Any tips on this?

The book of the bitch says 7 weeks is the best age, but I have also heard anything from between 6 & 12 weeks!

Also would it be better to stagger out when they leave, so not to stress mum too much & if so how can they all leave at the correct age?

I want what is best for the pups & the new owners & would be quite happy to keep the pups untill 12 weeks (I do have the time / space / money) but I have heard it is better all round if they go earlier.

Very confused - I dont know what to tell people when they ask when the pups are ready.

This is my first litter on my own (with the help of the dog ;-) ) & my mum keeps her pups untill 10/12 weeks so thats how how was going to do it - but now I am not so sure .....

Thanx

Jo
xxx

It depends on the breed to a great extent. Usually toy breeds are kept by the breeder for about 12 weeks because they're so physically fragile being so tiny. My medium sized breed tend to leave from about 7½ weeks onwards because by then they're pretty robust and getting adventurous, and it's best if they don't start becoming a pack. I read a (UK) Staffy breed book which said that younger than that, about 6 weeks is better because (and I'm quoting the book here) they can start serious fighting after that age. How true or not that is I have no idea, because they're not my breed, but that's what's in print.

In my opinion i think you would be better rehoming them when they are eight weeks while there brains are like sponges the mother will be happy to see the back of those needle teeth and it will be less stress for the pups once they are in there new homes the older they get the more stressful it will be for them no matter which way they go its going to be traumatic leaving there mother and your house best to get them settled into there new homes at eight weeks  i have heard any earlier than this can cause behaviour problems   good luck frank

Well, i let mine go at 8 weeks ( Staffs), but in hindsight the pups did indeed get very rough with each other, so i would say i think 7 weeks would be better, but mine wouldnt have been ready to go at 6 weeks, mum was just begining to teach them some manners which they needed !!

Hope that helps

sarah
x

Hi, I got both my labs at nearly 7 weeks, ie, just a couple of days off being 7 weeks old and I have had no problems what so ever with them.  I must point out that they weren't at the same time!!  It was possibly more of an issue with the first lab as her mum was still around but unfortunately when I went back to the breeder for another lab a few years later, these set of pups were orphaned at 3 weeks, so no mum to teach them manners anyway. 

What maybe has made a difference is that I took holidays from work and was constantly with the pup for at least a week when it came home and there was always someone around for the majority of the time after this.  The pup was never left for longer periods of time until we were confident that the pup was settled and felt secure in its environment.

I feel that both our dogs have bonded exceptionally well with us but have seen other dogs which have bonded just as well and they didn't go to their new homes until a good few weeks older.  I suppose a lot depends on the pups new home and how it is handled from the start.

A

It's quite true :D
They can be feisty little devils!
Mine went to their new homes in the week when they were between 61/2 weeks and 7 1/2 weeks.

i let mine go from 7 weeks on words.  this is manly for the mum as i have never had any trouble with the pups getting to ruff.  if the new owners have had staffords before then i start letting them go at 7 weeks say 1 every other day and for the once that its there first dog or first stafford then i dont le tthem go until they are 8 weeks+

if you are having trouble with the pups playing to ruff then try putting them in a bigger space so they can get out of each others way.  mine start going out at 5 weeks and it works for us

8 weeks, no sooner even how much the new owner pleads.   The last litter went from 8 weeks onwards & all have smashing confident temperaments, at this age I feel they've been weaned long enough to be independent and eating well & are developing their characters to go to their new owners.

I dont let my pups go until 8 weeks, but if these new owner is experienced with the breed and the pups are normally bouncing around and very bold at 7 weeks then I will let them go.  I have had pups at all differing ages, Tia at 13 weeks, Summer was 4.5months before I could get her, (they had KC, and I had a litter), Penny 8 weeks and all other before that were 8 weeks. But, Bailey and Megan were 7 weeks, and for some reason I bonded quicker and better with them than any other dog. Also I have found that they were also the most responsive in training and quicker in toilet training. But in saying that, I also have my old faithfull Emma, who is such a brood bitch that all pups are her domain, so teaching puppy manners and bite inhibition etc was down to her. (Megan simply idolised me) lol.

There have been many studies showing that 7 weeks is the optimum age to leave mum, at 8 weeks they are entering a fear stage.

Otherwise leave them to 10 weeks plus.

I always have my puppies at 7 weeks; but they are of the pastoral/gundog group.

I have no knowledge of the tiny breeds....................

I will not let my boxer babies go until they are 8 weeks old - even though I do get tempted from 7 weeks !!! - they are little devils !!
Aimi.

The optimum time for socialisation is between six and eight weeks when the puppies instinct to make friends with strangers overcomes its natural wariness and this is partly why it is advocated as the ideal time to remove the puppy from its mother and litter mates for a new home, but it also seems to be a time when the pup is most vunerable to any traumatic psychological or physical events, leaving home is clearly both. Personally my puppies leave home no earlier than 7 weeks and have always settled in well in their new homes and yet I had a bitch puppy that didn't go to a new home untill she was nearly 13 weeks and  she is a fantastic bitch (one I now wish I had kept myself) I think there is so many opnions on when puppies should leave there mothers but I think you will know when the time is right. ( probably when you can't walk anywhere without 7 or 8 little devils chasing you around biting your toes and trying to trip you up!!!!!!)

Personally I believe a breeder would know their own breed & their own puppies and the ages they are ready to go out into the big wide world and cope with it.

Mine go at 12 weeks. Its a giant breed and until recently everyone kept them to 12 weeks. In addition it used to be that the PSS test couldn't be done until then. None of them has had the slightest difficulty settling or bonding but they do get a lot of socialisation (inc. car trips) with us. By keeping them the extra time I know that their diet is right and they are not disturbed during one of their fastest growing phases. Although adults are bombproof pups in the breed are sensitive little things, and I find they gain from the extra time with mum. They are also fully vaccinated when they go and ready for anything.

But I'd stick by the old adage - if the pup is getting loads of socilasation at the breeders and mum isstill teacing it, get the pup as old as possible. If it is not being socialised, get it as early as you can.

Thanx everyone!

I think I will start letting them go from 7 weeks if they are all feeding ok etc.

I can imagine they would get very rough with each other if left too much longer than that!

They are in the house & will have plenty of socalisation with all sorts of things (animals, other dogs, children, different people, going in the car) & of course with 5 children they will get used to a noisy houshold!

I feel sad thinking they have to go to new homes :-( but I am sure I wont be when They are 7 weeks old!

Thanx again for all your advice

Jo

And do stagger it - not just for the mum but for you as well. Its surprising how long it takes to explain the paperwork, hand over all the food etc and say goodbye!