You're driving through Tucson when you see an ad on a telephone pole for five week old puppies for sale, and you think to yourself, isn't five weeks too young?
The recommendation most often given by veterinarians is that puppies should remain with their siblings until 6-8 weeks of age. Though, until now, there has been little evidence supporting this seemingly arbitrary age.
Now, in a research paper published in the Journal of the British Veterinary Association, three veterinarians conducted a study of the effects of removing puppies from their siblings prior to 40 days (about 6 weeks) and after 60 days (8 1/2 weeks), and found a strong correlation between early removal and behavioral issues.
The study was done in the form of a questionaire of 140 adult dogs of different ages (18 months to 7 years), sexes, and breeds divided into two groups, those that left their siblings and dam prior to 40 days and those that left after 60 days. All dogs had been owned by one owner and had never been through a shelter situation.
Owners were asked about the following behaviors: attention seeking, fear-based, resource guarding, excessive barking, destructive behaviors, and others. People reported higher incidences of all of these behaviors in dogs released prior to 60 days.
Additionally people who owned younger dogs (18 months to three years) that were brought home younger than 60 days had more incidences of destructive behavior and tail chasing.
Lastly, puppies that went through a pet store and were sold prior to 60 days had a higher incidence of behavioral issues than did dogs that came from breeders or through friends at a similar age.
According to the authors, "Early separation from the dam and littermates, especially when combined with housing in a pet shop might affect the capacity of the puppy to adapt to new environmental conditions and social relationships in life. Behavioral intervention can address the development of problem behaviors and improve the dog's relationship with the owners, ultimately reducing the nuber of dogs that are relinquished or abandoned"
The study, Prevalance of owner-reportedbehaviors in dogs separated from the litter at two different ages, was conducted by L. Pierantoni, DVM, M. Albertini, DVM PhD, and F. Pirrone, DVM, PhD.
Education is the key to a quality relationship with your dog, and unfortunately, the people most likely to buy from telephone pole ads and pet stores, are also, largely, the least educated pet owners. Unfortunately, it is also likely that the people bringing these puppies home are also the least lieley to be equipped to handle behavioral issues as they arise, compounding the issue of behavioral problems and subsequent relinquishment.
A grassroots effort should be made by veterinarians and pet owners to educate puppy sellers that puppies should not leave their dams prior to 9 weeks of age. This simple act might forestall preventable behavioral issues down the line that can negatively impact both the dog's owners and the dog.
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