# Best Age to Bring Home a Puppy



## s.m.forester (Nov 4, 2018)

What do you believe is the best age to bring home a Golden Retriever puppy/send a GR puppy to his or her new family? Thanks!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Bumping up


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

8 weeks. The pups need the time from 5 weeks to 8 weeks to help them learn bite inhibition and also the mom starts correcting pups at 5 or so weks and that is also needed. some pups that go home at 6 weeks or so can require a bit more firm training early on because of this. Older pups say 10 weeks or older will have lost important bonding time with you and the family in my opinion plus the breeder isn't mindful, the pups can start to learn bad habits and then you have to correct and retrain the pup if you get them at say 12 weeks.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Rukie was just a couple days short of 8 weeks and it seems to have all gone well. His breeder felt like puppies in a really large litter (his was 12 surviving) mature a little faster because they start on food a little earlier. Plus because of when the weekend fell it was either get him a couple days earlier or wait another week.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I did other for 7-9 weeks. 

My Jacks was about 7.5 weeks and so was Jovi this time round. 

Bertie was 9 weeks old when I brought him home. 

All 3 were very easy to raise and had a good transition in my home.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

There is a fear period between 8 to 10 weeks. My breeder tries to get them to their homes at 7 weeks and 6 days, if not then she waits to 10 weeks. 

My experience with the two litters I had, after five weeks, with golden retrievers the mothers want nothing to do with the puppies. They are done.

I think every litter and line is different, and a long time breeder would know their puppies better than anyone else.


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## TheLittleDuke (Nov 11, 2018)

8 weeks! Even though Duke was 9 weeks old when I brought him home. One week makes a lot of difference.


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## s.m.forester (Nov 4, 2018)

Thank you all, so much!

This falls in line with what I'd been hearing, either 8 weeks (as close to exactly at 8 weeks as possible, as in my state, that's the minimum age allowed), or to hope for a puppy to be well-socialized by his or her breeder & wait until about 11-12 weeks.

But, by far, the vast majority of people have recommended 8 weeks and I believe I'm learning why. Thank you all so much! :smile2:


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## Sniper (May 1, 2018)

58! The best age to bring home a Golden is age 58 as i just had my 58th birthday!


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