HEALTH
What’s the Best Age to Bring Home a Puppy?
Adopting a puppy soon? Puppies should reach a certain age before leaving their mother for proper development. Here's how you can estimate their age beforehand.
Table of contents
Are they ready to come home ? By the end of the article, you will be able to answer that.
As a prospective pet parent, the search for the ‘right puppy’ can be (and perhaps should be) quite a tiresome process. Whether we choose to adopt or buy, there are certain ethical, medical and behavioural considerations that we must take into account before narrowing down on the right pup for our home.
In this article, we will talk about one of the most important factors that we must keep in mind before we get the puppy home - the age of the puppy. Often overlooked, it plays a crucial role in the future health of your puppy. Pet parents should know that many breeders either openly sell 45-day-old puppies (6-7 weeks old) or lie about the age of the puppy - claiming they are older than they are. This article explains why it is wrong to sell puppies below a certain age and how we can correctly identify a puppy that is more than 8 weeks old.
As per government regulations, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) stipulates that a puppy must remain with the mother dog till they are at least 8 weeks old. Why? Here are the reasons:
In this article, we will talk about one of the most important factors that we must keep in mind before we get the puppy home - the age of the puppy. Often overlooked, it plays a crucial role in the future health of your puppy. Pet parents should know that many breeders either openly sell 45-day-old puppies (6-7 weeks old) or lie about the age of the puppy - claiming they are older than they are. This article explains why it is wrong to sell puppies below a certain age and how we can correctly identify a puppy that is more than 8 weeks old.
As per government regulations, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) stipulates that a puppy must remain with the mother dog till they are at least 8 weeks old. Why? Here are the reasons:
Puppies Need Nutritional Support from Its Mother
Puppies grow very fast! They double their birth weight in 2 weeks. Think of the mother dog’s milk as being a superfood tailor made by nature to ensure that the puppies thrive during this growth spurt. The best way to ensure they get the nutritional support they need is by making sure they have access to the mother milk until they are ready to be weaned.
There is nothing quite like mother's milk for puppies
Puppies Need Time to Be Weaned Off
Just like human babies, puppies cannot consume solids until their first set of “baby teeth'' arrive. At 6-7 weeks a puppy is old enough to be introduced to semi-solid foods and can be gradually weaned off the mother's milk.
Weaning is the process of switching the puppy from the mother's milk to solid food. It has to be done gradually to allow the puppy to learn how to eat from a bowl and permit their delicate digestive systems to adjust to the diet change. Without the right teeth, it can be difficult for a puppy to eat commercial pet food or even home-cooked food. Hence this is an important milestone for puppies to achieve before being brought into your home.
Weaning is the process of switching the puppy from the mother's milk to solid food. It has to be done gradually to allow the puppy to learn how to eat from a bowl and permit their delicate digestive systems to adjust to the diet change. Without the right teeth, it can be difficult for a puppy to eat commercial pet food or even home-cooked food. Hence this is an important milestone for puppies to achieve before being brought into your home.
Puppies Go Through Critical Socialization Period
In the first 8 weeks, the mother dog teaches its puppies lots of important things like “how to be a dog”, primary socialization, bite inhibition, etc. Additionally, they learn how to play and behave around other dogs from their littermates. When a puppy is deprived of these very important interactions, it could potentially lead to problem behaviours in the pup as it gets older.
This is why we must be mindful of adopting/buying pups that are above the minimum age of 8 weeks. Under no circumstances should the puppy be separated from the mother dog before this age.
Unfortunately, it can be quite tricky for a parent to follow this guideline, given that the person from whom you are getting the puppy (unethical breeders, primarily) may not be truthful to you about the puppy’s age. If a breeder blatantly tries to sell you a puppy that is less than 45 days old. DO NOT purchase a puppy from them.
So how do you know if the breeder is telling the truth about the puppy’s age? Here are some ways you can estimate the age of your pup :
This is why we must be mindful of adopting/buying pups that are above the minimum age of 8 weeks. Under no circumstances should the puppy be separated from the mother dog before this age.
Unfortunately, it can be quite tricky for a parent to follow this guideline, given that the person from whom you are getting the puppy (unethical breeders, primarily) may not be truthful to you about the puppy’s age. If a breeder blatantly tries to sell you a puppy that is less than 45 days old. DO NOT purchase a puppy from them.
So how do you know if the breeder is telling the truth about the puppy’s age? Here are some ways you can estimate the age of your pup :
How Many Teeth Does Your Puppy Have?
Puppies usually develop their full set of 28 milk teeth by the time they are 6–8 weeks old. Gently turn the puppy’s lip outwards and try to see if you can count all 28 teeth.
It is recommended that you do so from the sides rather than the front of the puppy’s face. If this is too tough, try and see if you can find the puppies' premolars- these are smaller triangular teeth right behind the long pointy one called the canine. There should be six on each side of the mouth- three up and three down.
"Eeee! Can you count my teeth?"
Is Your Puppy Able to Eat?
If the puppy has been weaned off properly, they will be able to eat solids or at least semi-solid foods. The breeder may ask you to soak kibble in water for the first few days, but if your breeder asks you to feed milk substitutes like Samolac or Cerelac - this could be a red flag.
Is Your Puppy Active & Curious?
By the time that puppies are 7-8 weeks old, they tend to become quite active. They start exploring the world with their newly minted teeth - by chewing on things and engaging with other beings (littermates, mothers and even humans). If you visit the breeder and see that the puppies are relatively quiet and don’t seem very curious about you, this may indicate that the puppies are between 4-6 weeks old. This is the least accurate method, but it can be used along with the above two techniques in helping you confirm the age of the puppy.
It is important to note that none of the above are foolproof methods to determine the age of the puppy. The perfect way to do so is through a vet visit or taking your vet along with you to examine the pup at the breeder’s place. However, in the scenario that you are not able to do so, the above can come in handy to assess their age yourself.
If you do suspect the puppy to be underage, immediately check with the breeder and ask them pointed questions about their breeding practices. Alternatively, consult your vet before proceeding further. Remember, being extra cautious and the patient will only help in ensuring that your puppy will live a comfortable and happy life in your home.
Happy Pet Parenting!
It is important to note that none of the above are foolproof methods to determine the age of the puppy. The perfect way to do so is through a vet visit or taking your vet along with you to examine the pup at the breeder’s place. However, in the scenario that you are not able to do so, the above can come in handy to assess their age yourself.
If you do suspect the puppy to be underage, immediately check with the breeder and ask them pointed questions about their breeding practices. Alternatively, consult your vet before proceeding further. Remember, being extra cautious and the patient will only help in ensuring that your puppy will live a comfortable and happy life in your home.
Happy Pet Parenting!
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