My friend has just posted on her fb account pictures of her new puppy. Poor little thing is only 6 weeks old. She said she got him from Bognor Regis, a quick google search brings up the likely 'breeder'.

The ad goes like this...
LOVELY miniature Yorkshire terriers for sale. 3 bitches 1 dog. Pedigree. 6 weeks old.Vet checked, wormed and can be microchipped before leaving. In a family environment, can be seen with both parents. Bognor Regis...

Those poor little pups, so tiny and away from mum far too soon :-(

I would have thought they would have been like Papillons and stayed until at least 12 weeks.

i think 6 weeks for some smaller breeds can be ok....not ideal, but still "ok" certainly my own experience with the smaller breeds is that their pups are much much further advanced mentally/physically than my own giant breed. we once had a 3 week old lakeland given to us and it was like a5 or 6 week old in my own slower breed

I'm wary of any add that refers to a litter as minature as yorkies are only supposed to come in one size!

I would say the opposite Sam. Tiny puppies just by the fact they weigh less have little resources to call open if they are exposed to infection of any sort. Very few reputable breeders will part with a small breed pup under the age of 12 weeks and those who do are very much frowned upon. Six weeks is outrageous they will barely be weaned and miss out on all the socialisation mum teaches them.

> I'm wary of any add that refers to a litter as minature as yorkies are only supposed to come in one size!

No,they come in three sizes apparently-standard(ie donkey size),miniature and toy-lol!!

Sorry but no, a toy breed should never ever leave that early.  They are unable to regulate their body temperature still at that age, I've had Pom's die at 7 weeks with supposedly "no" health problems and sadly we lost a number many years ago after their vaccinations.  We usually don't let our Pom's go until they are around 12 weeks, earliest I would do to an experience owner is 10 weeks.  The Spanish on the otherhand go to their new homes at 7 and a bit weeks usually.

My thoughts exactly, as a toy breed (or IMO, any breed) 6 weeks is way to early. I was just so shocked, although I suppose with so many bybs around these day I should be used to seeing these sort of things!

Poor little fella.

I'm definitely with Ann -toybreeds need to be much older than larger breeds when going -my Papillons don't go until 14 weeks at least and that wasn't a day too late. I saw a 9 week old Chihuahua pup at the vet's the other day and was horrified somebody had let it go that early. The are so different to bigger pups it's almost like a different species. Way slower to mature. I never realised just how different until I had toypups myself. They are far more like kittens.

Hope the poor pups are ok.Why are there so many totally ignorant people breeding puppies at the moment-surely knowing the best age to go to their new homes is basic knowledge.It never used to be like this-now every Tom,Dick and Harry wants to breed without being bothered to find out anything about it-and its the poor dogs that suffer.

I think PDE created a huge market for "non show breeders" Its like reverse snobbery. The public are confused had always been told to go to a reputable breeder etc then saw on tv what these reputable breeders do and so now Joe Bloggs can mate what he likes as often as he likes and the public now assume this is best.

I agree, I have one of the larger toys and we generally don't sell until 10 weeks. But then anyone advertising 'miniature' Yorkies is not going to a knowledgable ethical breeder sadly... :(

I cannot get over how evil people are to young animals. 6 weeks is too young .
I am very upset at an advert on another large selling site at moment- mongrel kittens one month old £30 each.  I have reported the advert to the site but they have left it on :(  those poor poor babies.

Again kittens should be 13 weeks it should be illegal to advertise them like this

well the advertising website have not removed the adverts for these poor unweaned kittens so I have now contacted RSPCA who reckon they will look into it.  I cannot get over how many horrible people are selling poor unweaned kittens and barely weaned pups online.

Awful. :( The consequences can be far reaching as well. I once took on a rescued kitten that had been taken from his mother at 4 weeks. Long story but there was NO way he could have been taken back to his mother as he'd been taken by a lorry driver from Scotland to Yorkshire. I bought him off a neighbour to try to get him to at least survive.  He was a wonderful cat, but the early upbringing meant he didn't get enough taurine and that damaged his brain, as it can do in cats. By the time he was 5 he was going blind and his mind was going completely and he had to be put to sleep. :( All could have been prevented if he'd been allowed to stay with his mum and fed properly when taken away from her.

My daughters BFs mother has a 7 wk old YT...she was given it as a gift from her sister at aged 5wks!!!
It wont eat any puppy food and is being hand fed human food....it has no social skills and is really quite nasty at times..it lunges for your face!!!
My mother has a 3yr old YT...beautiful little boy...no bad bone in his body and she got him at 11wks.

toffeecrisp
My daughters BFs mother has a 7 wk old YT...she was given it as a gift from her sister at aged 5wks!!!<br />It wont eat any puppy food and is being hand fed human food....it has no social skills and is really quite nasty at times..it lunges for your face!!!<br />My mother has a 3yr old YT...beautiful little boy...no bad bone in his body and she got him at 11wks.

Yes my friend says this puppy "is an evil little monster... haha..." she might think his bad manners are 'cute' now but just you wait. *rolls eyes*

Did ask her about why the 'breeder' let him go so early, her answer was he is fully weaned and he was ready to go!! :-o

I bet he was actually barely 6wks when she collected him. Absolutely sickening :-(

I have a yorkie bitch who came home when she was 6 weeks old. I got her before I had been educated by all the good advice on here. I had been to visit the litter a few times and had been told they were going to their new homes at 8 weeks. Just before she was 6 weeks old I had an e-mail from the breeder, the message title was "Surprise!!" and she told me I could collect her that weekend. I was really worried at the time that this was too young and rang the person who I thought would be able to give me the best advice, the vet. I was told that providing they were eating and drinking independently that it would be fine so I collected her at 6 weeks. In hindsight I should not have bought from this breeder but I used what little knowledge I had at the time to make a choice. Thank goodness for all the good advice on here as if and when I consider another pup I feel better armed to make sure that both myself and the pup get the best start.
jane

I would never ever let a small/toy breed go before 12 weeks!!! I got my Chi puppy at 14 weeks (he's on the small side) and I thought that was just right. Some people should stay away from breeding, in fact they should stay away from owning a dog all together!!!!!

My chosen breed are small terriers, the optimum for them to go to new homes is somewhere between 6 - 8 weeks, I think it varies from litter to to litter at which point though.
I am no expert but that has been my understanding, though I always understood toy breeds to need more like 12 weeks.

Karen :)

Pugnut,
BFs mother didnt buy her pup, it was her sister, as a gift for her as she had just had a major op and was depressed!!!!
The pup is just 7 wks as of yesterday...even worse!!. She is taking her to the vet tomorrow to discuss her non social skills as she wants to breed her in 2 yrs time....not my buisness I know, but I did tell her to get her spayed. She already has a Rottie (gorgeous girl) and a 13yr old GS.
The breeder had said that the pup was old enough to go as she was fully weaned..I havent seen her but my daughter says she is very tiny.

OMG hasn't this poor scrap had enough of a poor start without being intended for a brood bitch!!!

I'm sure a toy puppy can survive away from it's home and breeder even at 5 weeks....

just as it could live in a shed,

have a litter at it's first season,

eat scraps,

get turfed out when it outlives it uses.

Because it can...... Doesn't mean it should!

> OMG hasn't this poor scrap had enough of a poor start without being intended for a brood bitch!!!

I actually had a phone call last year from someone that had just bought 2 Chihuahua bitches at 6 weeks of age.  She was phoning for advice on breeding from them!

I bloody despair at times.