dogsnhorses wrote:
Spaying/neutering later -- generally means waiting until the dog is at least two years of age or even later. This tends to cut down on ACL injuries (because the bones/joints need the sex hormones to close the growth plates) as well as lowering risk of some cancers.

Weaning at 5-6 weeks -- this depends on what they mean by 'weaning'. Most pups are off mom's milk and eating food exclusively by this age or even a bit earlier. I'd consider this weaned. HOWEVER, the puppies should still be spending time with mom or other dogs for play and socialization. This is the age when even good mothers start to refuse letting the pups nurse, and leaving them alone for long periods. Even the most patient dam can find her brood annoying at this age. She will spend time with the pups, but not nearly as much as when they were nursing. If mom isn't around at all for whatever reason, other tolerant older dogs should be. "Weaned" usually means eating solid food/no longer nursing. It should not mean that the puppies' mother has been completely removed from their lives, or that they are left to their own devices and not spending time around adults.

If, by chance, the dam is NOT a good mother, the breeder may be removing her from the pups in the hopes that another dog will take her place for socialization and do a better job with the pups than she would. Usually, a poor mother is not bred again unless her genes are priceless or the behavior was learned due to trauma and not instinctual. In my experience, intact males actually make wonderful, tolerant, patient playmates for puppies this age and older. It goes without saying that any interaction between the puppies and adults be supervised carefully and the 'babysitter' dog chosen for his/her temperament. Other females are more likely to injure or kill puppies than males, particularly if the litter is not from the dominant bitch in the home. One breeder I know tragically lost an entire litter of 6-week old puppies when her kennel help mistakenly put her alpha bitch into the puppies' run instead of the pup's mother.... *very sad*
I think it's important for the pups to stay with their dam for socialization and bite inhibition - and it's especially important for the boldest, most bossy pups that are not overly fazed by their littermates' defenses.  Without correction,  an overly bold bossy pup can run amok and become a bully.   A good mom will knock a thug pup down a few pegs.  It can sound bad but a good mother dog has excellent control of her teeth and will not permanently harm her pup. 

Typical scenario:

Mom: "La la la, time to nap in the sun"

"YEE - OUCH!"

"That's it, young man,  I told you to keep those needle sharp teeth to yourself !"

Mom is all fur, teeth, and eyeballs, pins the pup and yells  right into his face. 

Rude pup: "Wahhh! I'm sorry, don't kill me!"

Mom lets pup go.

Rude pup: "whimper, sniff" 

Mom: "Mom still loves you (lick) but do that again and next time I'll neuter you myself" 

Not-so-rude pup: "Yes, ma'am"

The now not-so-rude pup has learned a valuable lesson about manners and the mom has demonstrated how to handle an escalating situation without losing control.