In accordance with the ITR Breeder Contract, the minimum age that a puppy can go to its new home is 8 weeks old. In our experience, whenever possible, it is best for Tamaskan puppies to start going to their new homes at around 8-9 weeks old so that they can begin settling in to their new environment and bonding with their new family right away. This is particularly important if the new family has children or other pets (cats, rabbits, older dogs, etc) so that the puppy is raised alongside them from a young age. It also means that the puppy will get plenty of one-on-one handling and individual attention, and can start getting accustomed to the new family’s daily routine, which is crucial for potty-training. Finally, and most importantly, it means that the new family can make the most of their puppy’s crucial socialization phase (8-16 weeks old) by exposing it to lots of interesting and exciting (positive!) experiences.
Due to the particular import laws for each country (specifically, minimum age requirements) sometimes puppies must remain here with us for a longer period. However, because of all the work/time/effort this entails (extensive socialization, basic training, etc) we can only keep 1-2 puppies (maximum) at a time for “extended stay” periods. For that reason, this is only an option that we offer in extremely rare situations and, generally speaking, we cannot keep puppies here with us for longer periods unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, if it is possible for a puppy to go to its new home at 8+ weeks old, this is the most feasible solution and the most beneficial outcome for the puppy with regard to its development (bonding and socialization). Compared to other breeds, Tamaskan Dogs tend to develop extremely rapidly (physically and mentally) at a very young age: from 0-8 weeks old. This rapid development then slows down quite drastically, compared to other breeds, with a delayed puberty and a longer maturation phase.