removing puppy from its mother

[1tex]

how soon after a puppy is born should you remove it from its mother

[jrvl]

8 weeks min. Weaned at 5-6 weeks though.

[Whisper]

At least 8 weeks, and I prefer 10-12 weeks for toy breeds.

A lot of people think that when the pup is weaned it's ready to go home, but that's not true. Even after eating on its own, a puppy has a lot of things to learn about being a dog from its mother and littermates.

[TreeHillChi's]

At least 8 weeks, and I prefer 10-12 weeks for toy breeds.

A lot of people think that when the pup is weaned it's ready to go home, but that's not true. Even after eating on its own, a puppy has a lot of things to learn about being a dog from its mother and littermates.

I agree with this as I breed chihuahuas.

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by jrvl

8 weeks min. Weaned at 5-6 weeks though.

I would say weaned when the mom wants or is best for pups. If I remember correctly Dekka nursed them till 8 weeks. She stopped when she wanted too though, I didn't wean the pups.

The JRTCA code of ethics specifies never before 7 weeks. I would rather 8-10. But not more than that for JRTs. Some breeds like the whippets I think they should stay together longer.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Depends on your school of thought and training on fear stages. About 8 then again about 14 weeks is generally accepted. 9-13 weeks is a fear stage in development and unfortunately the most standard time to re-home the puppy which can be stressful.

I would re-home puppies based on the potential owners experience level in puppy rearing.

[UniquityBelgians]

Originally Posted by Dekka

If I remember correctly Dekka nursed them till 8 weeks. She stopped when she wanted too though, I didn't wean the pups.

Same with my Visa, she has gone 11 weeks nursing pups.

8 weeks minimum is best. My own pups generally have a fear period between 6-7.5 weeks, and at 8 weeks they just flourish and come into their own, and they're ready to go home. I've only had one pup actually leave me at 8 weeks though. Most are between 9-11 weeks (just depends on when the owner is able to come pick up, or when shipping is best, etc).

[RD]

I agree with weaning when the mother stops wanting to nurse. We've had dogs try to wean their puppies at 4 weeks and others who were still feeding at 12 weeks.

I wouldn't take a puppy away from mother/littermates earlier than 7 or 8 weeks. With my rescues I often have 3-5 week old puppies that -I- have to teach about being dogs. They learn so so much from their siblings and mother, it's crippling to their development to take them away from that at an early age if it's not absolutely necessary.

[smkie]

HIghly recommend 10-12 weeks. The last weeks are very important for good mental health. Absolutely no sooner than 8 if it has to be that way.