Can a puppy leave their mother at 7 weeks?

It is important for puppies to be with their mother and siblings up to 7 weeks of age.

There are a number of problems for later life if a puppy is taken away from its mother in the transitional stage.

When a puppy is pre-disposed to become fearful of other dogs, any time before 8 weeks can cause problems.

Puppies learn not to bite from their mother and littermates.

During the two weeks before the puppy reaches 8 weeks of age, a lot of this "no bite" training takes place.

If you're still not willing to take a puppy home at 6 weeks, it's likely that his health and future behavior will be impacted.

If a puppy must go home before 7-to-8-weeks of age, Foote recommends it be "mentored" by an older puppy or tolerant dog.

Some small breed breeders will want to keep the puppies for another three to four weeks.