Weaning Puppies- How early is too early?

Question

Just to clarify, I'm not the one weaning the puppies. My family and I are adopting a little mixed puppy who is on Day 30. We just met her four days ago and the woman said she was going to start weaning them but we couldn't pick her up until the 2nd...but the woman called my mom this morning and she insists they're all eating fine and that mom won't have anything to do with pups, so she was letting them go and we could come pick her up.

So, what I'm wondering is 1- If we take her in the next week (so 4-5 weeks old) What are the dangers?
And 2- if it's really unsafe for her to come with us this early, how long should we push for the owner to keep her with mom?

I'm just adding that sorry, this isn't a rescue pet :( We scanned all our local spca and rescue centers and none of the dogs fit with us. All the smaller breeds needed quiet, calm homes which, with our own business at home, is rarely "quiet" during business hours.

The woman we are getting our puppy from is a friend of the family and is otherwise WONDERFUL with her puppies. They are all well taken care of, well trained dogs. We were considering pushing for her to keep her with mom until all the other puppies had been taken home.

I'm loving all the answers and am absolutely sold on not picking her up just yet...
but to any that suggested it, We will not pick another puppy ;)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/n0isenkiss3s/cachetalone.jpg

How could I after meeting our little girl?

Answer 1

Do not take her from the litter.

Yes they should be eating on their own and mom is probably finished with them. However; socialization skills are acquired with the litter between now and 8 weeks.

You say "adopting" no decent rescue would allow this. Find another rescue!!!

Added:

Get away from the sh*tty breeder. If she doesn't care about you taking the pup that early she certainly didn't check any one for health issues. Don't give anyone a dime for a pos this owner is peddling.

Answer 2

Weaning Too Early

Answer 3

This is complicated because generally as you know a pup should not be taken away from it's mom for any length of time until it is 5 weeks old. during the first 20 days a pup is learning how to co-ordinate muscles and such so mom is still helping them learn to poo and pee and 21-35 they learn behavior.. Not seeing what is happening it is very hard to judge but the fact that she has drawn blood is a very good indication she is not mother hood material or is very very stressed out. How old is the dog? Is this her first litter? These are questions you have to ask yourself. I wish I was a breeder and could give you more conrete advice but If it was my dog, I would continue to supplement and let mom have some time away for 1/2 hour or so at a time maybe 4 or 5 times a day if possible. And keep a close check as you have been, but they are two weeks old and I would wait it out as long as is possible..Your dog may not be good for breeding or not know how to handle things well..without knowing you or your dog it is hard to pin point the exact reason she is doing this to such an extent. Moms usually snip to train pups but it does sound extreme. If you cannot be in the room with her 24/7 i would place a baby monitor in with them to listen for any signs the babies are in trouble and in need of your help. You may have a friend or relative or someone or you may be able to pick one up cheap in the paper or at a garage sale.. Pups should not be weened before 5 weeks and should not be sold until 9 weeks because they need the interaction with the other litter mates.But you may have to..Oh and supplement mom too..you probably know this..She needs more so that she can feed all those pups! Good Luck to you all.

Answer 4

Any breeder who would send a puppy home before 6 weeks should be shot.

Any breeder who would sent a puppy home AT 6 weeks is an irresponsible money grubber who likely just wants the bucks and to free up the b*tch to churn out another litter.

Puppies should not leave their mother before they are 8 weeks old at the absolute minimum. Many states have laws that mandate this.

Ideally, they should not leave their mother before they are 10-12 weeks old.

While they may be eating solid food before then, there are a lot of things they have to learn from their mother and littermates between 4-10 weeks. Pups taken from their mother too early are notorious for having behavioral issues.

Answer 5

This woman is an idiot. Do not accept a puppy less than 6-8 weeks old depending on the breed. That is way too young. Another 2 or 3 weeks will make all the difference in whether the pup you adopt lives. Read up on the breed.

Answer 6

It is UNSAFE for a puppy to leave its mother/siblings until at least 8 weeks.

Why unsafe? Because pups learn a LOT about bite inhibition as well as basic dog manners and socialization from 6-8 weeks. In my experience as a trainer, the VAST MAJORITY of issues I find with nipping/biting dogs and dog aggressive dogs are dogs who were removed from their litter before 8 weeks. This can easily lead to a dog ending up in a shelter because it is difficult to train.

Another concern you need to address is the fact that this breeder is by definition an irresponsible breeder. If she is this unknowledgable regarding pups, how well has she raised them? Do YOU really want to spend the next 12 years of this dog's life fixing this breeder's mistakes? Many states have laws requiring pups not be sold prior to 7-8 weeks... there is a reason for this.

Please consider whether this is a good situation for you and your family.

Answer 7

Even if she's eating fine she could end up with behavioral issues later on. Puppies learn a lot from Mom & littermates about manners and appropriate behavior for a dog. 6 weeks is the absolute minimum she should be taken away, 8 to 12 weeks is even better.

Answer 8

6-8 weeks is the norm for taking a pup from the litter, dont do it too soon

to the one below me, an idiot for what may i ask? is my answer not to your liking.. its an educated answer. pups should be on solids at around 3 weeks and completely weaned by 5 weeks and starting to socialize with other people at that age. taking a pup before 6 weeks (like i said) is too soon. some reputable breeders have done it as early as 6 weeks, but 8 weeks would be fine....is that clearer/better for you.

Answer 9

Don't pick her up until 8 weeks. It is totally normal for the mother to stop feeding by 4 weeks. This breeder is making lame excuses to dump her responsibility. Just because the mom is not feeding the pups doesn't mean they are ready to leave. Mothers teach their young things and littermates do too. Such as not to bite to hard and pack order.
The pups immune system is also not strong enough to leave the nest.
The breeder is just to lazy to care for them adn doesn't want to pay to feed them, vet them, worm them, clean up after them.. Please do not let her off the hook. It only encourages such people to breed again.
She needs to be STUCK with these pups. In fact... I'd go get one somewhere else.

Answer 10

it's not the human's place to wean. most puppies aren't separated from mom until about 9wks