Puppy decisions. :-)

More puppies, very exciting. I like to meet pups at 6 weeks but it is really pot luck any way as the confident or shy pups in a litter may not end up that way as adults. I would obviously steer clear from a very nervous pup but would hope to not see that in a litter I was choosing from anyway. I had a choice of ten, well eight if you discount the two bitches, but I could really have just closed my eyes and picked any as they were all so uniform. Look forward to hearing more and seeing photos -you'll have to make up for Clodagh's lack of pics ;)
 
Lots of puppy spam! don't worry :D

Glad we're thinking the same :) Just choosing names now!! and then the long wait......
 
Can only speak about personal experience, but nothing I've seen about dogs who have been taken home at 6-7 weeks would convince me that it's the right thing to do. My older dog was obtained at six weeks (not by me) and there are definitely issues there. It's like he doesn't know how to 'dog'. And have seen many others who are very clingy to the human and lack independence.
 
Our two older labs were 7 weeks, it was the norm back in the day for labs. Both fine, but came home to a house full of dogs, maybe that helped.
 
I read somewhere recently that 8-11 weeks is when lots of pups go through a fear impact period so might not bounce back as easily from the change of home or any scares they receive, which would suggest either 7 weeks or even 12 weeks might be better for the transition into a new home. Not sure of the science behind this thinking though. I have brought pups home at 7 weeks and 8 weeks.
 
WorkingGSD said:
I read somewhere recently that 8-11 weeks is when lots of pups go through a fear impact period so might not bounce back as easily from the change of home or any scares they receive, which would suggest either 7 weeks or even 12 weeks might be better for the transition into a new home. Not sure of the science behind this thinking though. I have brought pups home at 7 weeks and 8 weeks.
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I've read that too. Our Vizsla came to us at 7 weeks and has never had any issues.
 
Of our three older bitches, 2 had nervous mothers and they themselves are very sensitive. Tawny's mum was a very robust character. I found Tawny so much easier than the other two - I trained them all - that I was determined not to look beyond the bitch this time. I didn't even see the pups until I had spent some time with Mum (they were just weaned so she was seperate).
So I think the age of the pup is perhaps not as important as the type of socialisation they have been getting and the parental example.
 
We brought Luna home at 10 weeks. Her brothers and sisters had all gone by then. She has always been fine, but she did have Aled at home. She doesn’t like being on her own at home at all (with us there), so when Bo goes to be neutered it should be fun!
 
Clodagh said:
Of our three older bitches, 2 had nervous mothers and they themselves are very sensitive. Tawny's mum was a very robust character. I found Tawny so much easier than the other two - I trained them all - that I was determined not to look beyond the bitch this time. I didn't even see the pups until I had spent some time with Mum (they were just weaned so she was seperate).
So I think the age of the pup is perhaps not as important as the type of socialisation they have been getting and the parental example.
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And genetics ...
 
Our first two came home at a day or so under 7 weeks and were fabulous, easy as anything. Mum was a delight, big dog was the spit of her. Younger two came home at 9 (we suspect 10) weeks. Huge, ill-behaved louts. I think we missed a vital socialisation period. They are stupidly bonded to us, probably mostly due to us wanting cuddly dogs above all.
 
Just over 50 years ago my family went to choose 2 Labrador bitch puppies. They were 5 1/2 weeks old, the breeder suggested that as they were going together we took them home with us, rather than leaving them until 6 weeks, which was the norm at that time. They were fabulous dogs in any way you can imagine, except that one of them was an escape artist and we spent quite a lot of time searching the village for her when she was an adult. We did eventually manage to make the garden Houdini proof.

I often think that we leave pups with the dam for too long as a matter of course, these days and don't give the new owner time to socialise them before the optimum period is over.


Exciting times, OP!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Just over 50 years ago my family went to choose 2 Labrador bitch puppies. They were 5 1/2 weeks old, the breeder suggested that as they were going together we took them home with us, rather than leaving them until 6 weeks, which was the norm at that time. They were fabulous dogs in any way you can imagine, except that one of them was an escape artist and we spent quite a lot of time searching the village for her when she was an adult. We did eventually manage to make the garden Houdini proof.

I often think that we leave pups with the dam for too long as a matter of course, these days and don't give the new owner time to socialise them before the optimum period is over.


Exciting times, OP!
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Its a little annoying we won't be allowed to collect until 9 weeks! which to me seems a little too old.

I collected my JRT at 6 weeks and shes turned out Fab - she never leaves my side and is obedient (as obedient as a terrier can be anyway) and gets on great with other dogs.

But the labs will be microchipped and had first vaccines which is useful but not sure if its worth the extra wait.
 
As legally it is 8 weeks now, 9 is not too bad. At least the breeder isn't trying to save a buck by farming them out early.
I have said this before, but Pen and Ffee were both 8 weeks old and we have had no problems at all with socialisation, there is so little you can do before that anyway that as long as the breeder makes a bit of an effort with them they hit the ground running.
 
As I've said before, all the dogs I've seen collected at six weeks were very clingy and insecure. Might be a breed specific thing and it was usually so that the breeder didn't have to spend on an extra two weeks worth of food.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Just over 50 years ago my family went to choose 2 Labrador bitch puppies. They were 5 1/2 weeks old, the breeder suggested that as they were going together we took them home with us, rather than leaving them until 6 weeks, which was the norm at that time. They were fabulous dogs in any way you can imagine, except that one of them was an escape artist and we spent quite a lot of time searching the village for her when she was an adult. We did eventually manage to make the garden Houdini proof.

I often think that we leave pups with the dam for too long as a matter of course, these days and don't give the new owner time to socialise them before the optimum period is over.


Exciting times, OP!
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I think by about 6 weeks, the majority of dams have had enough, pups are weaned and bite inhibition is in place. I think the socialization period (with humans) is so vital, I think 7 weeks is fine.
 
i collected my terrier at 9 weeks, carried him with me when i walked my other one so he was confident around people ,dog,cars and loud noises before he was allowed out on the floor after his jabs. never had a problem with him, happy to be left, slept through the night from day 1, only real problem (apart from being a terrier!!!) was housetraining, i struggled a bit but after using a bit of common sense got it sorted quite quickly...
 
We got Luna at almost 10 weeks. We could have taken her at 8, but we waited until we had time off to settle her in etc. She is almost 2 now, and is very confident girl. We did have a much older and wiser dog at home, not sure how much he helped.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
I think by about 6 weeks, the majority of dams have had enough, pups are weaned and bite inhibition is in place. I think the socialization period (with humans) is so vital, I think 7 weeks is fine.
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We collected the Rottweilers at 6 weeks. We made a definite effort to socialise them as much as possible, because the breed is known to be fear aggressive.
We didn't have adult dogs at home but they met 3 adult dogs and their associated people regularly and still defer to the Staffy who is now about 1/4 of their size. As soon as they were able, post- vaccine, they were taken out and about - they went to Bramham 2 days after they were 'released'. They thought it had all been organised as a Rottweiler meet-and-greet!

I was surprised to learn that it is now illegal to sell a pup before it is 8 weeks old, I'm not sure what research this change was based on.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I was surprised to learn that it is now illegal to sell a pup before it is 8 weeks old, I'm not sure what research this change was based on.
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Possibly someone who's never had anything to do with dogs? I get it, I think it's possibly to support good breeders rather than those who churn out endless litters of the latest doodlesshitpoo and sell them asap for profit having done no health tests, but for some breeds, not all, 7 weeks is fine, Imo.

On a totally unrelated note, was it the same person who decided pigeons and corvids can no longer be treated as pests? So now the yo can't shoot the ones that are taking over the boxes at the yard. Odd decision.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
Possibly someone who's never had anything to do with dogs? I get it, I think it's possibly to support good breeders rather than those who churn out endless litters of the latest doodlesshitpoo and sell them asap for profit having done no health tests, but for some breeds, not all, 7 weeks is fine, Imo.

On a totally unrelated note, was it the same person who decided pigeons and corvids can no longer be treated as pests? So now the yo can't shoot the ones that are taking over the boxes at the yard. Odd decision.
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I understand that was Chris Packham - who hasn't a bloody clue!
 
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