Puppy leaving mum at 6 weeks - help please!

Hi, I have just joined this forum as I need some advice. Yesterday I went to view some staffy pups and immediately fell in love with the one little boy that was left. After putting down our deposit, the breeder advised that we could collect him next week - this was a big shock as the pups are currently only 5 weeks old! I brought my last (and first) beautiful boy home at 11 weeks so 6 weeks seems to be really early. The (first time) breeder did say that while his vet had advised they can go at 6 weeks, we were welcome to leave the pup with him (and the mum and dad) for longer if we wanted to. I would like to do this but given that his five littermates are all being collected next Sat (ie at 6 weeks) I'm not sure what the best thing to do is. Will he get benefit just being with his mum and dad for an extra week or two or should I take him when the other pups go? Will it be more distressing for him to be taken from mum at 6 weeks or to be left there on his own while all the other pups go to new homes? Would be really grateful for some advice. My previous staffy sadly died last year and was an absolutely beautiful, gentle one of a kind boy and while the new pup will obviously be a different dog, we don't want him to end up dog-aggressive and so want to make sure that we don't do anything that will ultimately be detrimental to his personality. Thanks

Welcome to the forum

It's advised that puppies don't leave for their new homes until a minimum of 8 weeks old. At that age, the interactions with their littermates are really important in teaching them how to behave, particularly with bite inhibition. Ask the breeder to wait a few more weeks. Difficult to wait, of course, but it's better in the long run, easier to teach the puppy that you don't want any nipping.

Well 6 weeks is very young. But if all his siblings are leaving the nest at the same time, he won't be having the puppy playtime and learning experience with them anyway, if he's left alone with his mum.

However, I did get a Dobermann bitch puppy at 6 weeks old from a very experienced breeder, and after a LOT of grilling from the breeder, he was happy to let her go to me. (Please understand, I wasn't pushing to have the pup this young, it was just that 30 years ago 6 weeks old was considered a good age to get a pup).

She was very much a tiny baby though, and a lot of hard work! She grew up to be the best dog I ever had, possibly because her Mum fixation became transferred to me through her early seperation, I can't be sure.

This is just my experience of taking on a tiny puppy - other members on here will be able to advise further I am sure.

I'd sugest leaving her for another two weeks, even if it's only with the mother. Six weeks is really too young. Seven weeks I can put up with, and 8 weeks is ideal.

The breeder, though, is being very irresponsible letting all the pups go so young, and I would question their motives.

To be blunt i wouldn't even buy this pup.

Thanks all. Difficult to walk away from the purchase completely Hayley as my two young daughters have also fallen in love with him and would be devastated! Just really want to know whether it's worth leaving him with his mum and dad for an extra week or two even though brothers and sisters will have gone. I guess he'll still learn from them? Just perhaps not as much? I don't want him to be distressed and sadly not sure I'll be able to persuade breeder to keep all of them for another couple of weeks now he's promised them to people (tho will certainly give it a try!) He seems like a nice genuine guy - just a bit inexperienced maybe!

I would leave the pup with Mum for the extra 2 weeks, she will still teach him things. I'm sure if you leave a deposit with the breeder he will be ok with it.

I can understand that you feel like you are between a rock and a hard place in this one but please leave the pup with parents for the 2 more weeks , they don't just learn from their litter mates although it is where a lot of the learning comes from.

Thanks that's great. I will - and I will also try and persuade him to keep the others for longer as well!

I would also say leave him with his Mum & Dad for another couple of weeks. It's great that he has both parents there and will certainly learn more with them both being there than not.

What are the breeders doing for the pups with regards to vaccinations and microchips ?

hi, i would advise the same another two weeks. if the breeder said i could take away at 6 weeks i would be questioning this.

Kathy wrote:
What are the breeders doing for the pups with regards to vaccinations and microchips ?

Very few breeders in the UK will vaccinate pups before they leave; partly because of the cost, but also because very few vets will vaccinate before 8 weeks, different vets use different vaccines & pups often feel a little stressed & unwell afterwards. Better to let the new owner get it done.

Caryll wrote:

Kathy wrote:
What are the breeders doing for the pups with regards to vaccinations and microchips ?

Very few breeders in the UK will vaccinate pups before they leave; partly because of the cost, but also because very few vets will vaccinate before 8 weeks, different vets use different vaccines & pups often feel a little stressed & unwell afterwards. Better to let the new owner get it done.

When I breed my gsds the pups were collected at 8weeks and from the vets as the new owners could hear what the vet was saying and each pup went home with the first vaccination started
The new owners were encouraged to visit as much as possible after 6 weeks but all three litters ended up healthy happy well rounded dogs

I would also leave pup for 2 more weeks even if it is just with mum and dad it would benifit him
Good luck with your new fur baby

Gazagem wrote:

Caryll wrote:

Kathy wrote:
What are the breeders doing for the pups with regards to vaccinations and microchips ?

Very few breeders in the UK will vaccinate pups before they leave; partly because of the cost, but also because very few vets will vaccinate before 8 weeks, different vets use different vaccines & pups often feel a little stressed & unwell afterwards. Better to let the new owner get it done.

When I breed my gsds the pups were collected at 8weeks and from the vets as the new owners could hear what the vet was saying and each pup went home with the first vaccination started
The new owners were encouraged to visit as much as possible after 6 weeks but all three litters ended up healthy happy well rounded dogs

I would also leave pup for 2 more weeks even if it is just with mum and dad it would benifit him
Good luck with your new fur baby

That worked for you, but it's probably not that easy to get all the pups & all the owners to the same vet at the same time. And as I said, many vets do different vaccines (and most new owners would want to go to their own chosen vets for them) & would need to start the whole thing from scratch. In my opinion (and opinions vary, as we all know!) unless the pups are not going to new homes until 9+ weeks old (thereby letting them get over the stress of the visit to the vet & nasty needles being stuck in them), the vaccinations should be left to the new owners.

Caryll wrote:

Kathy wrote:
What are the breeders doing for the pups with regards to vaccinations and microchips ?

Very few breeders in the UK will vaccinate pups before they leave; partly because of the cost, but also because very few vets will vaccinate before 8 weeks, different vets use different vaccines & pups often feel a little stressed & unwell afterwards. Better to let the new owner get it done.

As much a reminder for the new owner as anything else

Thanks so much for all the replies - I have good news: have spoken to the breeder today and he is keeping my pup (with mum, dad and at least one sibling) until 8 weeks! He is also going to speak to the remaining buyers to suggest that they too leave theirpups with him a bit longer

Katy was taken from her litter at 5wks old, spent 1wk with her new family then advertised for sale at 6wks!!!!! She was very small to be away from her family. I took her on,she certainly regards me as her mum. She used to suckle on my dressing gown cord & doesn't like to be apart from me. She has turned out to be a fantastic pup. The only things she didn't learn from her mum was how to wash properly & no biting. I would advise waiting until 8wks aswell, being so young they take up even more time than usual.

maxandbarney wrote:Thanks so much for all the replies - I have good news: have spoken to the breeder today and he is keeping my pup (with mum, dad and at least one sibling) until 8 weeks! He is also going to speak to the remaining buyers to suggest that they too leave theirpups with him a bit longer

Glad to hear it

The longer with mum the better, we got Ella at 12 weeks, all her jabs done and ready for the big wide world

Picked up my girl at 9.5 weeks. first jab done.

Picked up my boy at 8 weeks and boy did I notice the difference an extra week makes, leave him with mom until at least 7-8weeks, a few extra days makes all the difference.

Having had Marley from 6 weeks, as much as you will want to get your new pup home if you can let them sit out another 2 weeks with mum and dad then that would be better. Now dont get me wrong marley is the best pup ever and im sure the bond we have with him is stronger due to the fact we was his mummy at such a young age, but as someone else has mentioned puppies are hard work and even harder at such a young age (my hubby was woken hourly when we first got marley, we used to have to wrap him up in blankets to get him to sleep ) all this hard work for having them so young the 2 weeks does make a difference but i love my boy and wouldnt change anything we have done with him for the world good luck with your new addition xx

I would definitely wait until the pup is 7-8 weeks old