# what age is best to rehome puppies? oppinions please!



## Dan79 (Feb 20, 2010)

Ok so on another thread there is talk that a puppy should not leave it's mother until 8 weeks...i let one of my puppies go at 7 wks 3 days and i felt that was the right thing for that particular puppy...whats your oppinions on this? as some have said they have picked their puppies up as early as 6 weeks


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## pop pop (Nov 4, 2010)

I would say from 7 weeks and over all depending on the pup, years ago my family used to breed bullmastiffs and i know they went on the 7 week rule however if a puppy was slightly slower in maturing then it would be kept a little longer, at 7 weeks it allows the pup a week to settle with there new family before the start of vaccinations, however my yorkie is due pups in 4 weeks and i have looking into when her pups should go and it says between 8/12 weeks so maybe it changes for different breeds? all that is just my opinion and may be corrected by someone


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## archiebaby (Feb 25, 2008)

as long as the puppies are healthy and active and of course fully weaned and you are happy with them in general then i would say between 7 and 8 weeks


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

8 weeks generally but it can be slightly earlier if they're doing well. Some toy breeders keep them later because they are so tiny at 8 weeks


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

I think 8-10 weeks is best. The longer the pups stay with the mother and littermates, the better as they learn more than pups taken early. Also, if they leave before 10 weeks, you still have the window for socialisation with the new owners too. 

I wouldn't take a pup before 8 weeks or after 12 weeks.


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## gorgeous (Jan 14, 2009)

I got Lily (Goldie) at 7 weeks, 4 days from a reputable breeder. Had no probs with Lily at all - she is perfect!


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## MarKalAm (Sep 6, 2008)

I think it would depend on the breed, some are so tiny at 8 weeks I think they should stay a little longer. 

But generally I think 8 weeks is fine. Never younger than 7.

I got my boy at 7.5 weeks.


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## archielee (Jan 30, 2009)

I would say 7 and 8 weeks is best... but this depends on the pup


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## Helbo (Sep 15, 2010)

SEVEN_PETS said:


> I wouldn't take a pup before 8 weeks or after 12 weeks.


Thats a shame - I realise 8-12 weeks is the _ideal_ window for getting a puppy, but there must be people out there who pick up pups after 12 weeks, or there would be a lot of unsold unhappy pups out there...


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

many toy breeders don't let their pups go until 12 weeks. i let mine go at 8 weeks but if the weekend falls a day or 2 before the 8 weeks, and providing i'm happy that the new owner is ready for the pup, then i'll let it go to its new home.


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2010)

Thirty years ago 6 weeks was the norm!
But now it seems that them that know best say minimum eight weeks!
One of the terms & conditions of the KC acredited breeders scheme! (not that I am over impressed anyway) also many of the specific breed clubs insist of the pups be 8 weeks - and there is no way I would go against club recommendations

Would I take a pup on a six weeks now? yep! guess I would - depending on circumstances !
Would I let one of my own go at 6 weeks! No I wouldn't
So guess I have two sets of standards there!


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

In some countries i think it is against the law to let them go at less than 8 weeks.


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

tbo i'd let one go at 6 weeks if it was going to an experienced rough owner, i'v e had one from a breeder at that age.


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## shazalhasa (Jul 21, 2009)

DoubleTrouble said:


> Thirty years ago 6 weeks was the norm!
> But now it seems that them that know best say minimum eight weeks!
> One of the terms & conditions of the KC acredited breeders scheme! (not that I am over impressed anyway) also many of the specific breed clubs insist of the pups be 8 weeks - and there is no way I would go against club recommendations
> 
> ...


I seem to have the same set of mixed up principles, I've had puppies in the past at 6 weeks, one was just over 5 weeks  but no way would I let any of mine go before 8 weeks.


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## kazzy (Oct 13, 2010)

I got my BC (Noah)1 day b4 turning 6 weeks. The breeder was letting the litter go at 6 weeks, but when i phoned to tell him the time i would come he asked me to come a day earlier. 
TBH i did think the norm would be 8 weeks. I had met the litter at 4 weeks old then returned to pick up Noah. He settled really well but TBH i wish i could have left him another couple of weeks with mother and siblings as i think he missed out on the social side of being with siblings. He is quite mouthy and he just got more agitated if i yelped (advice given from vet didn't work) and he got freaked out meeting dogs for the 1st time. He keeps going into submissive mode.

I know he's still young nearly 12 weeks, i suppose the more i take him out the better he will get.:thumbup:


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Helbo said:


> Thats a shame - I realise 8-12 weeks is the _ideal_ window for getting a puppy, but there must be people out there who pick up pups after 12 weeks, or there would be a lot of unsold unhappy pups out there...


I personally wouldn't want to miss the socialisation window if i got a pup at 12 weeks. I would rather have a pup that I could socialise well by getting it before the socialisation window closes.

Also, if the 12-week-old pup hasn't had any vaccs, it means waiting around 3 weeks before you can take it for walks and training classes (so not out until 15 weeks old), when an 8-week-old pup can be out at 11 weeks. The 12-week-old pup is losing 4 weeks of valuble socialisation. I know you can carry them around before that, but if you get a large breed pup, then this can be virtually impossible (even Ollie was difficult to carry around at 11 weeks old, and he's a cocker spaniel). I got Ollie at 9 weeks old and he had his first vaccine at 8 weeks at the breeder so he was out on walks and at training classes by 11 weeks.


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## mitch4 (Oct 31, 2009)

depending on the breed/size id say 8 to 12 weeks

we got our last little pup at 13 weeks due to circumstances and the breeder kindly kept him for us and hes one of the most sociable pups wev had, a good breeder will be one who is carrying out good socialisation of the pups, so a couple more weeks wont hurt, our pup also came fully innoculated and chipped as the breeder keeps her pups till ten weeks anyways


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## DerbyMerc (Dec 1, 2009)

7-8 weeks for me. If there are no other dogs where it is going then maybe tending towards 8.


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

I picked up at 7 weeks, but I'd go with around 8 or 9 weeks


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## jesshan (Jan 16, 2010)

The chihuahua breed clubs state members should not sell before 12 weeks old. Mine are always fully vaccinated before they go and never go before 12 weeks. Utter rubbish that they muss the 'socialisation' window - I've never had an aggressive one or timid one yet. I can do the socialisation ready for the new owners. 
The age is down to the individual breed - at 6-8 weeks old a chihuahua weight less than 2pm normally


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

jesshan said:


> The chihuahua breed clubs state members should not sell before 12 weeks old. Mine are always fully vaccinated before they go and never go before 12 weeks. Utter rubbish that they muss the 'socialisation' window - I've never had an aggressive one or timid one yet. I can do the socialisation ready for the new owners.
> The age is down to the individual breed - at 6-8 weeks old a chihuahua weight less than 2pm normally


that's great that you fully vaccinate the pups. That means that owners can take them out for walks and puppy training classes almost straight away so they don't miss the socialisation window. I was talking about purchasing a 12 week old puppy that didn't have any vaccinations at all. That means you have to wait 3 weeks (when the pup is 15 weeks old) before taking for walks and training classes. Personally, I wouldn't buy such a puppy.


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

I'd have much less respect for a breeder who said 8 weeks and only 8 weeks onwards than one who used 8 weeks as a standard but was flexible depending on the pup.

I got my golden at 7wks 4 days and he's fine, none of the litter have had any problems whatsoever (one was in an accident aged 8 months and died but that's hardly related to when he left as he didn't go as early anyway).

I looked into the fear periods a lot when I was looking for a dog and there were a fair few breeders who said to me (I was going away for three weeks and was intending to get the pup after) that they would keep the pup for x amount of time and it could come to me anytime between here and there, but they were more reluctant to let them go in a 'fear' period.

A lot believe 8 weeks is a major fear period which is one of the reasons my breeder lets them go half a week or so before that time providing she feels they are ready, otherwise she keeps them a bit longer and starts the socialisation herself.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

I got Kite at 7 weeks (to the day) but some of the litter went at 6 weeks onwards. The mother was obviously very sore from the pups' teeth and she was probably glad to see the back of them. As a farm-bred dog, living in a stable in a remote part of Wales, I wanted to get her at 7 weeks to give me the best opportunity to socialise her to the experiences of the life she would be leading with me, but I thought 6 weeks too young. She was to be living with another dog who I expected would teach her any manners she needed to learn (but who backed down on day 1 when Kite shoved in front of her at her food and started scoffing it).
Kite is confident and gets on well with other dogs, is great with people, no hangups.

With a house-bred pup, I'd be happier with around 8 weeks.


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