When I bought my chihuahuas 2 days ago, they were only 6 weeks old, is that 2 young to be taken away from mom?

Question

The pet shop told me that the chihuahuas had already been there for a week? That would make them 5 weeks old??? Isnt that a little too young to be taken away from mommy?? They seem to be doing fine tho

Answer 1

That is way too young to be taken away from the mother.

Ten weeks should be the absolute minimum for most breeds! A good breeder will usually wait until about twelve weeks.

There could be problems down the line, but hopefully your dogs will be okay. This is one of the reasons not to buy from pet shops - they are only in it for the money not for the health and welfare of the pets. Younger puppies are smaller and cuter, so they will sell faster, that's the bottom line.

Answer 2

Hi Leslie, 5 weeks is to young to take from mom.It's usually 6-7 weeks old. If you got your chihuahuas from a pet store,they are puppy mill pups and they don't care about any of the pups.They have these pups for one reason only.To make a fast buck.So love your 2 little ones and just think you save 2 helpness pups from a life of death.They need to put those puppy mill BASTARD IN PRISON AND THROW THE KEYS AWAY. A Friend Who Cares.

Clowmy

Answer 3

Pet shops are not a good place to buy dogs. The people who supply pet shops are called "puppy mills" They breed dogs in large numbers, not caring about the mother dog's age or health, because their only goal is make a profit. They don't stop breeding when they find out a line is passing on terrible trait to their young. They don't socialize their dogs as much; often times the dogs live in metal cages most of their lives until being sold to the pet shop. They also have to watch their bottom line, so they may not feed the best food. Sorry!

I say this because it's part of the reason why I migth not trust the info they're giving you. The pet shop may not know or the puppy mill may not know or care. If you paid for a Chi you should get breed registration papers & pedigree --- and this must include their birthdate. If they didn't come with papers, for all we know this was a littler of chihuana-looking mutts.... and they may grow up far larger or different looking than a normal Chi is supposed to.

Answer 4

My sister bought her chihuahua from a private owner when she was only 5 weeks old. She was tiny! We were scared that she was taken away to soon as well but the owner had to get rid of them. We watched her like a baby, she was with someone at all times, and for the first week or so, along w/ her dog food, we fed her formula with a bottle (from the pet store!) just in case her digestive system wasnt developed enough to absorb the nutrients in her dog food. She is now 2 y/o and so far she hasn't had any health issues. The fact is, like in my sister's case, the puppies are probably too young but now it is your responsibility to raise them to be healthy adults! Best wishes and Good luck!

Answer 5

6 weeks is too young to expect anything from your pup. At this age he's probably not even aware that he's peeing, it's something that happens. You'll have to wait at least another month before there's any recognition or awareness of the functions. Keep him off the bed, take him out every 2 hours and be patient. Good luck.

Answer 6

Yes it is too young. In most places it is illegal for a pet store to have pups that young and in most states it is illegal for anyone to buy,sell, adopt or give away any puppy who hasn't completed it's 7th week and in some states it has to be 8 weeks old.

It is not a good idea to buy puppies from a pet store.They don't come from responsible breeders..mostly they come from mill breeders & brokers.

This pet store should be reported to animal welfare.

Answer 7

It's too late to worry about it now.

Just have lots of chew-toys around in case they have an oral fixation.

One last thing: don't buy from petstores. You are getting a puppy from a middleman who knows NOTHING about the lineage of the parents and they are costing you unnecessary amounts of markup. Many pet stores buy from puppy mills because they have a steady pupply of puppies, not because they are good quality pups.

If you are going to show your dog, then it is necessary for you to have a provable lineage. If you are not going to show, then you are wasting money on a dog "with papers" that really don't mean Jack anyway. You are better off going to a shelter and getting a mongrel for less money and not supporting the cruelty of puppy mills.

Answer 8

Hi they will be fine although they should have been left till they where at least 8 to 9 weeks old as it is illegal to sell puppies in a pet store below the age of 8 weeks...a breeder can sell them at 6 weeks providing that they are weaned & eating on there own...Regards Jake

Answer 9

In some places it's illegal to separate them from the mother before 7 weeks of age. Check your local laws. Five to six weeks is way too young. That's one of the many reasons to never buy a dog from a pet store again.

Answer 10

Though the pups have started to wean at that age-it is recommended they stay with mom and littermates to at least 8 weeks. One problem with tiny pups is that they can easily become hypo-glycemic. For future reference, I would also avoid buying pups from pet-stores. A good, responsible breeder has a waiting list of home for pups before they even breed. Pet-stores usually get pups from puppy-mill situations or back-yard breeders that pay no attention to breeding for quality.