Having spoken to my sons girl friend today, I have found out she went to pick a puppy up at the weekend. However I was horrified when she told me it was only 5wks old when she got it!!
The breeder told her the pup was fully weaned and on 3 meals a day, a complete food mixed with a little semi skimmed milk, are Border Collies different in that they dont need 6 meals a day and a little mothers milk or puppy milk at 5wks.
She wasnt told whether it had been wormed or given any kind of diet sheet.
I have told her to increase its meal times to 6 small ones gradually and add some lactol to the diet, rice pudding, scrambled egg and milky meals as well as the complete but not to do it all at once but gradually.

I think that no pup should leave its mother before the age of 8 weeks!!

Has anyone got any thoughts on this??

Hi LD. I guess we all have different methods. I will leave a pup go at 7 wks
and I take puppies away from mom at 3 to 4 weeks. when they are eating well for themselves.
I also give 6 meals a day untill they are 6 weeks and then cut down to five meals but not cutting down the intake. I guess it is what works best for me best wishes Mari

i'd let them go after theyve turned 7weeks, by then theyre nearly on all meat and whichever complete im using, i wean them on to milky stuff, eggs etc but gear it toward a complete and meat meal by theyre ready to go--you know theyre getting all they need that way and that its balanced,

I'm horrified too - 5 weeks is way too early!! :(

Apart from anything else, the pup will be missing out on vital interaction with mum/littermates. This sort of thing makes me really angryand smacks of somebodyjust wanting rid of the pup to a kind hearted prospective owner.

Hope the pup gets lots of interaction with other dogs asap.....

I wanted to take my pup home at 7 weeks, which I think is a good age, but the breeder put her foot downand made me wait another week LOL!!! :D

LIndsay

I let mine go between 7 and 8 weeks (if born mid week, people often want to collect on a weekend), but like them to go gradually over a couple of weeks!

As far as I was aware it is ilegal to sell a pup under 6 weeks, and commerciallylicensed breeders are not allowed since last year to sell under 8 weeks!

My pups are never seperated from thir Mums, Mum chooses if she wants to be with them and how often, but she teaches them a lot in the weeks after weaning.

Do any of you hold your puppies until after the eighth week(fear period)? I don't let any of mine go during the 8th week. Either 7 1/2 or after 9 weeks for me.

I have homed puppies anywhere from 7 1/2 to 16 weeks, and not noticed any problems, though of course I socialise them appropriately for age! Most often at 8 to 9 weeks though!

I keep my puppies until they are 12 weeks, I socialise them and have their first vaccinations done

That could not have come from a reputable breeder. I had to go to birmingham twice to get my pup once to see him at 5 weeks then 8 weeks to collect him.
that is shameful letting the new owner have the pup at 5 weeks .

I can't believe that. My pups (SWD's) are up and about at 3 weeks old, retrieving feed and driving me mad. I do let them go at 7 weeks as they can become attached to the breeder if they stay too long, i would never let a pup go any earlier.

I hear what you are all saying and completely agree but so saying, in the days gone by it was quite normal! My first dog in the '50's was only 5 weeks old and although it did not seem in any way unusual at that time I dont think I could agree to it these days.
Thinking back to those days we had never heard of inoculations and Monty was out for his first walk the day after we had him! As i remember it I carried him most of the time but he did walk a little!
There was very little "Dog Food" available at that time, being at the time when the WW2 food rationing was still in force and he lived in the main on table scraps.
His mother was a Wire Haired Fox terrier but I dont think even she knew what his dad was. Suffice to say he looked rather like a Beagle.
I'm sure all this fills you with shock, horror but one other thing of note was the fact that he lived to be 16 years of age, still the oldest dog I have ever owned.

Regards, (Feeling older by the minute!) John