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Is it ethical / legal to buy puppy younger than 8 weeks

Interesting question. Personally I won't let pups leave until 9 weeks if riding in a car, or 10 weeks if flying. Hopefully I can hold them until 10 to 12 weeks, but that is just my preference. Pups gain alot even after 8 weeks from being with their litter mates. The one's I have let leave at 8 have less confidence and have a harder time adjusting to the new home. And I DO think it's unethical to let them leave before 8 weeks, JMO! There are certain circumstances that people can't overcome and I do understand those, but for the majority those breeders seem to be out to make a buck- not caring about the individual puppy's well being.
Replies (17)
    • Some breeders offer the pups for sale at a very young age. Most states (and airlines), I believe have 8 weeks old requirements. Would be interesting to hear your opinions. No need to name names, just facts please.
      • I don't know if there are any actual laws about this so it is mostly an ethical issue. I think 8 weeks is the right time unless the educated buyer wants the pup earlier - however, should not be younger than 6 weeks. Again, just ethical without any legal complications.
        • Ethical As much as it would be nice if humans had a ethical way about them as most do not. Most humans do it for a buck and do not care about the creature in all mammals, reptiles and birds. Legal Here is a link to all the states that state what age is a minimum for sale. http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuspuppysaletable.htm hope this is what you were looking for Deb
          • Interesting question. Personally I won't let pups leave until 9 weeks if riding in a car, or 10 weeks if flying. Hopefully I can hold them until 10 to 12 weeks, but that is just my preference. Pups gain alot even after 8 weeks from being with their litter mates. The one's I have let leave at 8 have less confidence and have a harder time adjusting to the new home. And I DO think it's unethical to let them leave before 8 weeks, JMO! There are certain circumstances that people can't overcome and I do understand those, but for the majority those breeders seem to be out to make a buck- not caring about the individual puppy's well being.
              • The member who posted this text was banned - and the post is depricated.
                • 7-9 week old puppy for me, not older
                  • I prefer to take a pup at 6 weeks old. Pups biggest bonding ages are at the 7-9 week age, and i like to be the one who is the CONSTANT in the VAST equation of variables in their young life, so that they truly understand that if NOBODY else will be good in their life, that [color=darkred]I WILL[/color]. PLus, it is very cool to watch your new puppy go from infantile, to babyish, to toddler, to child, to teenager to adult to elderly, and NOT miss a week of it.
                    • i had pups from 4 1/4 weeks gsd/mal mix,13 weeks spike my gsd,8 weeks wolf my gsd,8 weeks ,8 weeks and 7 months ow dont forget my chi 8 weeks. Its ilegal here to sell a pup younger than 8 weeks but like other ilegal things it heppens ofcourse. My first gsd who was not even 5 weeks wasnt social not with dogs or humen.He didnt learn the groundrules from brothers and sisters will never know if that was the cause of it.Was he too young or did i fel for the pup who stayed behind not looking for contact.i dont know. Spike was together with his brother and he is always very social. With my co s i had the first two with 8 weeks and i thought that was great because than i could socialise him well wich i did.The last one Inar satyed in a kennel BUT i could learn him everything i could teached the other two and he was 7 months.He was only a bit taller and it took a little longer but there wasnt much diffrence. Sold my own chihuahua with 6 weeks and the other two with 8 weeks.All three are doing well.
                      • [quote="crnosrce1"]I prefer to take a pup at 6 weeks old. Pups biggest bonding ages are at the 7-9 week age, and i like to be the one who is the CONSTANT in the VAST equation of variables in their young life, so that they truly understand that if NOBODY else will be good in their life, that [color=darkred]I WILL[/color]. PLus, it is very cool to watch your new puppy go from infantile, to babyish, to toddler, to child, to teenager to adult to elderly, and NOT miss a week of it.[/quote] It is a common misconseption that puppies taken from mother at 6 weeks bond with the owners better. These puppies miss out on many important things - immune protection coming from mothers milk, and from vaccinations (6 weeks old is too early to vaccinate, so the puppy will go unprotected) proper pack social skills taught by mother and littermates, age appropriate exercise ... etc. Human owner can not provide these important development aids because we are different species. I don't send my puppies away until at least 10 weeks old, 12 is even better. They need to learn stuff here to be able to adapt, socialize with the new world and bond with new owner easier and more effective. You don't send your children to school before they are mentally ready. If you do - it becomes frasterating for child and teacher and classmates.
                        • Danish law requires that the puppy is minimum eight weeks of age before leaving its mother - Though I have witnessed puppies being sold at seven weeks old. My experience tells me that there is no difference in the behaviour of the puppy between seventh and eighth week and I would not have any problems by selling a seven week old puppy - Though I don't think I would go under that.
                          • I am not a breeder, so I can't speak up on that side of the coin, but we got one of our dogs, at 6 months, and I believe that he has bonded very well with me (he is a Presa Canario) and we got our ASD at 6 weeks (not my choice, the breeder told me that he sent all his "sold puppies" at that age- even though I later found out it broke the National club ethics). She is an ASD, and we had some behavioral issues with her, which we later found out also stemmed from the breeder separating the puppies from the mother when he started weening them (around 3-4 weeks of age, he would let the mother nurse them occasionally, but separte the puppies for the rest of the time). After finding this out, I was able to overcome the behavioral issues, but it has not been easy- as a potential owner, I would have preferred to have her at 8 weeks, but the breeder insisted on her coming to us at 6 weeks. Virginia, Math and Gaia the Goofball
                            • In Australia with pedigree dogs it is 8 weeks but if your exporting its 12 weeks. When you become a breeder and/or member of the AKC, you are supposed to adhere to the code of ethics. I have no problem taking a dog at 12 weeks and up depending on the circumstances. I have a dog kenneled at the moment in France after only being allowed to leave Italy at 4 months. It has to stay there a minumum of 150 days and then 30 days quarantine. This is timed from a positive test of rabies. I would love to be able to get my dog quicker but due to quarantine laws this is impossible. Some rules are good but I still will never understand such a long time especially from a country which has had no cases of rabies for over 50 years. Borders are a pain because that is the reason this is strictly adhered to due to the neighbouring country maybe still having rabies. I would also take a pup, if under a certain situation say going to be put down due to this and that at 6 weeks but never before and probably not likely to take unless I was happy with its health in the first place. I would never take a 6 week old pup if it didnt look strong, independant and definitely not one cowering in the corner. Just my thoughts
                              • My first pup like i said was 4 1/2 weeks.I came on a farm and on that farm was a caravan with young people in it.They were junks. Her female the mal runned away to the neighbour and 63 days later she had 15 litters.The people couldnt care for all the litters so they advertised and said that they were older.So we went over watched the situation and it didnt looked good.They couldnt care for them and because i wasnt looking for a special dog at that time i picked a pup.He was 15 euro that time so if the pup was ill i could spend some money to the vet :D . The pup in the corner wasnt cowering he just didnt care.I picked him up,took him with me and out relation began :D .Hard character both parents were guarding the farm and very good for my protection.He had a lot of worms so after the vet check en the vaccination he has never seen a vet.he died when he was 10 so after all it was a great dog. If i would pick a special dog.Breed and character you are right i would never ever had picked him.At that time i wasnt looking for anything beside a dog.Even went to a lab kennel but all the litters were sold and the 3 ladys who were pregnant that litters were sold too.They were famous as a very good breeder well to be anest i would runn there away faster than when i saw my pup.
                                • [quote=desiree]They were junks.[/quote] Junks? Is that like gypsies?
                                  • addicts to drugs
                                    • So not like Gypsies who are only addicted to freedom :lol:
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