A quarter of puppies are taken from their mothers prematurely

One in four people acquired their puppies before the advised age of eight weeks old, according to new findings from Dogs Trust's pioneering dog welfare study 'Generation Pup'. The 'cohort' study follows a generation of puppies over the course of their lifetime, to investigate how factors such as environment, social interaction, diet and exercise can impact their development in later life. Early findings from 1,844 dogs that had been recruited to the study revealed that 25 per cent of dog owners got their pups before eight weeks of age, contrary to current advice that puppies should not leave their mothers before eight weeks of age. The results from this study by the University of Bristol and Dog's Trust have been published in the Vet Record . The study also found that eight per cent of puppies were acquired without the owner having seen them alongside their mothers, which is also against the advice of UK veterinary organisations and dog welfare charities such as Dogs Trust. Dr Rachel Casey, Dogs Trust's Director of Canine Behaviour and Research, said: "The recommendation that puppies spend at least eight weeks with their mothers before going off to their new homes is not always followed, as has been shown in this study. Through the Generation Pup study, we can investigate the impact that a range of factors including acquisition before eight weeks of age has on the long-term development of puppies.