# What age can a puppy go to its new home?

https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/what-age-can-a-puppy-go-home

By Casa Trufa · Published: 2026-10-09

The most widely shared benchmark is that a puppy should not go home before eight weeks of age. Veterinary manuals and animal welfare organizations support it, and a 2011 study linked separation at 30 to 40 days with more behavior problems in adulthood. In Colombia, we found no national rule in force that sets that age.

## In short

- Eight weeks is the minimum recommended by the Merck Veterinary Manual and the RSPCA; not earlier.
- A study published in Veterinary Record (2011) found more problem behaviors in dogs separated at 30–40 days than in dogs separated at two months.
- We found no national law in force in Colombia that sets a minimum age for handing over a puppy.
- The ACCC registers puppies from two months of age and, according to press reports, Aerocivil requires eight weeks to fly in the cabin.
- Senate Bill 002 of 2025 would prohibit selling animals under four months old; it is a bill, not a law.

## What age can a puppy go to its new home?

Not before eight weeks of age. That is the benchmark shared by the [Merck Veterinary Manual](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/normal-social-behavior-in-dogs), which recommends adoption at around eight weeks, and the British [RSPCA](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy), which asks for at least eight weeks before a puppy leaves its mother. Beyond that, the exact date depends on the puppy.

Eight weeks is a floor, not a fixed date. A puppy that is small for its age, one that has been ill or one facing a long journey may need more time, and that is for the breeder and the veterinarian who knows the puppy to judge.

It is not only a matter of weaning, either. A puppy that already eats solid food has not necessarily finished what it had to learn from its litter.

## What happens if a puppy is separated from its mother before 8 weeks?

The likelihood of behavior problems in adulthood goes up. An Italian study published in 2011 in the journal Veterinary Record compared 70 dogs separated from the litter at 30 to 40 days with 70 separated at two months, and found more problem behaviors in the first group.

According to the [abstract of the study by Pierantoni, Albertini and Pirrone](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21865608/), the dogs separated earlier were more likely to show, as reported by their owners:

- destructiveness;
- excessive barking;
- fearfulness on walks;
- reactivity to noises;
- possessiveness over toys and food;
- constant attention-seeking.

The effect was greater in dogs that had come from commercial pet outlets. It should be read with its limits in mind: it is a study based on owner questionnaires, with 140 dogs, and it shows an association, not a proven cause. Even so, it points in the same direction as what is known about puppy development.

The Merck manual places the stage in which a puppy relates mainly to other dogs between three and eight weeks. During those weeks, with its mother and littermates, it learns to communicate and to control the force of its bite. Taking it away halfway through that process deprives it of exactly that schooling.

## Is there a law in Colombia that sets a minimum age?

We found no national rule in force that sets one. We reviewed the text of Colombia’s [Law 1774 of 2016](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1774_2016.html), which recognizes animals as sentient beings and penalizes abuse, and it does not mention a handover age. What exists are reference points from institutions and a bill.

We say “we found none” rather than “none exists” on purpose: the regulation of companion animals in Colombia is spread across laws, decrees and municipal agreements, and some cities have their own rules on selling animals. If you are going to receive a puppy in a city with a local rule, it is worth checking it. The overall picture is in [is selling dogs legal in Colombia?](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/is-selling-dogs-legal-in-colombia).

The Senate report on the breeding bill itself acknowledges the gap: among the good practices of a breeder it mentions “respecting puppies’ weaning times”, and it points to the lack of standardized protocols.

## What do the ACCC and Aerocivil say?

Neither sets a handover age, but both land on the same threshold. The breeding regulations of the ACCC (Asociación Club Canino Colombiano, Colombia’s FCI member kennel club) allow puppies to be registered from two months of age, and Aerocivil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority, requires a minimum age of eight weeks to travel in the cabin, according to press reports.

| Reference | What it says | What kind of rule it is |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Merck Veterinary Manual | Adoption at around 8 weeks; minimum, seven and a half weeks | Veterinary recommendation |
| RSPCA (United Kingdom) | At least 8 weeks before leaving the mother | Animal welfare recommendation |
| ACCC breeding regulations 2024, art. 22, item 7 | Registration of puppies from 2 months and up to 8 months | A club’s registration rule, not a handover age |
| Aerocivil, according to Noticias RCN (October 7, 2025) | Minimum age of 8 weeks to fly in the cabin | Air transport condition, read in the press |
| Senate Bill 002 of 2025 | Would prohibit selling animals under 4 months old | A bill, not a law |

The [ACCC regulations](https://accc.com.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/REGLAMENTO-DE-CRIANZA-ACCC-2024-.pdf) bind only those who register litters with a pedigree, and crosses such as the Maltipoo or the Cockapoo are not registered there. We took the Aerocivil point from [Noticias RCN](https://www.noticiasrcn.com/economia/normas-para-viajar-con-mascotas-en-cabina-aerocivil-informo-944509), not from the text of the rule: before any flight, the conditions have to be confirmed with the airline. How a puppy travels is covered in the [guide to flying](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/flying-with-a-puppy-in-colombia).

## What would Senate Bill 002 of 2025 change?

It would raise the minimum to four months. The text of the [report for first debate](https://www.senado.gov.co/index.php/documentos/comisiones/constitucionales/comision-quinta/proyectos-de-ley/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-periodo-constitucional-2022-2026/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-legislatura-20-julio-2025-20-julio-2026/p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/8995-ponencia-1er-debate-p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/file) says, in item 7 of Article 4: “The commercialization of animals that have not reached four (4) months of age is prohibited.” It is a bill, not a law.

The same item adds that animals would have to be handed over sterilized, and it prohibits selling or handing them over to minors and to people penalized for animal abuse. The bill regulates the reproduction, breeding and selling of companion animals in general.

> [!AVISO] We could not confirm the current status of this bill: neither that it has been passed nor that it has been shelved. Until a law has been enacted, four months is not an obligation in force. If it becomes one, it will change the age at which any breeder in the country can hand over a puppy.

## Is it better to wait until 10 or 12 weeks?

It depends on what the puppy experiences during those weeks. More time with the litter only helps if the breeder exposes the puppy to people, household noises and handling. A puppy that spends up to fourteen weeks in a pen, without human contact, arrives with a learning period that never comes back already almost used up.

The evidence does not say “the later, the better”. A study from the [University of Helsinki](https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/homing-age-is-related-to-the-prevalence-of-aggressive-and-avoidance-related-behaviour-in-adult-dogs), with more than 3,700 dogs of 111 breeds raised in their breeders’ homes, linked going home after eight weeks with more aggressive or avoidance behavior toward unfamiliar people and dogs in adulthood. It is also a survey-based study, with the same reservations.

The most widely accepted explanation is the sensitive period: the veterinary behavior society [AVSAB](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf) considers the first three months of life the main socialization stage, and the Merck manual warns that dogs that have had no contact with people by fourteen weeks may be left with very limited social skills. If the handover is delayed, that work falls to the breeder. What it involves is in [puppy socialization](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/puppy-socialization).

## How can you check a puppy’s age, and what should you ask for?

Ask for the date of birth in writing and compare it with the vaccination record, which should carry dates and a veterinarian’s signature. If the litter is registered, the date appears there too. And ask to see the puppy with its mother: it is what the RSPCA recommends, and the hardest thing to fake.

Signs that should make you doubt:

- the puppy is handed over at under eight weeks “because it already eats on its own”;
- there is no vaccination record, or it has no dates or signature;
- you cannot see the mother or the place where the puppy was born;
- there is a rush to hand it over as soon as possible.

A responsible breeder states the going-home age before any agreement and explains why. The other questions are in [questions to ask a dog breeder](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/questions-to-ask-a-dog-breeder). And once you have a date, the next step is [preparing your home](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/preparing-your-home-for-a-puppy).

## Frequently asked questions

**Can a puppy go home at 45 days?** It is not advisable. At that age the puppy is still learning from its mother and littermates, and the study by Pierantoni and colleagues (2011) linked separation at 30–40 days with more behavior problems in adulthood. The benchmark is to wait until at least eight weeks.

**Is there a law in Colombia that says at what age a puppy can be handed over?** We found no national rule in force that sets that age. Colombia’s Law 1774 of 2016 protects animals from abuse, but it does not mention a handover age. There may be municipal rules; it is worth checking them in each city.

**Is it true that four months is going to be required?** That is what Senate Bill 002 of 2025 proposes in the text of the report for first debate. It is a bill: we could not confirm that it has been passed, or with what wording.

**Is it better to bring a puppy home at 12 weeks than at 8?** Not necessarily. It depends on how much contact with people, noises and places the puppy has during those weeks with the breeder. A Finnish study linked going home after eight weeks with more fearful or aggressive behavior in adulthood.

**At what age can a puppy travel by plane?** According to what Aerocivil announced and the press reported in October 2025, from eight weeks in the cabin. Conditions have to be confirmed with each airline; the details are in the [guide to flying with a puppy](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/flying-with-a-puppy-in-colombia).

## Sources

1. [Pierantoni, Albertini and Pirrone (2011): Prevalence of owner-reported behaviours in dogs separated from the litter at two different ages. Veterinary Record 169(18):468](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21865608/). We read the abstract, not the full article. Owner-questionnaire study, 140 adult dogs
2. [Merck Veterinary Manual (dog owner version): normal social behavior in dogs](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/normal-social-behavior-in-dogs). Recommended adoption age and stages of socialization
3. [RSPCA: puppies](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy). At least eight weeks before leaving the mother
4. [University of Helsinki, September 7, 2017: homing age and aggressive or avoidance-related behaviour in adult dogs](https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/homing-age-is-related-to-the-prevalence-of-aggressive-and-avoidance-related-behaviour-in-adult-dogs). University news item on the study by Jokinen and colleagues in Applied Animal Behaviour Science; we did not read the full article
5. [AVSAB: position statement on puppy socialization](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf). The first three months as the main socialization period
6. [Asociación Club Canino Colombiano: Reglamento de crianza 2024 (breeding regulations)](https://accc.com.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/REGLAMENTO-DE-CRIANZA-ACCC-2024-.pdf). In Spanish. Article 22, item 7: puppies can be registered from two months of age. It is a registration rule, not a handover age
7. [Noticias RCN (Colombian news outlet), October 7, 2025: Aerocivil rules for traveling with pets in the cabin](https://www.noticiasrcn.com/economia/normas-para-viajar-con-mascotas-en-cabina-aerocivil-informo-944509). In Spanish. A press report, not the text of the rule
8. [Senado de la República (Colombian Senate): report for first debate on Proyecto de Ley 002 de 2025](https://www.senado.gov.co/index.php/documentos/comisiones/constitucionales/comision-quinta/proyectos-de-ley/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-periodo-constitucional-2022-2026/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-legislatura-20-julio-2025-20-julio-2026/p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/8995-ponencia-1er-debate-p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/file). In Spanish. It is a bill, not a law; we could not confirm its current status. Article 4, item 7 of the proposed text
9. [Ley 1774 de 2016 (Law 1774 of 2016), animal protection](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1774_2016.html). In Spanish. We reviewed the text: it does not set a minimum handover age