Please can someone advise as to when is the best time for a pup to leave his mum. We have been offered a pup at 6 weeks-I m no expert but thought this a bit early. What do you think?

Depends on the breed, but usually around 7 to 8 weeks for medium breed like mien that are well advanced in their development.  In many toy breeds this would not be until aroudn 12 weeks of age.

I would be wary of anyone letting pups go more than a few days before 8 weeks of age.

the book of the bitch says puppys bond better with there new owner at 7 weeks than at 8 weeks

We didn't pick one of our girls up until she was 9 weeks and have had no problems with bonding. I too would go with the eight week rule though. Puppies need to be with thier siblings and mum until this age as this is when lots of important lessons are learned.

My oldest girl sidn't come to me until 11 1/2 weeks, and plenty of dogs homed any time from puppyhood to old age have no problem bonding eiththeri owners.  The ones who do have often not had proper socialisation and handling from birth, but this should not be a problem with a loving breeder, but most definately is more likely with puppy faremed pups, where usually it isn't leaving Mum to late but to early and then not having much human interaction until they come into the family is the problem.

Dogs can bond with their new owners at any age - look at all the rescues.

I would not let my Dobermann pups go at 7 weeks as feel this is too early and they have not learnt enough from their mother and littermates at this age.

It is quite unusually for a breeder to place the pups before at least 7 weeks, I know I could never part with mine before 8 weeks for my own pleasure, so I think you have to ask why.  I don't think it is particularly damaging to the pups though as the Guide Dog puppies go to their walkers, who are of course experienced homes, at 6 weeks and they certainly rear into lovely well adjusted dogs.  Perhaps there will be a reason like a large litter was handreared and the breeder is worn out :)

I usually let mine go at 7 weeks but this is because I have had huge litters and the pups seemed starved of attention.  I think I have read somewhere to keep them with their mums until 7 weeks as this is the time that the mums put them in their place but for the life of me I cant remember where. 

Well how would a hand reared pup fair.What i mean is you read about the mother dying through the birth and the pup's have to be hand reared,how do these pup's fair if they have had no mother to learn from.

I gather some of them do indeed have problems dealing with other dogs, but these can be overcome with intensive training and socialisation.

Have always wondered about that one.

I am now having this problem with Ellie, she and her litter mates were hand reared, litter mates are doing fine in new homes, but because Ellie has stayed with me she has become emotionally clingy. She does not suffer separation anxiety and is fine when I am not around, but the problem is when I am around. It is going to take me quite a while to sort this one out. She is fine with the dogs she lives with, I have 7 labs, but when encoutering dogs outside the home, she simply hides behind my legs after the initial pleasant greetings. I only realised this was the problem about a week ago, she is now 6 months. If I do not get her over this difficult hurdle quickly, I envisage serious problems within the next few months.

I hand reared one of my last litters, but had another at the same time, so the mum of the second litter actually 'sorted' out the hand reared pups, socialised them, taught them right from wrong............personally I prefer 8 weeks for pups to leave,  but would consider 7 weeks but definitely not before

Hi shedog
My eldest dalmatian and one that I bred were both hand reared although they were kept with the litter and both of them were/are worse than a normal dalmatian.  I took Purdy to dog training and the trainer who was also a behaviourist was convinced this was part of the problem as she thought she was 'different' because she was kept seperate from the pack at feeding time.  I dont know whether this is the case or she was just a stubborn, bloody minded little rat bag but I will say none of the others I have are anywhere near as bad.

TTS

Hi tts,

That's the trouble I find with constant research - keep remembering things I've read but lose track of it when I'm trying to source it again :P

I *KNOW* that I've even read that the optimum time for pups to stay with their mum from a discipline / doggy-social and interactive skills perspective is *12 weeks* which flies in the face of getting youngsters out independently to socialise them in the first crucial stages of puppyhood - and ain't too easy on the breeders either :P

Personally I think 8 weeks is the ideal as a general over view but one week (+ or - ) depending on individual circumstances probably doesn't make that much difference in a lot of breeds providing the pups are healthy and strong, have happy characters and are going to experienced homes who will take on board the reems of advice handed over with their new additions :D

regards, Teri :)