A puppy (or kitten for that matter) learns a lot from its mother and littermates after eight weeks. They may be physically able to be weaned and be able to remain healthy at eight weeks old, but there are many things they do not learn until after that. The mother teaches them manners. She teaches the puppy how rough is too rough. She teaches it good hygeine. A mother that is potty trained teaches her puppies where to go the bathroom. In addition to what the mother teaches the puppy, there are other benifits to waiting until the puppy is older. It is really hard to tell what kind of personality a puppy has at eight weeks. It is still such a baby. When a puppy is over twelve weeks old you can tell a lot more about the personality. |