Best age to go home

[yorkielover916]

Ok so with all the reading I have done, I have come to understand that 12 weeks is the ideal age for a yorkie puppy to leave his mom. Why for other breeds of dog the recommended age is 8 weeks and some breeders will give them up at 6 weeks. Why is this so different for a yorkie?

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by yorkielover916

Ok so with all the reading I have done, I have come to understand that 12 weeks is the ideal age for a yorkie puppy to leave his mom. Why for other breeds of dog the recommended age is 8 weeks and some breeders will give them up at 6 weeks. Why is this so different for a yorkie?

12 weeks is not just yorkies, but all toy breeds. 6 weeks is definately too young for any breed. In certain states there are lemon laws. Should a puppy be placed too young and something happens, a breeder is liable. Many breeders as well as new families are unaware of this.

What is happening is that most people that have embarked into the breeding world have done so with only one intention....to sell puppies. They have entered this without studying every aspect of breeding and doing what is best for each breed.

While 12 weeks is the minimum age to allow a puppy to go home, there are other factors, such as a puppy being 2 pounds, is the puppy well socialized, does it have the minimum of vaccinations (2), is it eating well on it's own. Many reputable breeders are holding onto their pups until they are 16 weeks, insuring the puppy makes an easy transition into a new family. Some are even holding on to pups until they are spay/nuetered.

[John Stelting]

Breeders that sell puppies at 6 weeks are SCUM.... they don't give a damn about their dogs, they are just out for the money and the quicker they can sell them the more money they make.... less cost for vet visits, shots, food, etc.

Never buy from a breeder that will sell a puppy before 12 weeks of age.

[JeanieK]

Small breeds are much more likely to get hypoglycemia or dehydrated. It is more like bringing home an infant. Then need to be cared for constantly.

Too many pople take them home and play with them until they are exhausted and then they fall asleep without eating. they are cluless as to the needs of a tiny puppy and the breeder that let them go that young did not bother to educate the buyers on their needs.

If the breeder and the buyer really care about the puppy they qwill do what is best for the puppy, and that is to leave it with it's mother until she has socialized it.

[ChantalB]

A bigger dog will mature faster and should be ok to go at 8 weeks. Toy breed mature slowly and are more fragile so it is best to keep them for a little longer.

Any puppies (small or big) will be more balance mentally if you keep them longer as they learn a lot from the mom (and pack) between 7-12 weeks.

[yorkielover916]

wow I didnt know that 12 weeks was intended for all small breeds. what if the breeder doesnt know this, and they want to give the pups up at 6-8weeks old. Should they be informed? In other words if I come across someone who is selling puppies at that age should I let them know?

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by yorkielover916

wow I didnt know that 12 weeks was intended for all small breeds. what if the breeder doesnt know this, and they want to give the pups up at 6-8weeks old. Should they be informed? In other words if I come across someone who is selling puppies at that age should I let them know?

If the breeder does not know this, then I would not buy from them. If they did not take the time to learn this then they shlould not be breeding. What else don't they know?

[livingdustmops]

Originally Posted by yorkielover916

wow I didnt know that 12 weeks was intended for all small breeds. what if the breeder doesnt know this, and they want to give the pups up at 6-8weeks old. Should they be informed? In other words if I come across someone who is selling puppies at that age should I let them know?

You certainly can try but in my experience they don't care or they would have done their research on this. We have two many people breeding to just sell dogs and make $$$.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by yorkielover916

wow I didnt know that 12 weeks was intended for all small breeds. what if the breeder doesnt know this, and they want to give the pups up at 6-8weeks old. Should they be informed? In other words if I come across someone who is selling puppies at that age should I let them know?

These breeders don't care. The welfare of the pup is not their concern. I have a grooming client that obtained her dog at the age of 8 weeks. Well she encountered a person that was selling pups outside Trader Joe's (grocery store), pups were 7 weeks of age. She informed this person, pups were too young and why. He's response was....they'll be fine. So, can you be wasting your breath.....most likely, these people don't care.....it's all about $$$$.

[JonlyCajunQueen]

I wouldn't say they don't care if they let them go earlier....when we had puppies I asked my vet when I could start letting mine go and he felt they were ready at 6 weeks however I didn't let them go until they were 13 weeks old. So, they may be doing what their vet say.

[carmen in nj]

Originally Posted by yorkielover916

wow I didnt know that 12 weeks was intended for all small breeds. what if the breeder doesnt know this, and they want to give the pups up at 6-8weeks old. Should they be informed? In other words if I come across someone who is selling puppies at that age should I let them know?

Good luck with that!!! I met this woman at the bazaar where i have my doll store selling bishon puppies at 6 weeks, she was hidding them from me, she knew I breed and my dd shows, but she sold one to the daughter of the lady who runs the kitchen, and they came to me for advise... AFTER the fact that they bought the dog.. she told them that the baby was 6 weeks and her vet told her is OK to sell them that young...on top of that she told them to give them carnation evaporated milk diluted 3 times a day until the pup reaches 8 weeks.. I told them that that pup belongs with her mother, yada, yada... well they took the puppy home with instructions from ME, the right puppy goats milk formula and so on..
well she now feels she is a slave to that dog, she's call me so many times is not funny, ah, on TOP of that the puppy had already 2 sets of vaccines that she said the vet gave him, one set at 4 weeks and one at 6 weeks..
she did have a paper with a vaccine label on it, so I really don't know what to beleive... all i can say is some breeders are AWFUL...
I BETCHA that woman will have another litter of puppies in whatever time it takes her bitch to get a heat.. she got 500.00 a pup without papers and people were lining up to get them... so good luck trying to educate people i really had it... ok, off my soap box now..LOL

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by JonlyCajunQueen

I wouldn't say they don't care if they let them go earlier....when we had puppies I asked my vet when I could start letting mine go and he felt they were ready at 6 weeks however I didn't let them go until they were 13 weeks old. So, they may be doing what their vet say.

You did the right thing.

However, many vets are not familiar or well versed on toy breeds, their practice is geared to the general Canine population.

My opinion is one just familiarize their self before embarking on breeding yorkies and doing what is the correct thing for puppies. Most people that begin breeding do so blindly with only one intention to sell puppies.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by carmen in nj

Good luck with that!!! I met this woman at the bazaar where i have my doll store selling bishon puppies at 6 weeks, she was hidding them from me, she knew I breed and my dd shows, but she sold one to the daughter of the lady who runs the kitchen, and they came to me for advise... AFTER the fact that they bought the dog.. she told them that the baby was 6 weeks and her vet told her is OK to sell them that young...on top of that she told them to give them carnation evaporated milk diluted 3 times a day until the pup reaches 8 weeks.. I told them that that pup belongs with her mother, yada, yada... well they took the puppy home with instructions from ME, the right puppy goats milk formula and so on..
well she now feels she is a slave to that dog, she's call me so many times is not funny, ah, on TOP of that the puppy had already 2 sets of vaccines that she said the vet gave him, one set at 4 weeks and one at 6 weeks..
she did have a paper with a vaccine label on it, so I really don't know what to beleive... all i can say is some breeders are AWFUL...
I BETCHA that woman will have another litter of puppies in whatever time it takes her bitch to get a heat.. she got 500.00 a pup without papers and people were lining up to get them... so good luck trying to educate people i really had it... ok, off my soap box now..LOL

Carmen, You'll never get off the soap box and I won't either. People need to be informed, however there will be many more that will come along that don't have a clue....so, we continue.

[bildio]

I recently got Niko at 5 months of age. I can't believe how well adjusted & behaved he is. I think his breeder had the magic touch.

[yorkielover916]

I am glad I asked, I have come across some ads and they are giving their pups up as early as 6 weeks. and I remembered reading things here on YT that they shouldn't be going home till 12 weeks. I am glad I asked... I am hoping and praying that I get my baby for Christmas yay... sooner then I thought... :P