6 week old puppy!?

Question

ok, i'm looking at getting a puppy, and the litter i've chosen will be released at 6 weeks. it's coming with wormer, flea treatment & insurance - BUT, i keep hearing and reading that dogs should not be released until 8 weeks. why? we got our german shepherd from some real unsavoury characters at 6 weeks old, he was riddled with worms and we did him a favour to take him early, and he grew up to be the kindest dog ever known to man, dog and cat! so can someone tell me why a dog being released at 6 weeks is apparently so bad?

Answer 1

The reasoning is it gives them a chance to get fully weaned plus in the 6-8 week age range they learn their "life skills" from mom and the siblings.
Puppies that stay with mom and litter mates until they are at least 8 weeks of age generally have better temperments and are just all around more healthy (mind and body).
I have never met a responsible breeder that would let a puppy go 6 weeks old. If they were willing to do so, I would question their ethics. In some states it is even illegal to sell a puppy earlier than 8 weeks.

added: here is a helpful site:http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/pup-dev.pdf

Answer 2

It has already been said a little but the period between 6 - 8 weeks is when puppies learn valuable social skills by playing with other puppies and their mother. They learn not to bite too hard because the other puppies yelp and growl when they bite too hard, and they learn to read body language and facial expression from the other puppies. In theory they also learn at this stage to follow the lead of their mother as the "dominant" animal.

Most breeders allow their puppies to go to a home after 8 weeks because the puppy has learnt valuable social skills, they will be completely weaned, and because they would have had the first of their shots. HOWEVER this does not mean that a puppy should always stay with its mother until it is 8 weeks old.

Puppies that are raised for assistance dog work are usually removed from their mother by 49 days (7 weeks) of age so that the puppy bonds more strongly to people than to dogs. I got my puppy at 7 weeks and while he did have prolonged contact with other puppies because we fostered he has turned out better than normal - he is obedient, respects people, and is so calm and gentle that he does therapy pet work. A friend of mine is raising an assistance dog puppy and she is providing proper socialisation for him by teaching him how to be gentle and respectful in the same way that his litter mates would be.

The age of the puppy that you are looking at is not as important as the situation that the puppy is in. If it is a breeder ask to see the parents and see what they are like, ask to see the puppy when it is a few weeks old so that you can see how the litter is developing, ask them to let you see where the puppy is being raised - and most importantly make sure that the mother has weaned the puppies rather than having the breeders force wean the puppy. If they are not willing to let you have a look at where the puppy is being raised, or if they are not happy to answer questions then look elsewhere for a puppy - chances are that they may be a puppy mill and care more about the money they can get from selling the puppies rather than the long term health problems that the puppy may face.

Good luck.

Answer 3

hi, first of all we don't no the breed of dog you have in mind. But, really a dog should not leave its birth mother until 8 weeks, this is the minimum age. Puppy needs to interact with puppy birth siblings, this is a teaching time for puppy, as mum will teach him/her not to do something, he/she will not be 100% on solid food, they still require mums milk. You can by a substute for pup to drink, but its not the same. Puppy may not be drinking water yet, and can become very dyhrated quickly.
The the safety of this pup could you not wait just 2 more weeks, you could alway go a visit puppy!

Unfortunatly there are bad breeders out there, i am not sayinh yours is, but some will let puppy go early because the money is better at 6 weeks than waiting till 8 weeks, and at 6 weeks puppy's are playing and getting up to no good!
The decision is between you and your breeder, but i personally would wait for another 2 weeks.

Answer 4

Usually they're not fully weaned until 8 weeks of age. They need this amount of time with their mother. But mostly, it's the sign of a good breeder that they don't release them too early. A good breeder will usually have got the pup at least its first set of vaccinations (starting at 8 weeks of age).

Having said that, I've known a couple of people who've got their dogs at 6 weeks of age, from breeders that are known to my surgery and known to be very good. If a breeder knows the home their animal is going to and has met and is happy with the owner, they will sometimes release early. The way to tell if you've got a good breeder or not is to actually visit the home, preferably before the pups are actually released, to meet the breeder and preferably the mother dog. You MUST meet the mother dog, it's very suspicious if she isn't around when you pick up the pup. It's got nothing to do with whether pup will turn out to be a nice person or not, it's to do with whether the pup will turn out to be a healthy person, as you've discovered.

Chalice

Answer 5

The Kennel Club do not recommend a minimum age for puppies to leave their dam because it is recognised that different breeds, different litters, different breeders and different owners all mean different situations, there's no blanket "right" age. If your pup is coming from a responsible breeder, you'll be OK. The puppy will be spending the majority of its life interacting with humans and getting a really young puppy means it will will learn to live with humans quickly and well. As long as the puppy is fully weaned and you won't be leaving it alone for long periods he'll be fine. I've had puppies from 6 1/2 weeks to 9 weeks and haven't noticed any great difference in the way they've grown up.

Answer 6

They shouldnt be weened off of there mom until 8-10 weeks. They cant really get sufficient amount of nutrients on their own and it is really important to keep them warm (as they would be from the body heat of their mama)..if they are going to have worms it really doesnt matter the age you take them ,,they will have worms regardless. I delivered some puppies in December then was involved with their daily care we kept them until late Feb which was almost 9 weeks and the little one really could have stayed with mama a while longer. They arent emotionally ready until they are at least 8 weeks. Even more so if they are a small breed puppy. And shots should be included with your pup and they should really be 7 - 8 weeks before they get those. Good luck with the new addition!!

Answer 7

Very much depends on the pups, the breed and the breeder! Smaller breeds tend to stay with the mum a bit longer.... they say they should NOT leave mum before 6 weeks, its usual for them to be released at 6 - 8 weeks. If the breeder is reputable she probably knows what she's doing, and has already been socialising them etc. If she's worming them, flea-ing them and insuring them she sounds decent enough! Have you seen the pups, where they are kept and both parents?

Have they been kept inside, in a family home with a lot of stimulation and been introduced to people and things? Or kept in a kennel?

Some dogs get take away to soon and it makes them very nervous and that has a life long effect. If you have a lot of time and are willing to take the pup at 6 weeks, then it is probably fine. But the pup might be a bit more "clingy" and "nervous".

Answer 8

6 Weeks is fine. I don't know why everyone gets all worked up when you have a 6 week old puppy. In Montana I know really good breeders that let you pick them up at 6 weeks. One thing is that no Vet will give them there shots until they are 8 weeks.

A dog being released at 6 weeks isn't so bad. Some of these people on these forums are downright rude and mean. Use your own judgement.

Answer 9

In the state of Ca it is illegal to sell a dog under 8 weeks of age. They need there mothers untill this time. I have a friend that got a dog that was 6 weeks old and it just dies from an illness. I would not recomend taking this dog till 8 weeks of age.

Answer 10

Well, even tho a pup is weaned, they learn a ton of things from the mom and littermates in the way of manners in that 2 weeks between 6 and 8 weeks. Trust me, you're more likely to have behavioral issues with a pup let go too soon that was not permitted to learn more from mom and litter.

I would never take any pup under 8 weeks old for that reason.