When Can a Puppy Leave Its Mother?

Puppies separated too early show more fear, more biting and more difficulty with other dogs for life. This is one of the most consequential decisions in a dog's life and it is made before you get the dog.

Eight weeks is the floor

Between six and eight weeks the litter teaches bite inhibition and dog-to-dog communication that humans cannot teach. Many breeders keep pups until nine or ten weeks for this reason.

Red flags in a seller

Willing to release at five or six weeks, refuses to let you see the mother, meets you in a car park, or has multiple breeds available at once. These are hallmarks of commercial breeding operations.

What to ask for

See the mother with the litter, ask about deworming and first vaccination, and ask what socialisation the puppies have had.

Consider adoption

Shelters and street rescues are full of puppies, and an Indie puppy raised with its litter is a healthier long-term proposition than a poorly bred pedigree.