Occasionally puppy buyers are questioning the leaving of a desired puppy age 8 weeks vs 12 weeks.
Here my personal opinion, observation and experience in my 12 years of Papillon breeding, concerning this subject.
Between somewhat 3 and 6 weeks puppies learn to get to know each other, and socialize with each other. From 4 weeks on they are getting to be "little dogs" they learn how to be a dog by playing, catching, roughing up each other, learning dominance and submission.Mom shows much less interest in them and leaves them alone a good amount of time, but not forgetting to return to have the milk bar available.
Puppies start also on slurry meals besides mom's milk, if still available (most do, some don't) at 4 weeks of age.
Puppies from 6 weeks to 14 weeks start socializing with people. They are ready to learn.
This is the time where they learn to fit into their environment, where they bond.
And as more those puppies get socialized in all aspects from car driving to meeting other people, places, as better these puppies will be for the rest of their lives.
So ask yourself: why should the puppy, you possibly desire first become attached or bond to the breeder? The home of the breeder? the daily chores, other dogs (Paps) and then being ripped away from that already processed environment to start all over again.
At 8 weeks to my experience is an absolute perfect time to let a puppy go to their new home to be loved, taught, and pampered by the what should be forever family.
You, as the new family, owner will have 6 weeks of time to shape your new friend's life, to fit him/her into your life style the way you would like.
At What Age Should Puppies Be Brought to Their New Homes?
(Stanley Coren, Ph.D., FRSC., is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.)