[TiggerBounce]

8 weeks is pretty standard for the minimum. Unless there are issues like the mother trying to kill the puppies. 8 weeks is also the legal minimum age for a lot of areas too.

 

[TiggerBounce]

In the rescue to which I belong, it is common practice to remove the momma's from the pups at approx. 6 weeks though it has been done sooner. This while these momma's are still heavy with milk. I've taken issue with this and been told that
"Clearly you know nothing about puppies or animal behavior" by the woman behind these decisions.

That's a shame. Honestly the longer they're left with mom, the better. Of course it does depend on the bitch too. With my BC, I got him at 7 weeks of age. His mom was notorious for being done nursing puppies almost as soon as they start eating solid foods, around 4-5 weeks. But he wasn't separated from her or his siblings until I bought him at 7 weeks old.

He of course turned out fine. And I prefer to get my pups around 8 weeks. But for the common dog owner, it's better to leave them longer. They learn much better bite inhibition, which is something that most inexperienced dog owners struggle with the most when it comes to puppies. I doubt Tigger would have lasted very long in a typical pet home with his land shark tendencies.