Breeders sending puppies home young?

[Horselady]

What is the reason for this? I used to associate it with bad breeders/back yard breeders but it seems to be fairly common these days. I have known reputable toy breeders who send them at 7 weeks.

Being raised in a home that bred Akitas (back in the day when they were tough and animal aggressive, prey driven A-holes) and we tried to keep them until 10-12 weeks to make sure they got more socialization with other dogs, and the mom had more time to "correct them".

Now I see more and more working breeds going home at 6-7 weeks. What is the reason?

 

[Viemarangelrock]

My guess would be that they become more work, mobile around the house. The cost of food, noise, and pooping aswell.
It's very sad!

At that stage of life a week is such a big deal. They need Mum and littermates as they learn so much from them. Taking a pup away too early could certainly be detrimental.

 

[JanS]

I don't think any pup should be sent home before 8 weeks. I do think 9 - 12 weeks is ideal - especially if they've been cropped so the breeder can start the aftercare.

 

[MischasMomma]

I have to agree... and in my opinion that would not be a reputable breeder. My thoughts are that it becomes a cost vs convenience issue... they're physically capable and it costs less for the breeder to feed and more convenient to have less pups inderfoot, why not send them home at an early age? I MO any ethical breeder wouldn't even give that a thought- they know the importance of the pups being with mom and litter mates for longer.

 

[Horselady]

I agree completely, I just happen to see it a lot. It makes me scratch my head. II thought there might be a theory I heard of (not sure where I read it/who told me it) that getting a puppy at 6 weeks makes them bond more to the human, however, I've never known that to be true. It makes me rather sad to see it. I can't imagine it is all breeder greed or people wouldn't take the puppy home that early.

 

[NikiL02]

I heard of someone in Colorado getting a dog at 6 weeks. That's actually illegal here. No puppy can go to a new home until at least 8 weeks. That includes rescues and adoptions. It made me wonder who sold them the poor dog and purposely broke the law.

 

[zoniezz]

Got my puppy at 12 weeks. I do know that the breeder started letting them go at 10 weeks, and 12 weeks if they were flying to their new home.

 

[Horselady]

I heard of someone in Colorado getting a dog at 6 weeks. That's actually illegal here. No puppy can go to a new home until at least 8 weeks. That includes rescues and adoptions. It made me wonder who sold them the poor dog and purposely broke the law.

It's sad isn't it I just don't understand it. even my mini poodles I didn't let go until 8+ weeks. The Akitas were moms and she didn't let them go until 10-12. It just blows my mind.

 

[Beerswimmer]

6 weeks? Are they even eating solid foods yet?? I thought the purpose of 8 weeks was to be sure that they were. I just picked up my little guy at 8 weeks and a day or 2 and his mom was DONE with the puppies! She cared, but not all that much. None were allowed near her belly!

 

[Gelcoater]

I don't think any pup should be sent home before 8 weeks. I do think 9 - 12 weeks is ideal - especially if they've been cropped so the breeder can start the aftercare.

I agree. Actually more time is better I think.
Daisy's breeder was a BYB as far as I'm concerned, but even she wasn't letting them go before 10 weeks.
And, @Horselady
Without sidetracking this thread I just wanted to say, no. I don't have one and its a long story, but


Akita.

 

[Horselady]

I heard of someone in Colorado getting a dog at 6 weeks. That's actually illegal here. No puppy can go to a new home until at least 8 weeks. That includes rescues and adoptions. It made me wonder who sold them the poor dog and purposely broke the law.

Oh, it is illegal here too but you have to be in the business of breeding dogs before it applies. So if you just breed 2 litters a year then they won't go after you as a hobby breeder. Truthfully though it doesn't seem like anyone police's it.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I agree. Actually more time is better I think.
Daisy's breeder was a BYB as far as I'm concerned, but even she wasn't letting them go before 10 weeks.
And, @Horselady
Without sidetracking this thread I just wanted to say, no. I don't have one and its a long story, but
View attachment 67058

Akita.

I always thought a good Akita was pretty awesome. I would not consider owning one because of all the hair. JMHO.

 

[MischasMomma]

I always thought a good Akita was pretty awesome. I would not consider owning one because of all the hair. JMHO.

Akitas and Alaskan Malamutes are 2 of my favorite "fluffy dogs"... absolutely beatiful, and soft, but too much hair for me! there's a mal puppy at the boys football practice and that pup just feels like someone plucked a puff of cloud from the sky and put legs and a tongue on it!

 

[MyBuddy]

If you talk to us 'older folks' I think you would find that in my day (as a child of the 50's/60's) it was common for people to get a puppy at 6 wks and be proud of it! I think it was the 'cool' thing to get a puppy so young. As years go by, we are learning more (as we should!) that keeping a pup with its mom is crucial. I got my first Dobe at 12 weeks and I think it was the right thing to do. 10-12 weeks works for me.

 

[GennyB]

Interesting this topic came up. I know somebody that just brought home a 6 weeks old pup. She had contacted me about a breeder. I referred her to the DPCA website. I'm thinking I won't do that again. It turns out the requirement for getting on that list is be a member for 5 years and pay a fee to be on it.
Not any real or enough qualications for me.

 

[Horselady]

I always thought a good Akita was pretty awesome. I would not consider owning one because of all the hair. JMHO.

I agree! It's part of why I don't get back into that breed. The other thing is they are super animal aggressive/prey driven/same sex aggressive. It seems this has changed in the last 30 years (like dobes being bred to be more "pet friendly"), but man our line was T.O.U.G.H.!!! Those suckers would kill anything they could, once there was a disagreement between two of them they never forgot and hated the other for life.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I agree! It's part of why I don't get back into that breed. The other thing is they are super animal aggressive/prey driven/same sex aggressive. It seems this has changed in the last 30 years (like dobes being bred to be more "pet friendly"), but man our line was T.O.U.G.H.!!! Those suckers would kill anything they could, once there was a disagreement between two of them they never forgot and hated the other for life.

Sounds pretty awesome.

 

[Horselady]

It is but it isn't. I mean just having one wouldn't have been bad but we had qu

Sounds pretty awesome.

quitquite a few because she bred them (here and there. She might have owned 5 bitches but only had a litter or two a year). Regardless, one night my parents woke me up to say my Brittany wasnt going to make it because one of their house dogs turned on him and tore his jugular. Thankfully I was little miss wanna be vet and got them to take him to the vet hospital. They did blood transfusions, Lord knows what else but said dogs can live without a jug because they have so much blood supply to the brain. So, he lived another 4-5 years. Another time one of the bitches got in with another over night, when she fed in the morning she found them. They caught until they were exhausted and had to put the one bitch down. It just wasn't fun.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

It is but it isn't. I mean just having one wouldn't have been bad but we had qu

quitquite a few because she bred them (here and there. She might have owned 5 bitches but only had a litter or two a year). Regardless, one night my parents woke me up to say my Brittany wasnt going to make it because one of their house dogs turned on him and tore his jugular. Thankfully I was little miss wanna be vet and got them to take him to the vet hospital. They did blood transfusions, Lord knows what else but said dogs can live without a jug because they have so much blood supply to the brain. So, he lived another 4-5 years. Another time one of the bitches got in with another over night, when she fed in the morning she found them. They caught until they were exhausted and had to put the one bitch down. It just wasn't fun.

Oh yes, that does not sound awesome. I was talking about having just one.

 

[Horselady]

And bitches were 10x worse than dogs. Those girls loved people but we're hateful to each other.

Shawna was my junior handling bitch, she was awesome for that but somehow she and Sheena got into it, no more friendship. We had a bitch named Beau Beau, she literally ate the pygmy goat. Not sure how she even got near him now, but yeah it was bad.