As a future dog owner, you probably can't wait to welcome your puppy into its new home. However, for the good of the little four-legged friend and its growth, you should still have a little bit of patience.
Puppies should never be separated from their mother too early. When is the right time for separation and which factors play a role, we explain this to you in the next paragraphs.
 |
| PexeLs/freestock.org |
The most important things at a glance
- In their first months of life, puppies go through several important developmental stages.
- The Animal Welfare Dog Ordinance permits the separation of puppies from their mothers only in exceptional cases before they are eight weeks old.
- In large dogs, puppies should be separated from their mothers a little later than in small breeds.
- A later release has a positive effect on the development of a puppy.
The stages of development in the first months of the life of the puppy.
In their first months of life, puppies go through different stages of development. Knowing these will help you understand why puppies should not be separated from their mother too early.
The first two weeks of life are called the neonatal phase. During this time, puppies are blind and deaf and also can't smell properly yet. They spend their days drinking and sleeping and are completely dependent on their mother's help.
Then, in the third week, known as the transition period, the little four-legged friends finally open their eyes and the development of their hearing begins.
The time between the fourth and seventh week is called the imprinting phase. The puppies' senses are fully developed and the little four-legged friends slowly make their first social contacts.
In the socialization phase between the eighth and twelfth week of life, learning through play and establishing the first rules of behavior are on the agenda. In the following four weeks, which are referred to as the hierarchy phase, puppies regularly test their limits and should, of course, also be consistently shown these.
What the legislator says about the time of delivery of puppies
The Animal Welfare Dog Ordinance regulates, among other things, the age at which puppies may be separated from their mother at the earliest. According to paragraph 2 (4), delivery before the completion of the eighth week of life is normally prohibited.
Exceptions to this rule are allowed only if a veterinarian believes that there would be harm to the puppies without premature separation from their mother.
The right time for separation and the breed of dog
Puppy development can vary quite significantly not only within a litter but also by breed. You can assume that the larger the dog breed, the later a puppy should be separated from its mother.
With small dogs, separation is often possible as early as the ninth week of life without any problems, while with medium-sized breeds you should wait until the tenth week, and with large dogs even until the twelfth week before separating the puppies from their mother.
Later separation has advantages not only for your puppy.
Even though the law allows puppies to be separated from their mothers after the eighth week of life, it is usually advisable to leave the little four-legged friends in their familiar environment for a little longer.
After all, the eighth week starts the important socialization period for the development, so that a separation of the puppies at this time would be very unsettling.
If you are patient instead, you can look forward to the arrival of a self-confident little dog and also prepare for a much more relaxed everyday life with your new roommate.
Protect what is important to you!