[gemy]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Thank you for that long, interesting summary. The information you've provided seems to summarize information from studies not available for inspection or rental/purchase. Would you have access to those actual original abstracts or scientific studies quoted in the piece you reference? That's what I was hoping to see - links to the actual scientific research studies themselves or at least their abstracts about the trials.

I wondered where the basic separation-age limits came from, hoping that weaned age wasn't the only criteria for finding pups able to go to a new home. There is always disagreement on this subject but I would like to know which age better prepares a puppy physically and mentally to deal with his new world and have that based on actual studies we can read, ruminate over, discuss.

The webpage article you provided has conclusions apparently arrived at by the writer of the article from only referenced studies I didn't see links to, weighted largely contrary to what I've found by what are considered the most reputable breeders on Yorkietalk(the world's largest online Yorkie forum and no mean assembly of knowledgeable puppy experience) as well as what I've been able to find online. Poking about on my own, doing my limited research, I've found some online abstracts of studies(fully available for a fee) and a long preview of a book - several pages - (for purchase), based on data from purported scientific studies such as you have copied above, as to the effect on the puppies' health, ability to bond with humans, learn tasks and develop and adapt to his life circumstances better at a later separation age from mom than 7 - 8 weeks. The sources I've found seem to argue an opposing(surprise, surprise!) point to early-age separation of puppies from the dam, if you or anyone is really interested and can help me work through them. Anyone?

Jeanie Phil is really generous with his help. PM him he can get for free anything behind a pay firewall. He can send you a private email and pdf file of the research -d but as I understand it - we can't publish the whole paper etc here - he can explain better the copyright laws.