Litter

Author: Denise Partlow

Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas

One of the most important things to look at when adopting a puppy is the age that the puppy has left both the mother and litter.

It is imperative that the puppy has time to interact, play and learn from his littermates. Not only does the play help to build muscle coordination but it also helps to develop social skills. It is during this play that puppies will become more aware of canine body language. It is also through this play that they learn bite inhibition; understanding just how much pressure to apply when biting.

Puppies will easily exchange roles as they fight-this gives all pups a chance to play a dominant or submissive role. This type of interaction is the foundation in which puppies learn to adjust to other dogs.

Unfortunately puppies that are separated from their mother and littermates before six weeks of age will not have had the opportunity to learn these basic social behaviors and may develop serious problems as they mature.

But personally, I still think six weeks is too early. During weeks 5-7, most breeders are handling each dog separately to learn more about their individual personalities. This is a great practice because not only does it help them to identify any strange behaviors from each pup and gives them time to work through it, but it will also help them to understand each pup better so they know exactly which family to place them with.

Many breeders will complete some type of puppy aptitude test or temperament testing, and it is typically done very close to seven weeks of age. It is believed that once seven weeks old, neurological development has reached adult levels, helping the results of the test to be more accurate to their true personalities. If done earlier, it is possible that the results will not be valid.

So when looking for a puppy, I feel that anything less than eight weeks of age should be questioned. Of course there may be some circumstances where it is acceptable, but never from a reputable breeder.