Staying with momma for 12 weeks

[Llutz]

Can some one please do me a favor and give me 5 point form answers as to why a good breeder keeps puppies with momma for 12 weeks.

I tried to search it without luck, but I have a Pet site Group I am a member on Facebook, and some lady is arguing with me she only needs to keep them for 8 weeks!!

[maggiefromnj]

I don't have the answer for you, but about the lady who says she only HAS to keep them for 8 weeks....well that might technically be true, they likely can SURVIVE, but will they THRIVE is the question. It's not about what CAN be done but what is BEST to be done. Do you see what I mean? So a breeder might keep them 8 weeks, a better breeder keep them 10 weeks, but the BEST one will keep them 12 weeks. It's a matter of degrees to me.

Maybe someone with actual experience will help you.

[impish]

On a personal observation - Most of the threads that we see saying "help my puppy is not eating... etc." usually are about puppies that are under 12 weeks.

If you ask in the breeder section you will probably get more answers.

One answer for you is that Mom teaches behavioral rules during this time and they also learn a lot about being a dog from their siblings in the litter. Submissive positions, like rolling over and exposing the belly, are learned in the pack and playing teaches other behaviors, like how hard he can bite without being bitten back. Its also important that puppies gets lots of love from people during this period otherwise they may never make a very good pet. Ignoring or lack of attention can be devastating.

From the Humane Society:
Staying With Mama Until 12 Weeks

When a young puppy is around his mama and littermates early in life, he can establish a concept of social behavioral patterns and knowing how to discern between right and wrong conduct. Although puppies usually complete the weaning process when they are around 7 weeks of age, they greatly benefit from the additional time with their families. If possible, a puppy should not leave his mother and littermates until he is a minimum of 12 weeks, advises the Humane Society of the United States.


Learning Through Play

If a puppy has the privilege of enjoying the company of his mother and littermates, he can develop a healthy understanding of the doggie world. By partaking in physical play with his siblings, he can learn everything from how to have fun without being too aggressive to knowing how to accurately interpret social cues sent by his peers. Without this key early interplay with siblings and mommy, a puppy may become an adult who not only lacks basic etiquette, but who also bites, chases and pounces too fiercely during play. Not only does plenty of early play time frequently stop puppies from displaying overly aggressive behavioral patterns, it also enhances flexibility and muscle control.


Social Status

Being around a family unit for a sufficient period of time can help a puppy gain an understanding of social status in doggieville. When a puppy is around his littermates and mother, it can help him develop overall respect and an appreciation of order and rules. This may prevent a puppy from becoming, a dominant adult dog who is impatient and unable to wait his turn.


Discipline

A mother dog's presence not only is comforting to pups, it also is as a disciplinarian. If a puppy does anything inappropriate, mama can communicate that to him. If he is too pushy and bossy with his littermates, she may growl at him as a means of saying "stop." If he is too persistent about nursing, she may do the same.


Touch

Mother dogs lick and groom their puppies as a way of keeping them squeaky clean, but also for expressing affection and and showing them that physical touch is a type of social experience. By gaining this understanding courtesy of mama, a puppy can develop positive associations with touch -- definitely not a bad thing for life in a cuddly human household.

[gracielove]

Up until 12 week a pup's world is it's mom and littler mates. They are still very dependent on the warmth and comfort of the littler. At about 12 weeks of age the pup starts to want to investigate the world outside the "den" or whelping box or where ever the nesting place has been. They start to develop a little bit of an independent spirit. That part of the brain that makes the pup start to think as an individual has developed. When the pup is taken to a new home it is more like a big adventure to the pup at 12 weeks than a horrible separation. This has been well studied by animal behaviorists.

Another thing to remember is that pups are unable to start to regulate the flow of urine and stool until around 16 weeks of age. A pup that is 6 or 8 weeks old can technically survive with proper care but they are not physically or emotionally at the place where they should be removed from the litter. They are infants and need the security of the littler. People think they want those cute little puppies but the cuteness wears thin at 3:00am when that puppy is still screaming for the only home it has ever known. A couple of days of an almost constantly peeing and pooing pup wears thin as well and the poor pup is usually locked up and just suffers further only because it was taken from it's home too soon. Punishing a baby for doing what babies doing is cruelty.

People who breed dogs and who really don't care about the developmental capacity of the pups only care that when the pups are weaned at 6 weeks of age the mom stops cleaning up after the pups. Up until that point the mom did everything for the pups but once they start eating food mom isn't doing it anymore and the breeder wants them gone because it is a lot of work to clean up after pups that are peeing and pooing all day long.

"Breeders" who do not take the time to study animal development or even the breed they are selling certainly don't care about what the pup or the new owners are going to go through when they pawn off those pups before they are ready for a new home.

[Lovetodream88]

Have her check out the ytca at ytca.org good breeders are part of this club and this club has done the research to know what is best for these little guys. Most breeders who do not keep the pups until 12 weeks either don't know any better or just want to get rid of them as soon as possible and get there money. Both of these mean they probably did none of they available health or genetic testing and probably have no idea what's in there dogs lines to know if there is an illness or genetic defect that keeps popping up.