What is the right age to take a puppy home?

[DebraDownSouth]

Whew… well I wanted Cara as young as possible so Arwen would pretty much raise her as a puppy, not see as a threat. But I have to say any owner who told me they couldn't bond with an older dog wouldn't get one of my pups. GERIATRIC dogs bond with the family, and the family with it.

[Patty]

I agree with most of the rest of the posts that 10 to 12 weeks is the best tome to go to new homes (of course there may be exceptions). I must say that on the whole UK breeders do let their puppies go earlier.

I have had experience of Basenjis (not my own) that have suffered badly because they hadn't had sufficient chance to learn from parents and siblings.
I know of breeders who forcibly wean their puppies so that they can home them as early as possible (in an instance I Know of - 6 weeks!). The history of such basenjis has been horrendous - some having had to be put down for aggression - no fault of their own but that of the breeder!

So you can see that I feel strongly about this.

[tanza]

I agree with you Patty. We have had people here on the Forum that got puppies at 6/7 weeks and they were fed up with the biting within two weeks. For those of you that have puppies from responsible breeders and still have the "joy" (NOT) of puppy teeth, you have seen nothing, so consider yourself lucky

[tlish]

^ i agree, puppy teeth are evil! i called suki my little alligator when i brought her home, and that was at 12 weeks, but NO socialization.

[DebraDownSouth]

Patty, some states here thankfully make it illegal to place a puppy before 8 weeks. I suspect not only the young age, but the people who got the pups didn't know enough to deal and the breeds didn't care enough to educate.

[Patty]

Debra, although I'm not in favour of overlegislating I applaud this law. If only it could be brought in here.