Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1  I am not familiar with the laws in your state, but usually it is illegal to separate a pup from parents at 6 weeks of age....8 weeks of age is the minimum in majority of states. As far as what is best for a Yorkie, reputable breeders will hold onto a yorkie baby until at least 12-14 weeks of age....they are learning how to be the best they can be FROM THEIR MOTHERS who are the best at teaching a baby what a baby should know as it develops at those ages. To separate a yorkie before those lessons are taught naturally by the mother dog, most often times will at the very least result in behavior issues as the puppy grows.....some of the problems are minor, others are more of an issue, usually behavioral issues with excessive barking, dependence, separation anxiety, biting, excessive barking, etc., just to name a few issues that seem to develop.
A breeder that keeps the puppies until 12-14 weeks of age, is devoting an enormous amount of time and concern and care, to make sure the puppies are being immunized completely before going to new homes, that the puppy has benefited optimally from developing with the mother, allowing the mother to teach the puppy how to be a confident, well rounded puppy.
When you have found a breeder that holds her babies until they are at least 12-14 weeks of age, you have found a GREAT breeder, one that is devoting an enormous amount of time, concern and money, to make sure her babies are getting the very best they can get and a great start in life. It is soooooo much cheaper to send babies out at 8 weeks old, but the concern would seem to be strictly a better profit margin in those cases as opposed to what is in the best interest of the baby. Vaccinations given before 8 weeks of age are useless....the baby is still covered minimally by maternal immunity at that age, and shots are useless before age 8 weeks. Shots should be given 3-4 weeks intervals from 8 weeks forward, and if you find a breeder that keeps her babies until they are fully vaccinated except for their rabies shots, they are micro chipped....these are all expenses taken on by the breeder that adores her babies and wants to be absolutely certain that baby remains healthy when going to a new home. |