[Judi W]

We have had many discussion here on the forum about purchasing puppies from pet shops and why this should not be done regardless of how sorry one might feel for the pup. To recap, by giving money to pet shops who market poorly bred and cared for pups, you support the practice giving those breeders monetary incentive to continue breeding.

The very same applies to taking puppies from breeders at less than 7 weeks of age. Whether lies or truth (I suspect total lies) about why the pup needs to leave its litter before the optimum age, (oh, we're hearing them all - mother is no longer caring for them, too many pups, even mother died) you are giving money to someone who is too lazy to care for the lives they brought into this world. The mothers quite naturally usually quit supplying all the nutrition when the babies get a set of sharp teeth and that is when the breeder takes over feeding and cleaning up. That is the breeders job and responsibility. The fact that the dam is no longer doing all the work does not mean the puppies are ready to leave home. They are not! Puppies removed from their litters prior to 7 weeks of age end up with behavioral disorders and the lessons they need to learn within their litter cannot be fully substituted in a new human family. What is worse is that these puppies are taken home by the novice who has little understanding of readiness periods. Giving money to such lazy and irresponsible people gives them even more incentive for repeating breedings = money for no work! Such breeders not only cheat their puppy buyers, but the pups behaviorally, there is no way that they are doing careful selection of breeding partners and health considerations as they demonstrate a total lack of concern for even the basic puppy care of feeding and cleaning up.

Do not purchase a puppy from any breeder who is willing, let alone anxious, to release a pup prior to 7 weeks of age. Period. No exceptions.