AGE to bring pup home

[cathyraymond]

Any Breeders? why is it recommended that you wait until a yorkie is between 8 wks & 3 mo before bringing one home?
THANKS for this great venue to get info.
Newbie from MI

[Peters]

smaller breeds need to stay with their moms longer at least 8 weeks but both mine i got at 6 weeks which is too young as their teeth aren't even hardly through their gums yet.

[RLC12345678]

Originally Posted by Peters

smaller breeds need to stay with their moms longer at least 8 weeks but both mine i got at 6 weeks which is too young as their teeth aren't even hardly through their gums yet.

I completely agree. We got our first one at 8 weeks and our second one at 7 weeks. Unless you have LOTS of experience with yorkie puppies, I would HIGHLY recommend that you wait until they are at least 12 weeks old before you bring them home. The only reason we got ours before 12 weeks is because we do have LOTS of experience with yorkie puppies and we were able to be at home with them 24/7 to watch them and make sure they were eating well, getting enough sleep, staying warm, etc. Small breed puppies like yorkies are HIGHLY suceptible to hypoglocemia. The longer you wait to bring them home, the less likely they are to have a hypoglocemic attack. It will pay off in the long run if you wait until they are older to bring them home.

By the way, WELCOME to YorkieTalk! There is a wealth of information on this site. Can't wait to see pics of your little one when you bring him/her home. If you ever have any other questions or concerns, don't hesistate to post them! There are so many knowledgeable and friendly people on this site.

[Zoey's Momma]

I've brought all my dogs home, when they were 12 weeks old. But hey..it's only my opinion.

[GeorgiesMomma]

I bought Georgie home at 10 weeks. I have read on here where some people recommend 12 weeks which I think is the right time. BTW welcome to YT

[sylvan]

Care is an issue, but the more important one is socialization. It has been found that pups kept 10-12 weeks with litter mates/adult dogs/mom perform better with training/behavior. They get very important first lessons in proper behavior from these interactions, bite inhibition/housebreaking etc...and are less fearful of new situations as adults.

[YORKIE7]

Over here in the UK, the normal age to take a puppy home is around 8 weeks, however I have had mine at 7 weeks, 10 weeks, and even 6 weeks. Thay have all been fine, never got sick, have lovely temperments and are socialised very well. I guess it just depends on the breeder

[baby03]

Both of my girls were over 12 weeks. The breeders both felt because they were so tiny ( one was 1.10 oz. and other was 1.14 oz.) they could care for them better than I could. Both breeders wanted the pups to be over a pound before letting them go, not so much about how many weeks they were, but how good they were eating and how big they were.

[sandraj]

I got my wee girl at8 1/2 weeks.but had great difficulty with feeding her for about 4-5 weeks. I think it was the trauma of the move. I would wait longer next time,until 10-12 weeks and feeding really well! She was the last of the litter to leave,so I have told the breeder of the problems and I hope they don't let the next litter go so early.
Socialisation wasn't a problem-she is a little sweetie, who loves everyone.

[feminvstr]

Here are general guidelines for puppies' stages of development

Birth to 2 weeks: Neonatal Period
Puppy is most influenced by his mother.
Senses of touch and taste are present at birth.

2 to 4 weeks: Transitional Period
Puppy is most influenced by his mother and littermates.
Eyes open, teeth begin to come in, and senses of hearing and smell develop.
Puppy begins to stand, walk a little, wag tail, and bark.
By the fourth or fifth week, eyesight is well-developed.

3 to 12 weeks: Socialization Period
During this period, puppy needs opportunities to meet other dogs and people.

3 to 5 weeks: puppy becomes aware of his surroundings, companions (both canine and human), and relationships, including play.

4 to 6 weeks: puppy is most influenced by littermates and is learning about being a dog.

4 to 12 weeks: puppy remains influenced by littermates and is also influenced by people. Puppy learns to play, develops social skills, learns the inhibited bite, explores social structure/ranking, and improves physical coordination.

5 to 7 weeks: puppy develops curiosity and explores new experiences. Puppy needs positive "people" experiences during this time.

7 to 9 weeks: puppy is refining his physical skills and coordination, and can begin to be housetrained. Puppy has full use of senses.

8 to 10 weeks: puppy experiences real fear involving normal objects and experiences; puppy needs positive training during this time.

9 to 12 weeks: puppy is refining reactions, developing social skills with littermates (appropriate interactions), and exploring the environment and objects. Puppy begins to focus on people; this is a good time to begin training.

3 to 6 Months: Ranking Period
Puppy is most influenced by "playmates," which may now include those of other species.

Puppy begins to see and use ranking (dominance and submission) within the household (the puppy's "pack"), including humans.

Puppy begins teething (and associated chewing).

4 months: puppy experiences another fear stage.

6 to 18 Months: Adolescence
Puppy is most influenced by human and dog "pack" members.

7 to 9 months: puppy goes through a second chewing phase, part of exploring territory.

Puppy increases exploration of dominance, including challenging humans.

If not spayed or neutered, puppy experiences beginnings of sexual behavior.

BTW welcome to YT

[hollywoodyorkie]

I brought all three (four if you include my dads) of my pups home when they were 5.5-7 weeks. YES, its very young, but everything seemed to work out so far. I think it really depends on the dog. I know the longer they stay with the momma and littermates, the better they usually are. In all three (four) cases with my dogs, certain circumstances were involved where we HAD to take them so young (not good ones either) It was pretty weird situations (thats a completely different thread!!!! lol)

The responsible breeder knows what is best for their pups though! If I had to do it over, I would have waited if I could!!!!!

[feminvstr]

IMHO there is NO special circumstances letting a puppy leave at 5.5 weeks. Any breeder placing her pups @ 5.5- 7 weeks is irresponsible and doesnt care for the health and welfare of her pups...Most breeders dont begin weaning until then, sometimes longer. They have little to no teeth at that age, oh dont get me started. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!

[Tophersmom]

I got Topher at around 16 weeks and I was so glad that it worked out that way. He was very well socialized and the move, I believe was a little less traumatic for him. I was sad to miss out on the little puppy phase, but during his whole 16 weeks he was still with his mom and cousins so he got to spend more time with them.

[hollywoodyorkie]

Originally Posted by feminvstr

IMHO there is NO special circumstances letting a puppy leave at 5.5 weeks. Any breeder placing her pups @ 5.5- 7 weeks is irresponsible and doesnt care for the health and welfare of her pups...Most breeders dont begin weaning until then, sometimes longer. They have little to no teeth at that age, oh dont get me started. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!

I completely agree with you, it was really sad when I had taken my dogs at that age, I will admit. It was even sadder how these "breeders" (they shouldn't even be called this, they gave good breeders a bad name) treated these pups. I will just go ahead and tell you!! My first one, I bought almost 2 years ago, he was my very first dog I had on my own. I knew NOTHING about backyard breeders or puppy mills at that time, I barely knew anything about dogs, I just knew I wanted one to take care of. I saw an ad in the paper that said "Chihuahua-$100.00" and thats it. I called her, she lived pretty close by, but she told me that the pups needed to be taken asap to new homes, she didnt want them and they were getting to attatched to her kids, she needed them out of her house, she was a little rude, she said hurry up and get there, or she will sell him to someone else. I went there because I really wanted to see the dog at least (she said she didnt have a computer to send pics). She didnt even know what day he was born , she just said, 6 or 7 weeks I just took him, I feel like that one was my fault, I should have done more reasearch. (I did! BUT still went wrong)! I decided to get my second a year later. I saw an ad online this time. She only bred chihuahuas, so it didnt SCREAM puppy mill with lots of different breeds. She lived FAR! 6 hour drive. But, as soon as I saw the picture of my little girl, I fell in love. We went back and forth for about a week, she said that they were 8 going on 9 weeks. I asked her a ton of questions, and then I told her I would be driving out there to get her. When I got there, I saw my little girl and she was TINY!! There was NOOOOOO way this little tiny thing was 9 weeks!! She fit in my hands, I know chiuhahuas are tiny but geeeeeeeeeeez! I asked her, "are you sure she is 9 weeks?" she sheepishly told me, "these ones are 9 weeks (a different litter), but that (mine) one is 5.5 weeks". She LIED TO ME! I knew I shouldnt take her, it was so wrong! I was MAD! I drove SOOO long for a puppy that shouldnt even leave yet. I asked her if she would hold her for me because she was so tiny. She said "first come, first serve" I said, "Ill give you a deposit to hold her", she told me "NO". I was livid! I had been seeing pictures of her for a week, I was already in love with her, I had already named her Cinderelly. I gave the lady the money, and took my dog. I thought I made the right decision, that lady didnt care about the puppies she had, it was all about the $$$$ for her. I knew she would be coming to a good home with me. She only had a few teeth, I gave her a bottle for a little while because she was NOT weened at all. With my dads dog, Fatty, he wanted to get a Chi also because he loved mine so much. He too found an ad in the local paper. Went we went there together to see him, it was terrible. They kept the puppies OUTSIDE! They were covered in dirt and all this green stuff (I SWORE it was mildew or something, but have no idea) Fatty was the worst in the litter. He was SO overweight, he couldnt even WALK! My dad was disgusted, he asked "What are you feeding these dogs?" She said "Chicken broth and liver mixed in the blender", what kind of a person feeds a 7 week old puppy that????????? I wanted to call the police right then and there, but I had to control myself. They were abusing and neglecting these puppies, it was so sad. My dad took Fatty because he looked like he needed medical attention asap. When we got in the car and started to the 24 hour emergency animal clinic, Fatty begain to throw up WORMS! The doctor was disgusted. He was filled with parasites in his little tummy, and was all bloated. He was being fed junk, so thats why he was so overweight he couldnt walk ( his front lets moved, but he dragged his back ones). He had to go on a "diet" at 7 weeks old!! When we went home, Fatty didnt sleep the entire night. He threw up and pooped out worms and cried all night. I felt so bad for him. I think my Dad taking him was the smartest thing he ever did though. I don't know where Fatty would have been if he hadn't. It took time and meds, but Fatty was nursed to health and is 100% healthy now.
With my Bubbles, it wasnt SOOOO terrible as Fatty, but it wasnt picture perfect either. I was supposed to get a different Yorkie to begin with, but a bunch of stuff happened with that (now thats a different thread!!!!) and we couldnt bring her home. That breeder recommeded Bubbles breeder to me. It was a verrrrrrrry long drive to the MOUNTAINS to get little Bubbles. He sold me Bubbles for SOO cheap, $350.00. He said he had a hard time placing his Yorkies, because he lived in an area where no one wants to drive to, to buy them (I don't know if anyone has ever heard of Indio, CA. Thats where it was!!!!) When I got there, I saw the reason he sold them for so cheap. NO tails docked or claws removed. It was another freaking disaster. I was really suprised that the previous breeder had actually recommened him to me, as she had a nice operation, and cared for her pups. He too, kept these little puppies outside. It wasnt like they were in a HORRIBLE living area, it was nice and clean for being outside. But none the less, they were living OUTDOORS, not being kept in a loving environment, or getting any attention!!
He too was a "First Come, First Serve" jerk. Wanted all the money, or none at all. I paid him and left, and called the breeder that recommened him to me and told her what I had seen. She had little to say, of course

I dont want anyone to think I want you to feel sorry for me, I just wanted to share my experience with these "breeders" in CA. Luckily, all my pups are heathly now, and have no problems. But I will beg you to WAIT WAIT WAIT to get a puppy! Don't bring them home young, like I did!!!!!!!