What age puppy?

[legalbeagle]

Hi everyone
I have recently posted on the looking for a puppy forum - I am after an orange roan bitch - and a number of you have very kindly given me contact numbers of breeders who might help. I am now down on two waiting lists although, as both breeders have said they may wish to retain pups for themselves, I may well be unlucky. I have also been given details of a pup which is available but the problem is she is already 12 weeks old. I haven't had a pup for some time and I am a little nervous so I really wanted to play it by the book and get one at 8 weeks.  I haven't spoken to the breeder yet but I am concerned that she may not separate easily from her mother and two siblings at this late stage and also I don't know what's happening about toilet training.

Also, if I have her, I really need to be taking her now and I haven't yet got anything - cage etc and (this might sound very silly) I haven't got myself into the mindset of having her. Usually you would have the build up of a few weeks. I need to move things round in the kitchen & get the kids sorted with their toys and so on. She does look a lovely dog though.

What do you think? I have been looking for a pup on the internet for ages but I have been quite surprised that my search engine hadn't thrown up the websites of these three breeders I am now in touch with so I am more hopeful that another one will become available soon. Is it best to wait?

[LurcherGirl]

If the breeder has socialised her reasonably well with other dogs, kids etc. there is no reason why she should be more difficult than an 8-week old puppy. Personally, if I was happy with her temperament, socialisation etc., I would take her. If however you are uncomfortable about anything or don't feel ready, you need to wait! There's no point rushing into things and then struggling afterwards because of it.

Vera

[Jane S]

I agree with Vera - if the 12 week old pup comes from a breeder who socialises her puppies well, then there's no reason why this pup would be any more difficult than an 8 week old pup. It depends on the breeder though - if the pup has just been kept outside in a kennel and hasn't met many people, then it may be more of an issue that she's older. Does the breeder know that you want to show the puppy? Just asking as it could be that this pup is available because the breeder has decided not to keep her for showing?

 

[benji]

We got our pup at 12 weeks old and he'd been in a kennel so not particularly well socialised with humans.

However, despite him being very wary for the first day and night, he's settled extremely well now. 
He was a completely different puppy the following day, lively and confident.
The only thing he was unsure of for some time was when we were standing up, he seemed uncomfortable with that for a while and backed away from us but that was resolved by about day 3.
Had our first puppy class a couple of evenings ago and he loved the attention from both puppies and humans.

I wouldn't worry too much...

The only thing I wonder is whether toilet training is slightly more difficult as we're a little behind...ie he was used to peeing wherever he liked for so much longer...

[Cob-Web]

We got our pup at 12 weeks old and he'd been in a kennel so not particularly well socialised with humans.

However, despite him being very wary for the first day and night, he's settled extremely well now. 
He was a completely different puppy the following day, lively and confident.
The only thing he was unsure of for some time was when we were standing up, he seemed uncomfortable with that for a while and backed away from us but that was resolved by about day 3.
Had our first puppy class a couple of evenings ago and he loved the attention from both puppies and humans.

I wouldn't worry too much...

The only thing I wonder is whether toilet training is slightly more difficult as we're a little behind...ie he was used to peeing wherever he liked for so much longer...

Its great to hear that Benji has settled so well - and hopefully, he will continue to grow into a confident dog, but I think it is important to remember that pups with the breeder that little bit longer will have experienced less, especially if they are kennelled 
Gwen Baileys book, The Perfect Puppy, has a table at the back which acts as a checklist for socialisation/habitualisation - and when we brought Molo home at 10 weeks, I had planned a schedule to ensure that we covered as many of them as possible - including public transport, different ages of children/adults etc 

I still missed things in the socialisation period which he encounters now and becomes nervous - he is terrified of bath bubbles, and despite being fed on raw food, shies away scared from any dead animals we may encounter on our walks 

[Michele]

 I think it is important to remember that pups with the breeder that little bit longer will have experienced less, especially if they are kennelled 

Once again Rachel, you are generalising. 
Maybe I'm the exception rather than the rule but when I had Neneh's last litter, I had three pups with me (including Halle) up to the age of 17 weeks.
One was staying with me as the new owner's were an enquiry that came after 8 weeks, and they had a holiday booked, and didn't feel it was fair to have him for a few weeks and then bring him back. The other was here as a result of time wasters, and awaiting a suitable home.

It was damned hard work I'll admit, but every day those pups went out individually, at first being carried and then later down for short walks which included a small town's high street. We even took all three out a couple of times for an off lead run. They all turned out happy, sociable dogs who love the car, and the boys took no longer to settle into their new homes than their siblings.


It could have been very easy for me to have left the two boys at home and just took Halle out as she was mine, but as a responsible breeder I wanted the best for all the pups.

Don't put all your eggs in the same basket, and don't put all breeders in the same kennel!

[Cob-Web]

 I think it is important to remember that pups with the breeder that little bit longer will have experienced less, especially if they are kennelled 

Once again Rachel, you are generalising. 
Maybe I'm the exception rather than the rule but when I had Neneh's last litter, I had three pups with me (including Halle) up to the age of 17 weeks.

It was damned hard work I'll admit, but every day those pups went out individually, at first being carried and then later down for short walks which included a small town's high street. We even took all three out a couple of times for an off lead run. They all turned out happy, sociable dogs who love the car, and the boys took no longer to settle into their new homes than their siblings.

I hope that you are not the exception, Michele; but cannot imagine how there are enough hours in the day to provide three puppies with the same level of socialisation that is advised by Gwen Bailey 
You didn't mention whether you used public transport with your pups - which in some homes can be a daily occurrence? I remember how nervous Molo was in the car at first, and he had been taken out in the car by his breeder

[benji]

It must depend on each individual puppy to some extent...?
Benji had never really been in a car when we collected him but we've never had any problems with him in the car.
He just falls asleep!

[sarah25]

I hope that you are not the exception, Michele; but cannot imagine how there are enough hours in the day to provide three puppies with the same level of socialisation that is advised by Gwen Bailey 

[/quote]

We have to make time!

[Michele]

I didn't take advice from Gwen Bailey, I did what I felt was right for the pups.

My daughter's school is 5 miles away and so one went in the car in the morning, one again in the afternoon and the other one was on a journey somewhere inbetween. There was no set pattern as to who went when, but all three went in the car every day, sometimes all together. They'd been doing this along with their littermates since the age of 6 weeks.

I didn't use public transport, but maybe in future I ought to take them onto a train/plane or even ferry journey (perhaps to the IOW) just in case their new owners decided to take them on holiday with them.

Do you really think I could possibly re-create every daily occurences of other peoples lives for the pups, I don't, but I covered what I could.

[Cob-Web]

Do you really think I could possibly re-create every daily occurences of other peoples lives for the pups,

No, I don't expect you to be able to - hence my original comment, which is what you objected to:

I think it is important to remember that pups with the breeder that little bit longer will have experienced less, especially if they are kennelled 

[Michele]

Do you really think I could possibly re-create every daily occurences of other peoples lives for the pups,

No, I don't expect you to be able to - hence my original comment, which is what you objected to:

I think it is important to remember that pups with the breeder that little bit longer will have experienced less, especially if they are kennelled 

So does that mean that pups that leave at 8 weeks WILL have been on public transport?

[Rhona W]

So does that mean that pups that leave at 8 weeks WILL have been on public transport?

Well my pups came home when they were 8 weeks old and are now 11 months. And I'm ashamed to say they have never been on any form of public transport. 
But then I haven't been on a bus for 20 years either. 

And the other thing I haven't socialised then iwth enough is..................... the hoover!  Sorry. The vacuum cleaner. 

[Mich]

I put the hoover round everyday, since the day bails came home at 7 weeks old and he still HATES it!!

Have never taken him on any public transport either!

[Jane S]

I couldn't socialise our pups on public transport if I wanted to as the local bus company only allows guide dogs and we're out in the country so not exactly handy for trains