end use, which has its own set of requirements. Requirements differ by end use, so confirm which one applies to you with CFIA or your customs broker before you plan a trip.
Tighter timeline and a border inspection
- Health certificate within 48 hoursof the crossing — tighter than the 72-hour window for a personal pet, so it has to be timed against your inspection slot.
- Rabies vaccination certificate if the puppy is over 12 weeks.
- A CFIA veterinary inspection at the border, pre-scheduled. This is arranged in advance, not a walk-up, so the whole trip is planned around the inspection appointment.
- Sale receipt for each puppy.
What your customs broker needs
A customs broker files the commercial entry. To do it, they need a complete package. Have this ready:
- Seller: name, address, phone, email
- Buyer: name, address, phone, email
- Sale receipt
- Health certificate (within 48 hours)
- Rabies proof (if over 12 weeks)
- Transporter's carrier code (the US SCAC or its Canadian equivalent, the CBSA carrier code)
- Port of entry
- Expected time of entry
- Manifest (the transporter or the broker prepares it)
How Dreamer's Bliss fits in
We are the transporter, working alongside your customs broker — we are not a broker ourselves. On a commercial run we hold the carrier code, prepare the manifest, and provide the port and expected time of entry so your broker can file the entry cleanly, and we move the puppies door to door. You bring the permit and the broker; we handle the road, the timing, and the border logistics.
Importing by air cargois a different process again — a broker is often required by the airline, and commercial dogs under 8 months arriving by air need an approved CFIA quarantine facility. If air is on the table, talk to us first.
Confirm before you import
Treat this as general information, not legal advice. Commercial import rules change and vary by end use, so confirm the current requirements with CFIA or your customs broker before you plan a trip. The authoritative sources:
Related: personal puppy import (the pet you are keeping) · transport for breeders · get a transport quote
FAQs
How many puppies can a breeder import to Canada?
For the breeding end use, CFIA caps it at 2 import permits per year and 2 puppies per permit. If you need to bring in more than that, you fall under the separate resale/adoption end use, which has its own requirements. Confirm which end use applies to you with CFIA or your customs broker.
How soon before crossing does the health certificate have to be done for a commercial import?
Within 48 hours of the crossing. That is tighter than the 72-hour window for a personal pet import, so the vet visit has to be timed carefully against your border inspection slot.
Do I need a customs broker?
A broker is not legally mandated by CBSA, but for a commercial import it is strongly recommended, and they file the entry. They need a full document package (below). We work alongside your broker as the transporter, providing the carrier code, manifest, and port and time of entry.
Can I just import the puppies as personal pets to skip the permit?
No. Bringing puppies in to breed or resell is commercial by definition, and misdeclaring it as personal is a real risk: border officers can and do look importers up online, and a breeder or kennel presence gives it away. Use the commercial route.
What does the customs broker need from me?
Seller name, address, phone and email; buyer name, address, phone and email; the sale receipt; the health certificate; rabies proof; the transporter's carrier code; the port of entry; the expected time of entry; and a manifest, which the transporter or the broker prepares.
Is importing by air cargo different?
Yes. Air cargo is a separate process, a broker is often required by the airline rather than optional, and commercial dogs under 8 months arriving by air need an approved CFIA quarantine facility. Talk to us and your broker before booking an air route.
Ready for a quote?
Tell us the route, the pet, and the date. We'll come back with a price within 24 hours.