Cross Breeds - what age should a shih tzu puppy be when you take him/her home?

what age should a shih tzu puppy be when you take him/her home?

I'd like to get a shih tzu and I have found a reputible breeder and she has two puppies left but they are 12 weeks old. I thought that you were supposed to take them home no later than 8 weeks. Is 12 okay?

Public Comments

aya
12 is fine...they are still babies...
you'll be fine with a 12 week old puppy.
from around 8 weeks i think. 12 is fine
When she/her is fully weaned and shows independence from the mother. That could be when they are about six to eight weeks of age.
Not supposed to take them home till they're at LEAST 8 weeks. 12 weeks is a good age to take pup home cos it'll have socialised with its mum, brothers and sisters. So yeah.. go get your puppy.
You can take them home if they are not used to their origanll home or else they might react to their new home. But 6 -12 months are okay.
8 weeks is when they can be seperated from their family.12 otherwise, is excellent, just be sure you have activities for it for as a year with it's family and then suddenly it's not will make it very bored and upset.
They should be at least 8 weeks old. 12 weeks old is fine.
It's no EARLIER than 8 weeks Anything over 8 weeks is fine
Five weeks is the earliest, and that's pushing it. Six weeks is usually the prefered amount of time.
Indeed. 6-8 weeks is the norm however she may not have chosen to release them until now which is absolutely fine. Provided the little guys have been seen and cleared by a vet, dewormed etc...then there is absolutely no problem with this. Ensure he's been checked for hip displacement possibilities, that his eyes have been checked and cleared (two bad areas on these little ones). These little guys have terrific personalities, my SIL rescued a little fellow from an unlicensed 'breeder -- and I use that term loosley', at the age of 4 months. He is a super sweetheart so don't worry ... as long as everything has checked out medically and he has no issues ..you should be fine. Prepare however for a few sleepless nights possibly as he eases into to your lifestyle. Good luck and enjoy...they are adorable!
12 weeks should be fine. the ideal time to get a new puppy is seven weeks as they are old enough to leave their mother but should form a bond with you very quickly. around 8-9 weeks puppies go through a sensitive stage (that is probably why you were told to get one younger than 8 weeks) so many breeders wait until the puppy is over 10 weeks old as they can cope better with moving home. at 12 weeks I think your new puppy is at the perfect age to come and live with you!
The longer they spend with mom and littermates, the better adjusted they will be; they are learning doggie social skills. 8 weeks is a MINIMUM amount of time before you take them home; 10 is preferable and IMO 12 is better yet. Smaller breeds seem to tend towards needing MORE time with mom and littermates. 12 is more than "OK"; it's probably closer to ideal!
I think you are misunderstanding. The earliest you should adopt a puppy is 8 weeks this is so they will be weaned from their mother. 12 weeks old just means the puppy should be weaned for 4 to 6 weeks. Hope this sets your mind at ease.
At 12 weeks they are fine to take home, although they desire the proper nourishment.
I think 3-4 weeks is k because this small puppy has to be near his mother and be weaned .12 weeks a bit old,butless than 8 weeks is k .because they wont know who the mother is and they wont bark for the whole night if they cant find the mother.But older puppies do
12 to 16 weeks they are still babies for a long time,mature slowly.
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