Why 12 weeks isn't pickup day

A lot of breeders say puppies are ready to go home at 12 weeks. I say the same thing — and I mean it differently than most.

Twelve weeks is when the final preparation process begins. It's not when it ends. In the days immediately following that milestone, here's everything that has to happen before your puppy gets in a car or on a plane:

Final deworming

This is the most important one, and it's the reason the window exists. I deworm my puppies at six, eight, ten, and twelve weeks. That final 12-week deworming is a five-day protocol — five consecutive days of medication — timed as precisely as possible to that age. I can't start it significantly earlier without losing effectiveness, because I just dewormed at ten weeks. And I won't skip it, because this is what ensures your puppy leaves here parasite-free.

Five days. That alone means no puppy is leaving on their birthday.

12-week vaccinations and microchipping

Both happen right around the 12-week mark. I prefer to microchip as late as reasonably possible — it's a large needle, and the smaller the puppy, the harder it is on them. Waiting until the window means a bigger, stronger puppy going through a more comfortable experience.

Final puppy matching

I've been watching your litter since birth. But I'm often still making final decisions on matches right up to the window. I want to be confident I'm putting the right puppy with the right family — and that takes the time it takes.

Payment and contracts

Final payment is due when puppies turn 12 weeks old. Your signed puppy contract must be in hand before any pickup or shipping arrangements can begin. Most families need a few days to get both sorted — that's completely normal. But it means nothing moves until those are done.

Shipping or travel coordination

Whether your puppy is being shipped to you or you're driving to the farm to pick up your puppy, logistics take time. Flights get booked. Schedules get coordinated. Health certificates get arranged. None of that is instant.

All of this together is why your puppy isn't ready to leave on the day they turn 12 weeks. Trying to compress all of it into a single day doesn't serve you, it doesn't serve me, and most importantly it doesn't serve your puppy.

How the Go-Home Window is set — and why it's different every litter

Once a litter is born, I know their birthday. I count forward 12 weeks, then look at where that date falls in the week.

I set the Go-Home Window to open roughly one week after the 12-week birthday — giving me enough time to complete the deworming protocol, vaccinations, microchipping, matching, and initial payment and contract processing without rushing. The window then runs for two full weeks, giving families time to make travel arrangements or coordinate shipping.

Because litters are born when they're born, the window falls differently every time. A litter born on a Monday has a different window than one born on a Friday. I set it myself for each litter based on where the calendar lands. I also reserve the right to extend the window if I have concerns about a litter's health or readiness — that's rare, but it's always possible and always in the puppies' best interest.

Where to find your dates: Your litter's Go-Home Window is posted on your litter's page on my website and on their section on the Available Puppies page and confirmed with you directly. Those are your planning dates. Please don't book anything until you have them.

What this means for you

A few practical things to keep in mind:

Don't book travel or request time off until you have your confirmed window dates. I know it's tempting to plan ahead, but booking before you have confirmed dates from me creates pressure on everyone — including you — and can result in arrangements that don't line up with your window.

Pickup appointments are weekdays only. I do not offer weekend appointments as standard. Please factor this into your planning, especially if you're traveling to the farm for pickup. If you need to fly in, plan for a weekday. (Airlines don't ship animals on weekends, either.)

Board fees apply if your puppy isn't picked up or shipped within the window. After the Go-Home Window closes, board fees of $25/night begin immediately and must be paid in full before your puppy is released. This isn't a punishment — it's the real cost of housing, feeding, and caring for a puppy that was ready to go home. (We do offer extended stay training rates but space is limited so this needs to be arranged in advance.)

You don't need to be first. The window is two weeks long for a reason. There's no advantage to scheduling pickup on the first available day. Pick a day that works for your schedule, your travel, and your farm setup. We allow a 2-week window so no one feels rushed and we can give each puppy the proper send off.

Why I'm firm on this — and why it matters to you

Everything in my program exists for a specific reason. I didn't arrive at this policy arbitrarily, and I don't hold to it because it's convenient for me. I hold to it because I've seen what happens when it isn't respected.

I've had clients pressure me to let puppies go early. I've said yes when I should have said no. And in every single case, it created problems — for the puppy, for the client, and for our relationship. A ten-week puppy is not a twelve-week puppy. Those two weeks aren't a formality. They're the last stage of a development process that I've spent nearly a decade refining.

The deworming protocol alone is worth protecting. A puppy that leaves here without completing that final round is a puppy that may arrive to their new home carrying a parasite load that creates health problems, stress, and vet bills in the first weeks. That's not a good start for anyone.

So I hold the line. Not because I enjoy saying no, but because I know what's on the other side of that line — and I want your first weeks with your Maremma to go well.

Common questions

Can I pick up my puppy on the exact day they turn 12 weeks?

No. Twelve weeks is the minimum age, not the pickup date. The Go-Home Window opens roughly one week after the 12-week birthday once all final health protocols, payment, and contracts are complete.

What if I've already booked travel before I had my window dates?

Contact me as soon as possible. I'll do my best to work with your dates if they fall within the window. If they don't, we'll figure out the best path forward — but I can't guarantee your preferred date if it falls outside the window.

What if I can't pick up or ship within the window?

Board fees of $25/night begin the day after the window closes and must be paid in full before your puppy is released. If you know you're going to have trouble with the window dates, contact me early — the sooner I know, the more I can help.

Why can't I just have my puppy a few days early? She's going to a good home and I have experience with the breed.

I hear this one often, and I understand the logic. But the reason isn't about where the puppy is going — it's about where the puppy is in her development right now. The deworming protocol, the vaccinations, the matching confirmation — none of that is done yet. Early pickup means an incompletely prepared puppy, and I'm not willing to send your puppy off that way. That's what the policy protects.

Do you offer weekend pickup?

Not as standard. Weekday appointments are strongly preferred. If a weekend appointment is truly necessary, contact me to discuss — but please plan for a weekday when you're arranging travel or time off. Airlines only ship live animals on weekdays so if your Maremma is being shipped you'll need to plan for a weekday pick-up at the airport.

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