Key facts at a glance
- In their first months of life, puppies go through several important developmental stages.
- The Animal Welfare Dog Ordinance only allows puppies and mother to be separated in exceptional cases before they are eight weeks old.
- For large dogs, puppies should be separated from their mothers a little later than small breeds.
- A later delivery has a positive effect on the development of a puppy.
The development phases in the first months of the puppy’s life
In the first few months of life, puppies go through different developmental phases. Knowing these will help you understand why puppies should not be separated from their mothers too soon.
The first two weeks of life are called the neonatal phase. During this time, the puppies are blind and deaf and cannot smell properly. They spend their days drinking and sleeping and are completely dependent on their mother’s help.
In the third week, referred to as the transition phase, 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 are slowly making 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 conduct are on the agenda. In the four weeks that follow, which is referred to as the ranking phase, puppies regularly test their limits and should, of course, be shown these consistently.
What the legislator says about the delivery time of puppies
The Animal Welfare Dog Ordinance regulates, among other things, the earliest age at which puppies may be separated from their mother. Pursuant to paragraph 2 (4), delivery before the age of eight weeks is normally prohibited.
Exceptions to this rule are only permitted if a veterinarian is of the opinion that the puppies would be harmed if the puppies were not separated from their mothers prematurely.
The right time for the separation and the dog breed
The development of puppies can differ quite significantly not only within a litter but also between breeds. In principle, 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 you should wait up to the tenth week for medium-sized breeds and even up to the twelfth week for large dogs before separating the puppies from their mother.
The reason for this is the difference in development. Large dog breeds tend to be late developers. Small breeds like dachshunds go through faster development. An eight-week-old dachshund is significantly more developed than a Bernese Mountain Dog of the same age.
Of course, an appropriate decision must be made on the separation of the mother dog and the puppies in each individual case. There are litters of very confident puppies who, early on, start fighting more seriously than would be the case with normal puppy play. An earlier separation can also make sense if the puppies are not kept in a species-appropriate manner, in which they don’t get to know anything about their surroundings.
A later separation has advantages not only for your puppy
Even if the legislature allows puppies and mother to be separated after the eighth week of life, it is generally advisable to leave the little four-legged friends in their familiar surroundings for a little longer.
After all, the socialization phase, which is important for the development, begins in the eighth week, so that a separation during this time would make the puppies very insecure.
If you are patient instead, you can look forward to a confident little dog moving in and you can also expect a much more relaxed everyday life with your new roommate.