Does the puppy miss its mummy ?

We are often asked whether a puppy will miss its mum in its new home

At our kennel, puppies are ready to go to their new homes at the earliest at 9 weeks of age, after their second vaccination against infectious diseases. By this time, the puppies have been weaned from their mother for at least 3 weeks. When the puppies’ milk teeth start to come through – around 5–6 weeks – their suckling reflex disappears, and instead they start to gnaw at her. At that point, either the mother weans the puppies herself, or we remove the mother from the puppies to prevent them from harming her. This is a natural process
and, usually, 5–6 weeks after giving birth, the mother has no milk left anyway.

A change in Mum’s role, starting to build relationships with siblings

By the time they are two weeks old, the puppies have already developed some immunity and no longer need the antibodies from their mother’s milk. At this age, the puppies form strong bonds with their littermates – they play, nip, chase each other, play with toys and sleep on top of one another; their mother, of course, spends time with them too, but mainly after playtime, when it’s time to sleep. At our kennel, at six weeks old, the puppies boldly explore the house, eagerly discover new places and form bonds with the household members.

At our kennel, puppies are rehomed after 9 weeks; by this time, they are independent and no longer rely on their mother. Each puppy also receives a blanket that smells of their new home to help alleviate the stress of moving. The puppies eat dry food and do not need to be fed by their mum. This ensures that our little ones do not miss their mum in their new homes.

We are often asked whether a puppy will miss its mum in its new home

A change in Mum’s role, starting to build relationships with siblings

Read more about raising the puppy!

Raising a puppy

Puppy Kit