MariaC's post earlier got me thinking.  I'm waiting for news on a litter that's to be born any day, I'm top on the list for a girly pup so of course I'm getting stupidly excited and planning things now! :D I have a list of gear to get, and I've just rearranged some furniture to get the crate in the best spot.

So I'm just wondering when everyone thinks is the best time to bring pup home - 7 or 8 weeks?  As far as my schedule goes it makes no nevermind to me, I'll have plenty of time for her either way for socialisation and training.  Her breeder is happy to let her go at either age, I'd just like to bring her home at the optimum time for her.  I've done the whole puppy thing twice now, but it's been a while - and I want to make sure I get it right from the get-go this time!

I will be letting my pups go at 8 weeks, as long as the pups are weaned and are healthy xx
Good luck with your new pup when you get her!!

Isn't it the breed which determines optimum age? :-)
Karen

My pups start leaving on the weekend (because most new owners like to collect at the weekend!) after the pups are 7 weeks old.

Ditto: 

Also mine get their ear tattoos at 7 weeks as any earlier and their ears are too small in my breed.

In practise this means they start leaving at 7 1`/2 weeks, but there are always some people who need to collect later, so ti gets staggered. 

Last of my last litter went at 10 1/2 weeks.

Have often had some until about 12 to 16 Weeks and so do the socialisation and training appropriate for their age, so it would make no difference when they went to their new homes, though the longer they stay the harder work it becomes and harder to see them go.

Okay then, 7 weeks sounds good.  I think it was Remy that's made me ask; he came home at 6 1/2, got vet checked at 7 and the vet gave him his first shot - when we returned soon after (he was reacting to it, and has a small antihistamine shot with each booster now), the vet we saw then thought it was far too young, and that we should've waited a week.  So this time around I'm making sure I'm clued up on everything puppy before she comes home.  I'm going to ring a couple vet practices tomorrow to find out if there are any pre-second shot socialisation classes being run.

She'll be tattooed at 8 weeks, and probably chipped at 6 months - I've seen it mentioned a few times that the chip is more likely to migrate earlier than this.

I think I'm just about set... I'm trying very hard not to buy anything until she's been born (checked my email, she's due Tuesday!)! :D  I am looking out for bargains on ebay though, need to get a stairgate and unfortunately I left my last one with my brother 200 miles away.  doh!

It's often claimed that the fear stage starts at 8 weeks and so it's best to home pups before this. I always let mine go at just after 7 weeks of age -but obviously it doesn't always work out to a particular day. I.e. you don't want ALL pups to go on the same day, the right day may be mid week and people might come from the opposite end of the country and need to come at the weekend etc.

I also think of the fact that pups are vaccinated at 8 weeks of age so it's good if the pup has had a few days to settle in its new home before this is done -and doesn't have to wait any longer than necessary for it either. Hence 7-7 ½ weeks is perfect.

My breeder let me bring my new ball of fluff home at just over 7 weeks and I agree it was a perfect time. Will never forget those first two nights of tears and crying though (me as well as the pup) LOL

Kirsty

We were allowed to bring Jasper home at 7 weeks, he was the first to leave the litter.  I trusted the breeder with her judgement and he seems fine!

I'm not sure if it's the same for every breed, but he is a golden retriever.

And the post you were referring to Nikita has been deleted for some strange reason

Good luck with your puppy, I know how excited you must be feeling :) :)

To be honest unless its a breed thing I dont see any difference between 7 or 8 weeks

Some breeds are more forward than others.  Some are ready and need the individual attention sooner, soem toy breeds are not nearly reasy until 12 weeks.

Why are toy breeds not ready until later? I thought that because they reach maturity earlier than big dogs, they would go through all their development quicker?

I'm a bit concerned because my next dog will be a toy breed and I reeeeally want to collect as early as possible for socialisation.

Toy breeds are much smaller and are often fragile puppies, which is why breeders often don't let them go until 12 weeks. My friend's 10-week old toy poodles were smaller and more delicate than my newborn dalmatians!

I think it does depend on the breed. In borzois 6 weeks is the age when you choose a pup, assuming you want one for show. At 6 weeks they're like mini versions of an adult - whereas at 5 1/2 weeks or 7 or 8 weeks they all change - different bits grow faster than others! So because I've been to see pups to choose them exactly on 6 weeks I've actually taken 4 of them home that day too. This is fairly common in my breed, especially if having to travel hundreds of miles to see them. The others I've had at various ages- 16 weeks up to 2 years.

When it came to my own home bred litter of collies I intended keeping them till 8 weeks, but by 7 weeks they were so independent of their mother, and so active and down right exhausting I let their new parents take them home :D 

8 weeks.  Last litter I stuck to my guns and wouldn't let them leave any earlier - they are all wonderfully bouncy happy outgoing adult dogs now.   Not that the others haven't been from my other 2 litters but this third litter just seem to be so wonderfully happy!

I would say 8 weeks.
We bought one of ours home at 7 weeks and I do think she was too young (looking back) for example she ended up sucking things for the rest of her life (which I think at least in kittens usually means they are not "ready" to leave mum?)...
I mean she would suck softtoys etc. but I'm not sure if it was just because she was a little bit weird dog anyway :rolleyes:.
Every night she would get her Ducky and go to sleep holding it between her paws and sucking it.
Quite sweet&comical really as she was a big dog too, Leo.
She would also do this when she was worried/stressed so it might be it was just her way of bringing back to feeling and security of being with her mum as a pup!
She was the cleverest dog I have met and did have other weird habits too so this might have just been "her doing her own thing"!

Other one came home at 8.5 weeks and I would say this was better.

I think the fact if there is a dog in the new home might make a difference too,
if there was not I would maybe feel the pup should stay with other dogs/mum for that little bit longer to have a chance to learn doggy ways, just a thought...

In Finland pups only get their first jabs at 12 weeks so plenty of time to get used to their new routine too.