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Originally Posted by MTC  I've never heard of 6 weeks being a problem, but I don't know much about this kind of thing. Thanks for all of your responses.
It is not my girlfriend that wants her home at 6 weeks, that is just the time the breeder told us she would be ready. I'm not sure how much she weighs right now.
Her sister has gotten a yorkie from the same breeder and never ran into trouble so I will ask them |
Some breeders do let them go at 6 weeks, and some puppies do OK, not great but OK. Others get very sick and the vet bills get costly. It's a gamble that I would not want to take.
Waiting until 10 weeks or longer will greatly reduce the risks and the puppy will already be socialized. If you have never seen the difference, then you wouldn't know. But as a breeder, I can tell you there is a huge difference between a 6 week old puppy and a 10 week old one.
At 6 weeks my mothers are still very attached to their puppies and they would cry if they were separated. The mother does not even begin to socialize them until they are 8 weeks.
At 8 weeks she starts to play with them and scold them if the play too rough. She puts them on their back and teaches them to be submissive. They learn that there is a pecking order and they learn how to be a good pack member.
If you have ever watched this you would realize how important this time is. if your breeder has always let them go at 6 weeks, she probably doesn't even know how the mothers interact with themm between 6 and 10 weeks.