Excellent post, Belle Noir. I never will understand the "got to have it now" attitude when a little dog's health and future well-being and likely even how well it can adapt and adjust to life are all concerned. If the dogs experts and breeding authorities are right, those extra weeks with the mother, littermates and in the birth home are extremely beneficial to the puppy. I found this from the Doctors Smith and Foster website and what it says about 6-9 week old puppy development vs. 12 weeks is vital to me in just the matters of fear development, let alone considering the more fragile medical situation of a 6-9 week old pup. I'd love to see people wait and give that little one its very best chance to thrive and develop before changing homes, leaving its mom, littermates, familiar, comforting surroundings and the only people it knows to go to a totally strange, new place, often with novice, first-time dog owners.
Puppies: What to Expect the First Year