Quote:
Originally Posted by MyPeanutAbbyGra  The breeder I'm getting my puppy from said that I could take her at 9-10 wks old. Should I insist that she keep her until she is 12 weeks old? I'm very new at this and eager to get my girl home to me, but not at the expense of her health. I've already lost one baby/dog/family member recently and I do not want to go through that again nor do I want my little girl to get less than absolute best start she can get.
I am home all day everyday, so I would be with her. Does that make a difference?
I'm sure the breeder would keep her a few more weeks if I insisted. |
I think there is no problem letting the puppies go to their new homes after 8 weeks, especially since you will be home with her. Of course if it is a very tiny puppy it might need more time at home with its mother.
http://www.perfectpaws.com/pup1.html
The following quote is from the above very interesting website on puppy socialization:
"The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine agrees that the socialization period lasts up to about 12 weeks (3 months) of age. However, at 12 weeks, the puppy must continue socialization to refine its social skills. Socialization most easily occurs before the puppy is 3 months old. Any later than that and it becomes an excruciatingly difficult and time-consuming process that very few owners have the time, energy, money or patience to cope with."
Puppies from 8 to 12 weeks of age go through a fear imprinting stage. During this time, it is crucial to carefully introduce a pup to a variety of stimuli every day, and to ensure that the experiences are positive. This is also a good time to start training the pup in basic behaviors. Just because a breeder keeps a puppy until it is 12 weeks old does not necessarily mean the puppy has been properly socialized. In fact, many have already developed bad behavioral problems by then.