- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Wondering when the puppy you’ve chosen can safely leave their mom? Once your new puppy is born, you’ll have to wait several weeks before you can bring them home! Most puppies can leave their mother when they’re between 8–12 weeks old. While they can be separated at 8 weeks old, more breeders are waiting until they’re 10–12 weeks old.
This separation timeline gives puppies enough time to wean off milk and begin eating solid food, plus learn basic dog behaviors from their mom and siblings. It’s also early enough in their development to help them easily adapt to their forever family.
Read on to get the details on when you can legally adopt or buy a new puppy and why later adoption may be worth considering.
When Is It Legal to Adopt or Buy Puppies?
To date, 27 states have laws that state the earliest age that puppies can leave their mom. Breeders, pet shops, and animal dealers cannot give you puppies who haven’t reached this age.
In most states, the minimum age for puppy adoption is 8 weeks. Virginia and Wisconsin allow you to bring home puppies who’ve reached 7 weeks. The District of Columbia has the earliest limit, letting puppies leave their litters as young as 6 weeks old.
Of course, there are exceptions to these laws. For example, shelters sometimes receive a large litter of newborn puppies who don’t have a mom. You may be able to foster and eventually adopt these younger puppies, although they’ll need a lot of extra care in those early weeks.
Why Can’t Puppies Leave Their Mom Before 8 Weeks?
The experiences dogs have in puppyhood help determine their personality and behavior as adults—much like human children.
And for the first 8 weeks of their lives, puppies depend on their mother and siblings for physical and emotional development. Letting your puppy stay with their litter during this time offers several long-term benefits:
Nutrition
A mother’s milk is the perfect food for growing puppies. It doesn’t just have all the proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals they need to grow big and strong. It also helps their immune system develop properly.
While puppies can drink cow’s milk, a carton of milk from the grocery store doesn’t contain the right mix of nutrients. A puppy fed only on cow’s milk will likely develop lactose intolerance.
If your puppy can’t get milk from their mom for some reason, you’ll need to feed them substitute formula. Your vet can make a formula recommendation if your puppy needs it.
Socialization
A puppy’s mom doesn’t just provide food. She also teaches important life skills. Her puppies will watch her for cues on how to react to different situations.
For example, when a giant human reaches down, the puppies can see their mom is relaxed and happy. They learn that humans are safe and can give really good scratches behind the ear.
New puppies also learn manners from their mom and siblings. If a puppy gets too rowdy during playtime, other dogs may bark or push them away. The puppy then learns not to bite or scratch so hard, saving you the trouble of teaching them these boundaries later on.
Resilience
During the puppy’s first 4 weeks, their mother’s supportive presence makes the world less scary. Her comfort prevents puppies from developing a stress response too early in their emotional development.
Puppies who get more love from their mom early on grow up to be less fearful. As adult dogs, they’re better able to adapt to change and recover from stressful situations.
Effects Of Early Adoption
If a mother dog can’t look after her puppies, they may need to get adopted earlier than 8 weeks. However, early separation can be stressful for puppies, particularly if it happens before they’re weaned off their mother’s milk.
This extreme stress can have a long-term impact on your puppy’s personality and behavior.
Puppies sold at just 30-40 days old tend to have more behavioral issues than dogs who don’t leave their mothers for 60 days (8 and a half weeks). Examples of these problems include:
- Excessive barking
- Fear and nervousness during walks
- Destroying toys or furniture
- Biting during play
- Possessiveness over food and toys
- Stronger reactions to noises
Effects Of Later Adoption
Many puppies go through a “fear period” between the ages of 8-10 weeks. They become jittery and cautious of new people and experiences as they try to figure out what is and isn’t dangerous. Any stressful memories they make in this stage may stay with them for a long time.
Some people may delay adoption until 12 weeks to make sure the puppy has finished their fear period. Research suggests puppies weaned after 12 weeks are less bold than those weaned earlier in life. In general, though, later adoption is much healthier than early adoption.
“After 12 weeks, it’s pretty safe to separate a puppy from its mother and littermates, mainly because they are more independent at that age and have also gotten used to the presence of humans around them,” says Sabrina Kong, DVM, a veterinarian at We Love Doodles.
Can Different Breeds Leave Their Mother Earlier Or Later?
Some breeds may need longer than 8 weeks with their mom.
“It is recommended that some breeds, especially smaller-sized breeds, spend a little bit more time with their moms before separating them, as they may need more nutrients from their mother’s milk,” Dr. Kong says.
Temperament is also important. Chihuahuas, Jack Russell Terriers, and Shetland Sheepdogs tend to have a more fearful temperament than most dogs. But staying with their litter for a longer period of time may have benefit for their emotional health.
While you may want to take home your puppy the moment they tumble into the world, it’s important to put your dog’s needs first. Those first 8 weeks with Mom plays a vital role in their socialization and lifelong physical and emotional health. Waiting until your puppy is truly ready to join your family helps give your relationship the best start possible.
