Is it cruel for a puppy to be separated from their mother?

Image credit: vlaaitje from Pixabay

Question from Lewis Shelton 

It would be cruel for a puppy to be separated from their mother during the first eight weeks of its life. This is because during this time it feeds on her milk to get important nutrients and antibodies and learns appropriate behaviour from her and its littermates. However, once the puppy has been weaned onto solid food, the mother is likely to want to spend less time with it anyway so that it can learn to survive without her. Puppies may feel a little anxious about the separation at first, but with lots of attention from their new owner, they will soon be happy without their mother.

Answered by Jo Stass for Brain Dump in How It Works issue 118 

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