haymin 2,465 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 WHats people thoughts of letting pups go 6 , 7 , 8 weeks , I got Tia my three year old at 3 days short of six weeks and everything was fine I was there for her all the time she was eating her self and drinking water ect. Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RossM 8,121 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) WHats people thoughts of letting pups go 6 , 7 , 8 weeks , I got Tia my three year old at 3 days short of six weeks and everything was fine I was there for her all the time she was eating her self and drinking water ect. Cheers I'd be happy at 6 weeks mate, providing they waened off the dam, I got both mine at the 6ish week and they been fine. Edited July 16, 2015 by RossM 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nothernlite 18,089 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 I'm keeping all apart from one till there 8 weeks got most of mine at 6 weeks don't see a problem with it jim 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 6 weeks is fine but ONLY if the person buying the pup is experienced, realises that puppies of that age need to be looked after properly, have pretty much constant company when it needs it and not shut away in a kennel. Yes, they do settle in well at that age, but only if their needs are met correctly, but ideally they should have close contact with other tolerant dogs or their developing canine social skills may miss out. Isolating a puppy of that age for fear it may pick up a disease is therefore just as bad as letting it mingle freely. In an ideal world all puppies would have an initial parvo jab at 6 weeks, just in case, before going to their new homes. It may provide some temporary cover, but there is also conflicting evidence on this. Pups that stay with their mother until 8 weeks develop a lot of social skills from their litter mates and mother, but they also need a big input from the breeder to start them off on the road to becoming people-friendly dogs as well. Pups of 8 weeks should also be a bit more robust, and if they've been properly socialised, they'll handle the change of home much better. It really is a piece of string question, for everything depends on the health of the pup, how well it has been looked after from birth and the how experienced the new owner is. I've rescued a litter at 5 weeks which would have been dead had they stayed where they were born, so it's not all cut and dried. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j j m 6,555 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 i think six weeks is fine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulsmithy83 567 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Skycat views same as mine tbh depends on new owners circumstances. I like mine at 6 weeks but thats my own preference Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bird 9,970 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 8 weeks is better I think , leave them there with its litter mates, it going to massive change to it anyway , coulpe weeks not going hurt you or the breeder , you could have the dog for the next 10-12 years, 2 weeks is nought is it 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TOMO 26,674 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Most pups going early are fine,,,,but personally I think it's wrong,,,,I think there better off with there dam and litter mates till 8 week plus ... And what's the rush?...... We'll I will answer my own question,,,,the breeder is getting pissed off with them and wants them gone,,,,especially if there's money involved.... Some lads might say ,,,oh the dam is getting fed up of them,,,,ok seperate them for good parts of the day.... 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 The thing is, if the pups are going to be staying together at the breeder's until 8 weeks plus, they are already getting into the sensitive time of their lives where they really need to start being properly socialised, which means exposure to things outside their immediate environment. There aren't very many breeders who lead train, take on car rides, play a lot with their pups and get them used to different people and other experiences. We see this so much on this site, where people buy in a 5 month plus pup that has never been out of the breeder's yard, and the pup is shy, scared of everything and has had no useful experiences to prepare it for life in the bigger world. Even if a pup goes at bang on 8 weeks, if it hasn't been properly handled and accustomed to people it will find the change of homes much more traumatic than a pup of 6 weeks, which will overcome any neglect on the breeder's part more quickly. I remember my OH telling me of a completely unsocialized pup that he got at around 6 weeks. The bloke who bred them had to chase them down to catch them . They were living in a field under a caravan. When he got the pup home it took about 2 hours before it was playing with the kids and generally acting as though it had been there all its life. If that pup had been 8 or 9 weeks, it would have taken a hell of a lot longer to adapt to its new environment. If ever I've bought in a very young pup I've slept with it for the first couple of weeks, gradually integrating it into the pack, and working mostly from home I'm there a lot of the time so the pup hasn't been left alone in a kennel. Personally I think it is completely wrong to either leave a small pup in a kennel alone or expect an adult dog to act as nursemaid. So yes, if the pup has to be left alone for part of the day then it is better off going later, PROVIDING it has been reared to expect periods of time alone, which again, is the responsibility of the breeder to put this in place. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbriar 8,569 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 We took our lurcher pup at 7 weeks. The dam wasn't doing anything for them, and clearly didn't want to 'mother' them any more, so we agreed with the breeder that it was best to get him into his new environment sooner rather than later...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,416 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 I had absolutely no time for the writer Brian Plummer but I remember him saying that if he want's to train a dog to a high standard he'd take them off the bitch at 5 weeks. I think he was right, I don't know why but I do. I can remember over the years taking a few pups on at 5 weeks, usually because as Tomo said the owner wanted paying, and they all developed a better bond for some reason and I don't think it was my imagination. One of them was a pit bull. Now if I had the choice with a dog such as a lurcher or a gundog where a high level of training is needed I'd be looking to get them at 5 weeks. JMHO. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 At one time, don't know if they still do, the Guide Dog people placed their pups in 'puppy walker' homes at 6 weeks because the pup learned to live in the human environment very quickly at that age. They also bond very quickly to their new owners as the person is the only security they have. Security and food are a puppy's primary needs at that age. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TOMO 26,674 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 I notice training being mentioned,,,does it make a difference between 5-6 week and an 8-9 week old pup?,,, Let's be honest,,,the police ,,R A F,,,ECT take adult dogs and train them... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nothernlite 18,089 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 My bitch is away from her pups at 5 and half weeks just put in for 10 minute 3 or 4 tomes a day to give them a feed but all of mine apart from one are staying till they are 8 weeks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Truther 1,579 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Just sat thinking the same thing Tomo? I think the important thing is to socialise the litter from early on, i used to let my kids, and now grandikids play with pups as soon as they were wormed out, personally i would rather take an 8 week old that came from a home where they had the run of a garden with kids/adults interacting with them from early on? Just an educated guess, but i think taking a young pup and getting it bonded to you and you alone could be detrimental and cause unwanted social problems, especially if its going to be an only dog? 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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