How bad is it if a mother is removed from her pups at 4 weeks old? ANY DOG EXPERT PLEASE ANSWER!!!?

Question

Alright here is the deal. I am buying a pup, Lab/golden retriever mix, from a reputable sheltor. There are 10 puppys in the litter, 5 male, 5 female, and they look healthy and clean. However, the mother was removed at 4 weeks. The litter is still altogether, and I'm taking the male pup home when he is 7 weeks old. Please, answer specificly what problems this dog may have beacause of the mother leaving early. Also many people say to take the pup at 8 weeks, But I'm taking him at 7: Is that bad???

If you are a expert, please say that you are so I know how reliable you are. Remember, be as specific as you can!!! Don't just say "problems" BE SPECIFIC!!!


Thank you!

Answer 1

There are several stages in a puppy's and young dogs life:



0-2 weeks old: Vegetative stage

3 weeks old: Transision stage



The next stage is the one that is relevant for you right now:

4-7 weeks: Impression stage:



This is the stage where the puppy learns important lessons and behaviours that will be firmly imprinted in his mind. A bad experience at this age, can lead to life-long problems.



At this stage a puppy should still be with his mother and siblings in a secure environment. He will take his cues from his mother who will teach him important lessons such as humans being nice and members of the pack. She will also teach him manners and because she is the one whom he will trust more than anyone else, her corrections will not frighten him unnecessarily. Playing with his littermates will start the bite-inhibition training and help him develop a sense of himself, through dominance play and play-fighting. These are not interactions that we humans can fully replace.



From a health point of view, the longer the mother will nurse the puppies, the better, as they get some immunization and healthy bacterias through the mother's milk.



The next stage of a puppy life is equally important:

8-12 weeks: Socialisation.

This is the point where, in the wild, the pup's father will start taking over raising him, playing hunting games and romping roughly with him. This is also the stage where the pup will start to look to the pack-leader and bond with him/her, which makes 8-12 weeks the ideal age for a puppy to go to his new home, as it will follow the puppy's natural development. The socialisation stage is also, as the name implies, the stage where the puppy needs as many new positive experiences with the world as possible. Now is the time to teach him to get along with small pets, ride a car, be in a crowd etc.



Removing a puppy from its mother at 4 weeks and taking it to a new home at 7 weeks, will not automatically result in a difficult, sickly pup, but the risk is higher. The way I see it is, why take the chance? I'm sure there are shelters that leave mom with the puppies and doesn't give them away before they are 8 weeks old.

Answer 2

experience: paid work in a shelter with dogs for 3 years, lots of puppy rearing personally and lots of experience homing our shelter pups, puppy preschool teacher



Ideally pups should remain with their mother until they are 8 weeks old so that they can learn important canine social skills with her help, protection and support. It is also important for their health that they be weaned gradually off her milk and onto puppy food.



In saying this, and with experience with pups that have lost their mother early for whatever reason, you can still have a healthy, happy pet. It is unusual for a shelter to let you take a pup home before 8 weeks however pressures for money and space may have made them decide to let the pups go earlier.



I would suggest you have experience with dogs to take a pup this age and with this background as it may need more time and patience than a pup from a GOOD breeder who has kept the pup with its mother and spent time socialising it. Give it LOTS of gentle, gradual socialisation with people and other dogs right from the beginning. As soon as it is settled at home get it enrolled into puppy school (within the first 2 weeks ideally).



It is hard to be specific about problems as there can be problems with any puppy from any source. There are many factors influencing puppy behaviour including the upbringing you provide.



do your research and ask experts if you have any hurdles.

Good luck if u decide to get the puppy :)

Answer 3

Ok coming from and expert.



the dogs learn various skill during the critical stage of 6-8 weeks, They learn things such a discipline. Basically they learn to distinguish right from wrong. They also learn clenliness, as this is when the mother teaches the dog NOT to eliminate in the sleeping/playing area. The dog is also taught social skills such as how to interact with the other pups in the litter FROM the mother.



Dogs removed from the mom this early notoriously have discipline problems and are much more difficult to housebreak. Please do not buy this puppy, and find a reputable breeder or even better? ADOPT!



Dogs that stay with the mother are MUCH better pets and easier to work with!!

edited to add: and they also learn bite inhibition, I forgot to add.

Answer 4

Number 1: A rescue organisation should not let you take the puppy until it is at least 8 weeks old, it needs that extra time if only a week with its' litter to learn social skills and bite inhabition.



Number 2: It's not great that the Mother was taken away from the Puppies as 4 weeks of age, they really need their Mother to learn from, she's the one who diciplines them.



Have you spent time with these puppies to see what their temperaments are like?

Answer 5

i have never heard of a shelter that will let you take a puppy at 7 weeks. if the pups are going strong then i would say they are going to be okay but its a shame they were taken from their mom so soon.

Answer 6

A pup can't live without it's mother at 4 weeks of living. It is still dependent to the milk of it's mother.it will learn to live by it's own (pup) by 6 mnths-8mnths. The mother will cry everyday beacause of her pup.

Answer 7

we breed aussie's and the main reason we don't seperate that early is because of diet and potential health issues............it's hard for pups that young to eat hard food and soft food is not recommended because it's not good for the teeth.......if the puppy seems healthy and is eating on his own, you should have no problems.........

Answer 8

the dogs need to be with the mother for longer than this so they can learn the dog ways that only their mothers can teach.

im sorry but this is "bad"

ur welcome