Why Our Puppies Go Home at 10 Weeks

Every puppy at Mainely Standards receives individual attention from the day they are born. Each puppy is assigned a color at birth and is known by that color throughout their time with us. Long after they leave for their forever homes, we still find ourselves referring to many of them by their puppy color when talking about them.

Because we spend so much time with our puppies, we get to know their personalities, strengths, quirks, and preferences. That knowledge helps us make better recommendations when it comes time to match puppies with their future families.

From birth, every puppy is closely monitored. Puppies are weighed daily to ensure they are healthy and gaining weight appropriately. We track developmental milestones such as when their eyes open, when they begin responding to sounds, and how they interact with their littermates. This information helps us monitor each puppy’s progress and allows us to share important observations with our veterinarian.

Our puppies typically see the veterinarian within the first 24 hours of life and always within the first 72 hours. During that visit, they receive a complete examination and undergo procedures such as tail docking and dew claw removal.

While many breeders send puppies home at eight weeks, Mainely Standards puppies remain with us until they are at least ten weeks old. We believe those additional weeks provide important benefits that help puppies transition more successfully into their new homes.

Socialization

Puppies learn valuable lessons from their mother and littermates. During these additional weeks, they continue developing social skills, bite inhibition, and appropriate play behavior that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Emotional Development

The extra time with their litter helps many puppies develop confidence and resilience. Puppies that are given time to mature emotionally often transition more smoothly into their new homes.

Health Monitoring

Keeping puppies longer allows us additional time to monitor their health, ensure they are fully weaned, and verify they are thriving before joining their forever families.

Training Foundation

Those extra weeks also allow us to begin crate training, housebreaking, basic obedience, and other foundational skills. While training is only beginning at this stage, it helps make the transition to a new home much easier for both the puppy and their family.

We believe these additional weeks are one of the reasons Mainely Standards puppies adjust so well to their new homes. Our goal has never been to send puppies home as quickly as possible. Our goal is to send them home when they are ready.