Is 6.5 weeks too young for a puppy to leave its mother and litter?

Hello. I do not know if it is illegal to take a puppy away from its mother at 6 weeks of age, but it is a very common practice. By 6 weeks, the puppies are large enough to eat on their own, & may actually be tearing up the mother's breasts as they aggressively nurse. Now, puppies do seem to develop better social skills if they are left with their siblings until they are 8-12 weeks, but this does not mean your pup will have any problems. Do not feel bad. I am sure she will develop into a great dog, especially since you are already so concerned about her welfare. Do not listen to people on social media. Only the loudest & nastiest comments will come through. Care for her as any puppy, have your vet check her out as soon as possible to make sure she is healthy & parasite free, & obtain vaccinations as your veterinarian recommends. You will do great. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I typically try to encourage breeders to adopt out around 7-8 weeks of age. It comes down to socialization and being around the mom as long as possible. Socialization has been known to begin between 3-6 weeks and if you take the puppy away from the littermates too early, then this benefit of socialization could be harmed. I would encourage the breeder to hold on to the puppy for another 1-2 weeks longer than normal. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If he is no longer nursing, then he isn’t getting antibodies from Mom anymore so he will need to start his vaccine series earlier than usual. Also, he may not learn the social cues that Mom teaches during this time. He can, however, learn those by participating in a puppy play group . I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon to start the vaccinations and to ask for a recommendation for a puppy play group. Best of luck and enjoy your cute new puppy!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 5 weeks is a bit young to leave her mother but if she is fully weaned it should be ok. We usually do not start vaccines until they are 7 weeks of age. Some breeders will give them a parvo vaccine at under 7 weeks. You should be fine until she gets her first vaccine but people with sick dogs or unvaccinated dogs shouldn't handle her and she needs to be kept away from all dogs. I hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is not too young to be away from mom if she is 5 weeks of age. Pets are vaccinated as early as 6 weeks of age, and are usually weaned off of mom at this age. Since you have another pet in the home that does go outside, it is best to start vaccines for this pup once she is 6-8 weeks of age. Intestinal worms usually don't make pets too sick, but it can cause loose stool and potential vomiting. They still will eat well and do well as long as the worms are treated in a timely fashion (within 1-2 weeks), so this is an easy fix if you do encounter this. If your other pet is on a monthly heartworm prevention, then it has a natural intestinal dewormer in it as well that can protect your pet against 2 types of worms (hookworms and roundworms), which are the most common types of worms seen in puppies. But again, if you do happen to encounter a worm problem, this is easily dealt with with the appropriate dewormer, so keep an eye out for any loose stools. I hope that this helps and best wishes deciding on if you want to adopt this new pup. Take care. : )

Ideally, they should stay with the mother and litter until at least 8 weeks of age. This can prevent behavioral issues as they get older. They can start weaning to solid foods beginning at about 4 weeks of age. If they can stay with the mother and litter while weaning, this would be best for them in the long run.

At six weeks her immune system is very vulnerable to disease and she must be isolated away from unvaccinated dogs and exposure to wildlife until she is fully protected - i recommend an urgent vet check to assess her vaccination and deworming history and to make sure she is otherwise well. Her training can begin right away and it is important for her to develop a sense of independence and security away from you to prevent separation anxiety as she gets older