When is a Puppy Ready for Adoption?

Adopting a new puppy means understanding the basic stages of canine development and realizing there is a perfect time for each individual puppy to leave his mother and litter to start a new life; with a new family.

  1. Understanding Puppy Development

    • Newborn puppies cannot see or hear and they are highly dependent upon their mothers.

      To understand the best time for adopting a new puppy, it is important to understand the basic stages of puppy development. Growth and development varies little across different dog breeds. During the first two weeks, puppies cannot hear or see and they have no teeth. By the third week, they begin to see, smell and hear. They even begin to walk a bit but are still dependent upon their mothers. After three weeks of age, the mothers normally begin to discourage nursing as puppies grow curious and begin to explore. This is a good time to introduce soft, moist solids and extended human contact to prepare the puppy for human interaction.

    Seven to Eight Weeks

    • Though it varies from one puppy to another, at around seven- to eight-weeks-old a puppy is typically weaned and ready for adoption. Puppies should be eating solid foods and no longer nursing, though the weaning period may well last until 12 weeks.

    When to Adopt

    • The best time to adopt a puppy is after it is weaned from the mother. Puppies enter into a fear stage at around eight weeks of age, where they are extra cautious and learning about boundaries; this ends around the nine weeks. The best time for adoption is a fine balance between weaning and the fearful stage.