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When Can Boxer Puppies Leave Their Mother? Best Answer

Knowing the correct time a boxer pup can leave their mother isn’t common knowledge, but it is very important. This article explains when your boxer puppy can leave their mother and why you need to stick to these guidelines.

Boxer puppies can leave their mother after 8 weeks old. It takes about 8 weeks for puppies to wean off their mother’s milk, plus they are learning crucial social skills with their siblings and mother.

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When Can a Boxer Puppy Leave Their Mother?

As stated above, Boxer puppies should remain with their mother and siblings until they are at least 8 weeks old. In some states and countries, this is actually a law!

Unfortunately, this isn’t a law in all states and countries, and despite being a well-known standard to adhere to, some breeders will still let customers take puppies home before the 8-week mark.

This is both ill-advised and even frowned upon due to a range of negative consequences that can happen from an early removal (explained in the next section)

Many veterinarians and reputable breeders will often say that this is one way to weed out the good breeders from the shady ones. And if you come across a breeder that seems a little too pushy for your money and encourages you to take the puppy before 8 weeks, you should look elsewhere!

Is 6 weeks too young for a boxer puppy to leave its mother? Yes, 6 weeks is too young for a puppy to leave their mother. 8 weeks of age is widely accepted as the minimum. In some states and countries, this is even the law.

Why Puppies Shouldn’t Be Removed Too Early

What’s so bad about Boxer puppies being removed before 8 weeks old? Let’s find out…

To start with, it’s only fair to say that an early removal doesn’t ALWAYS lead to a problematic puppy or adult dog further down the line, and there are countless examples where the puppy ended up just fine. But many pups aren’t so lucky…

Four main reasons why puppies shouldn’t be removed from their mother before 8 weeks old:

1. Puppies Still Need Their Mothers Milk

The mother’s milk has a range of important nutrients, essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals and by nature, is what your puppy is supposed to feed on for the first two months of their life.

Puppies are slowly weaned off of their mother’s milk around the 8-week mark and by the time you pick up your puppy, he should feeding off a puppy formula (kibble or wet food) that you can buy from the store.

The nutrients in the mother’s milk are exactly what puppies need to build their immune system, gain proper strength, and for all-around health. Although there are great commercial formulas out there, nothing beats true mother’s milk.

Additionally, puppies receive antibodies through their mother’s milk which can provide them with crucial protection against certain diseases such as parvo and distemper. If the puppy is sent to the new home before having fed off the mother’s milk, he’ll miss out on this extra protection.

2. Puppies Learn About Their Biting Threshold

This is especially important for Boxer puppies!

Boxer puppies are strong and they also like to bite and chew. This means that YOU are in for a tough ride with your Boxer if he doesn’t learn the necessary bite inhibition and bite threshold lessons from his mother and siblings.

Throughout the first 8 weeks of your puppy’s life, he’s going to be biting his mother and siblings all the time. And when it hurts them, they are going to turn round and give him a good telling off.

This is exactly how your puppy learns about his bite, what hurts, what doesn’t and it gives him an introduction to basic manners.

Puppies that are removed from their mother too early, either have no control over their bite and/or will use YOU to practice on. And trust me, that will be painful!

These early biting lessons given to him by his canine mother can have such an impact that it will change his biting and chewing habits through his entire adolescence and even when he’s an adult.

3. Puppies Socialize With Their Siblings

Socializing is an important part of developing a well-behaved, friendly dog. And is something you’ll need to make sure you do with your puppy, long after you take him home.

But it starts pretty much from day one, with his brothers and sisters.

Getting as much socialization as possible with his siblings and his mother will prove an important part of his overall personality and character.

Allowing him that time to interact, sniff, play, argue, eat, and sleep next to his canine pack is invaluable despite being so young.

Puppies that are removed before they’ve had enough time to socialize with their siblings will find it harder (initially) to interact with other dogs and even people.

4. Behavioral and Learning Difficulties

Although there aren’t any studies that prove this to be true, puppies who have left their mother too early, are more prone to bad behavior, disobedience, barking and biting, aggression, and even anxiety.

Boxers grow to be big, strong, and particularly hyper, especially during their adolescence. Managing and training a Boxer can be difficult under the best of circumstances, let alone raising one who was already removed from his mother too early.

Disclaimer: As I mentioned at the start of this section, there are many examples of dogs (including Boxers) who grow up to be well-behaved and friendly despite being removed from their mother too early.

So it is possible, it’s just not advised! After all, it wouldn’t be a law if it wasn’t significant.

Boxer Articles on The Puppy Mag
Can Boxer Dogs Be Left Alone? 5 Tips to Know
Male vs Female Boxer Dogs: The Key Differences

Health Issues May Not Show In Puppies Under 8 Weeks Old

Something else that’s very important to consider is that health issues may not be discovered until the puppy has a couple of months under his belt.

Even though puppies will have health assessments done by veterinarians, some conditions may go undiscovered for a little while. The longer you are able to wait before bringing home a puppy, the higher the chances are that your puppy is fit and healthy

Some breeders (shady ones) may even offer a discounted price for puppies that are too young to be sold. Not only are they trying to grab your money, but it may have something to do with health issues and the increased risk on your part.

This is original content produced and published by The Puppy Mag | www.thepuppymag.com

Dealing With Breeders When Getting a New Boxer Puppy

Breeders have a tough job and I take my hat off to them!

There’s so much that goes into breeding puppies behind the scenes that most dog owners never get to realize or understand. It’s not an easy business to be in!

If you decided to get your next Boxer puppy from a breeder, then you’ll want to get some recommendations from your local veterinarian’s office and other friends in your area about the local breeders.

If you go to visit a litter and you see a puppy you like, the next important question is how old are they, and this can be a make or break moment.

Good, reputable breeders that put the puppy’s health first will give you an honest answer and won’t try to pressure you into a premature sale, just to get your money. Usually, you can make deposits, and reserve the puppy for when he’s ready to leave his mother and siblings.

Full documentation, health assessments, and even the documentation of the parents should all be available for you, and at no point, should the breeder try selling you a puppy under 8 weeks. Even if it’s not the law in that particular state or country, it’s still an industry-wide “best practice”.

Boxer articles on The Puppy Mag:
How To Help Boxer Dog Gain Weight? 5 Tips
Do Boxers Like to Cuddle?

FAQ Section

When can my boxer puppy go outside?

Boxer puppies, just like all puppies, should not venture outside in public areas until 2 weeks after their second set of vaccinations. This is the point where they are deemed to be fit and strong enough to handle a wide range of bacteria and germs often found in the local park.

Can you take a puppy home at 7 weeks?

Preferably, no. The breeder should make it clear that 8 weeks is the minimum. This ensures your puppy has had the bare minimum amount of socializing with his siblings and mother before leaving them. Always wait until 8 weeks.

Are puppies younger than 8 weeks old cheaper to buy?

Some unofficial breeders may give a cheaper price for pups under 8 weeks, but this is due to the fact they probably haven’t had their full health check-up yet. Selling puppies under 8 weeks is always a red flag and caution should be taken.

When do Boxer puppies finish their vaccinations?

Boxer puppies will usually be around 16-18 weeks old by the time they finish their second set of vaccinations. This can vary by a couple of weeks depending on when the breeder initially started his vaccinations.

Popular read: When do boxers go into heat? Full FAQ guide

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! Boxer puppies should be kept with their mother and siblings until 8 weeks old. Removing them any younger than this increases the risk of behavioral issues, socializing issues, disobedience, biting and chewing problems, aggression, and even anxiety.

This isn’t always the case, but it’s seen time and time again. Boxer puppies can be a handful at the best of times, so you should do everything you can to make the journey a smooth one!

⭐ Back to more Boxer articles >>


Helpful Resources
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/best-age-send-puppies-to-new-homes/




Disclaimer

Before making any decisions that could affect the health and/or safety of your dog, you should always consult a trained veterinarian in your local area. Even though this content may have been written/reviewed by a trained veterinarian, our advice to you is to always consult your own local veterinarian in person. Please read our full dislcaimer if you have any questions.