11 to 12 Weeks is Fine for Some Breeds
Some breeders prefer to keep their puppies a bit longer than 10 weeks. Those who breed toy breeds especially, including Chihuahuas, Papillons, and other tiny dogs, will keep the puppies until they are 11 to 12 weeks of age. These tiny puppies can be quite fragile physically and may be slower to mature mentally and emotionally as babies. A few more weeks with their mother and littermates, as well as the people they know in their family, is often best for them.
Larger puppies, however, shouldnt wait this long to go to their new homes. Nine to ten weeks of age is fine but any older could be problematic. Not only do large breed puppies grow rapidly, they are also stronger and rowdy, potentially making it more difficult for new owners to bond with this excited, big puppy who is jumping, pawing and otherwise making life difficult. Also, a 10-week-old large-breed puppy is still a dependent baby; by 12 weeks hes changing. Its much easier for new owners to bond with an eight—to 10-week-old puppy.
Why Puppies Need Time With Mom And Littermates
Puppies should not leave their mom and littermates before eight weeks of age. The mother dog has so much to teach the new puppy; lessons that will affect him all his life, and his littermates teach important lessons as well. If the mother dog has passed away, the littermates need to remain together.
translation missing: en.customer.login.title translation missing: en.customer.login.email translation missing: en.customer.login.password
Dog breeders and behavioral specialists feel that the 8-12 week range is the adequate age for most dogs to leave their mother for their new homes.
Unfortunately, in talking with other dog trainers, behavioral consultants and behaviorists, we all agree were seeing a trend of puppies leaving mom and littermates far too young. A puppy who leaves his mother and littermates at five to six weeks of age, or worse yet, even younger, is going to suffer for that throughout his life.
Right Age to Separate a Puppy from his/her Mother and Siblings
There is a lot of discussion as to when should a puppy be removed from its mother (also referred to as “dam”). One school of thought says eight weeks is fine. Another feels that 12 weeks is the best time.
It is important to stress that puppies learn a lot from their mother during their first few weeks. The longer a puppy gets to stay with its dam, the more time it has to develop traits and good habits that will help it in the short and long term.
Before one can determine when is the best time to remove a puppy from its mother, a pet parent needs to understand the different phases a dog goes through during the puppy stage.
For the first two weeks of life, a puppy cannot see or hear. It is all relying on its mother for food. Therefore, its chances of survival are strongly dependent on the dam.
In the event a puppy has lost its mother or the mother cannot produce milk, providing the pup with a milk replacer is a good alternative.
At two to four weeks, a puppy opens its eyes. It will also be able to hear. In addition, a puppy at this point in its development will start to crawl, stand and eventually walk. Again, it is highly dependent on it mother.
By the time a puppy is seven weeks old, it should be fully weaned and be able to eat solid foods. A puppy at this stage no longer needs to be nursed by its mother.
From four to twelve weeks, the socialization process really starts to take shape. A puppy at this point in its life cycle will learn to obey its mother, follow her commands, interact with siblings, and start interacting with humans.
While some breeders feel that it is all right to release a pup from its mother at eight weeks, most professional breeders strongly recommend that a puppy should be separated from its dam and litter at 12 weeks of age. By this time, a puppy will have been accustomed to feeding and grooming itself. Also it would have learned to socialize with other dogs, and the dog’s personality would have had some time to develop.
Another good reason to keep a puppy with its mother until 12 weeks is that by then it would have had the first of its two-stage vaccines. Thereby, helping the puppy build its immune system before it is adapted by a forever family.
In summary, whether you plan to adopt, purchase, or sell a puppy, you need to be aware of how important it is for the puppy to have a strong bond with its mother during the first 12 weeks of its life. If a puppy is taken away for its dam and litter before 12 weeks of age, it might not fully develop its socializations skills which are vital to ensuring a puppy grows up to become a well-behaved dog. Share This:
Allivet.com, Trusted Pet Pharmacy Since 1992. Allivet.com supplies everything from prescription, non-prescription medication for farm and companion animals, pet medication, pet flea control, pet vitamins, veterinarian diagnostic devices, equine supplements & medications, equine performance products, equine vaccines, and much more at highly affordable prices.
Allivet.com, Trusted Pet Pharmacy Since 1992. Allivet.com supplies everything from prescription, non-prescription medication for farm and companion animals, pet medication, pet flea control, pet vitamins, veterinarian diagnostic devices, equine supplements & medications, equine performance products, equine vaccines, and much more at highly affordable prices.