We are buying a cocker spaniel bitch from a breeder. The pups will be 7 weeks next sunday the 30th June. The breeder has said that our puppy is eating and ready to go now and it would be more convenient for her if we could collect the puppy on Tuesday which means she will be 6 weeks and 2 days! Will this cause the puppy any problems to leave her mum before 7 or 8 weeks. I know 5 days doesn't seem like long but in 6 weeks it is quite along time for the puppy to be with her mum and the rest of the litter. We will be happy to have her on Tuesday but we wondered if it could cause her any problems leaving her mum early. Anyone's advice would be much appreciated.

I'm afraid I think 6 weeks is far too young for a Cocker to leave its Mum & more importantly his/her siblings - puppies learn so much about interacting with other dogs by playing with their littermates & learning discipline from their Mum in the 2 weeks from 6 to 8 weeks. For a breeder to say it is more convenient for her if you take your pup at 6 weeks tells me that this is not a breeder who takes her responsibilities seriously - breeding a litter of pups is hard work, especially in those last couple of weeks but a reputable breeder knows this & will never seek to off-load their puppies early just for their own convenience. I think you might have posted on Cockers Online so if you have, apologies for the repetition of my opinion :-)

Jane

When we got our Cocker she was 12wks old and the breeder was very keen that she should go to her new home as soon as possible so she didn't get too settled with the breeder. We weren't able or willing to take her straight away and the breeder agreed to keep her for over 1 wk before we brought her home.

It wasn't the best thing for Holly but it was the best thing for us and the breeder was experienced enough to know that if we were ready for her then she'd settle in so much better.

Fiona
(I hope this makes sense, I've been up since 4.13 am and my brains a bit frazzled :) )

Fiona
Why on earth have you been up since 4.13. Are you a fellow insomniac? :-)
Jane

I think you will find she has been off her mum for some time now its rare that a breeder would leave them with Mum at that age

No Mum wouldn't stay with the litter very much at 6 weeks but I don't think that's really the point. Our Cocker "mums" play with their pups a lot from 6-8 weeks & I can see them teaching their pups not to bite too hard when playing & otherwise stepping in when puppy behaviour gets over the top - all important things for puppies to learn. Similarly playing with their litter mates also helps to teach bite inhibition etc. Cocker puppies that I have come across which have been sold at 6 weeks (often from backyard breeders or puppy farms) often have no idea how to react to other dogs & need a great deal of work put in on the owner's part getting them over this. The right age for a Cocker pup to leave it's breeder is around 8-9 weeks in my experience - older than this is also ok as long as the breeder is able to put plenty of time into socialising pups with all types of people, children, etc. I think this breeder's attitude doesn't show much concern for her puppies' well-being & makes me wonder what other short-cuts she has taken eg have the parents been eye-tested?

Jane

Guide dogs for the blind take there puppies at 6 weeks of age!!!

Different breed seem to mature at different rates, I would not like to speculate about any breed I was not familiar with but I agree entirely with Jane that 6 weeks is too young for a Cocker spaniel to be leaving its mothers influence even if it is fully weaned. I thing it is fair to say that this would be the view of the majority of responsible cocker breeders hence it is in the Cocker Spaniel Club code of ethics that a puppy does not leave the breeder before 8 weeks. I would assume that the breeder in this case is not a member of the Cocker Spaniel Club, if by any chance they are I would suggest Liffy reports this breeder to them whilst asking them to recommend a breeder who will comply with the code of ethic:)

Our breeds Code of Ethics states not before 7 weeks, being a primitive natural breed they are quite forward! I will allow mine to go between 7 1/2 to 8 weeks at the earliest (people often want to collect at a weekend), but 8 weeks is my guide date!

I have had both of my puppies at 61/2 weeks and hey are perfectly socialised and didn't suffer in any way.
I dont believe that you can make generalisations concerning the breeder and that she must be bad/irresponsible/inhuman(!) if she wants an owner to take a puppy away at this age. You do not know the circumsatnces of the litter, you dont know whether they were weaned early for some reason or whether mum has had enough. My first pups mum didn't really want anything to do with the pups (playing wise) when they reached that age, and they had learnt all they were going to by then anyway. And before you say anything, the breeder was very well informed, had reared the litter perfectly etc ect, and i am still in regular contact with her over 3 years later.
I think too many people are too quick to judge situations...

I got mine at 7 wk 6 days but when I went for her the breeder brought the Mum in to see her and say goodbye- and she'd not seen the pup for over a fortnight. I don't think 6 weeks is that big a deal but somehow 5 weeks seems horrendous.

Stacey x x x

Sorry Cleopatra but your dogs are not Cockers! I can only repeat what I & Isabel have said - no responsible Cocker breeder will sell a puppy at 6 weeks of age & none would request a would-be owner take a puppy this early for their own convenience. I have 4 week old pups myself & there is no way they will be ready to leave home in just 2 weeks time - breeds differ in their rates of physical & mental development & Cockers are just not ready at 6 weeks!

Jane

Fair enough :)
Just think that sometimes there isn't enough info in the original posts for others to be able to give a reasonable opinion on that specific situation. And i dont think anything differs on our ideas of what constitutes a responsible breeder, responsible is responsible after all - but will accept that things differ between breeds, and as you rightly pointed out i am not a cocker person! :D

i know there maybe special circumstances involved, but i agree it really doesnt come across too well asking someone to pick up a pup early cos it suits them, -across the board in most breeds its more or less accepted that they leave from 7 weeks onward, -nothing would leave here at that age, :)

Haven't got time to read all in this thread, but will say this. I do not like the breeders attitude, and this alone would put me off the whole deal....but the pup will be fine at 6 weeks....I had my last deerhound at 5 weeks old due to unfortunate circumstances of the breeder....she was fine, you just have to allow for them being so young.

As others have said different breeds can go at different ages. My SWD's leave for their new homes at 7 weeks, leaving until 9 weeks has caused prob's in the past. Although I let mine go at 7 weeks I definitely wouldn't let one go at 6. One of my new puppy owners wanted to take hers at 6 weeks and although I know that she is good with dogs etc. there was no way that I would allow it. I must admit I know nothing about cockers but I wdn't let mine go at this age.

The reason of convienience for the breeder is a poor one, as when one breeds one should not expect to have all pups homed by a certain date. In my own breed I expect to have at least the odd puppy past 8 weeks, or longer. If the breeder must have pups gone by a certain time then they shouldn't have bred the litter as there are no guarantees that the homes will become available on cue.

Our breed had oine of its lowest registration figures last year (96) but you will find that sometimes people have to wait ages for a pup, and at other times breeders have to wait to find the right homes!

I agree that the pups learn an awful lot from Mum and litter mates after 6 weeks especially dog to dog interaction which seems so sadly lacking in many dogs. Guide dog pups are wanted to bond to people and not their own kind, one reason for getting them early, but this does not apply to the pet that is wanted to be sociable with it's own kind

I had one of my dogs( a mongrel) at 6 weeks - ok maybe being a hardy mongrel this could be why it was ok. I understand what everyone is saying, but if you have the pup at this age you can carry out the socialisation you require, the breeder may not. Puppies can leave their mums at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 weeks and socialising can be ruined by the new owners. I think it is far worse for a pup to leave a breeder after 12 weeks than 6 weeks as it is more disruptive. However the breeders attitude would concern me.

7 weeks a couple days is ideal.
The breeder should have thought about the required time period of raising a litter before she bred. More convienent for who?
Sounds like she's breeding for the almighty dollar.

Ouch Katdog :-) None of my pups leave before 12 weeks unless they are going to an experienced giant breed / sighthound home.

Hi sharon, me too, but you can have yours at 8 weeks :)