Best Age to Bring Home Puppy

I don't think there's anything wrong with bringing a pup home at 10 weeks. I got my rescue Sheltie at 3 1/2 months and he is my velcro dog! Talk about bonded.

It is important for pups to stay with their littermates until at least 8 weeks-they learn important lessons from them, like how hard to bite.

My new rescue pup, I brought him home at almost 10 weeks (mostly because of scheduling conflicts). The foster mom said I can come get him at 6 weeks, but I was adamant that he stay until at least 8 weeks-and decided I wasn't going to take him at all if she pushed the issue.

I should warn you though, the first couple of nights are going to be tough-mine missed his brothers and their body heat when they would sleep at night, so neither one of us slept much the first couple of nights because he would cry. Loud. All night. But all is good now. :smile2:
 
I am prepared for crying. I have taken 5 days off work to be with Ellie while she is adjusting. My husband is home during the day all the time, but I want to be there. I also didn't want to have to try to go to work after minimum sleep because I anticipate the crying. I bought Ellie a "comfort" dog. You can warm his insides in a microwave (yes, I will be careful) and it's just a fairly flat, colorful, soft doggie to sleep on. It's warm and supposed to be comforting. We we were kids and would get a new puppy, my mom would put warm water in a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for the puppy to sleep with when it first came home. She would also put an audible ticking clock under a bunch of towels to simulate the heartbeat of a littermate. I am assuming no matter what, a pup is going to cry and it's understandalbe. I will just have to tie myself to the bed so I don't go pick her up and allow her to go through what she must go through. :(
 
Lahree said:
I am prepared for crying. I have taken 5 days off work to be with Ellie while she is adjusting. My husband is home during the day all the time, but I want to be there. I also didn't want to have to try to go to work after minimum sleep because I anticipate the crying. I bought Ellie a "comfort" dog. :(
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Another thing that you can do is take a baby receiving blanket and carry it against your body for a few hours and then send it to the breeder so that she can put your scent with your new puppy. That way, there will be a familiar smell when she comes home and will associate that scent with comfort and security. It will also contain the scents of the littermates and help those first few nights go much easier.

I usually try to start the puppers sleeping by themselves in a crate once in awhile so that they begin to lose that bond and will put a blanket in with them that I will send home with them. Since I breed for show dogs, many of mine don't go before 12 weeks so by that age they need to really start their separation so that they don't bond with the siblings too much.

Shelties are fortunately a breed that can bond with a new family at almost any age! We often retire our dogs from showing and breeding around 5 or 6 yrs old and place them in new homes and they adjust quite nicely and live out the rest of their lives as wonderful couch potatoes :smile2:

Your new baby will love you just as much no matter how old she is when you get her!
 
Lahree, we've brought home two Sheltie puppies and neither one cried. We followed the advice of The Monks of New Skete. They puppy slept at night in a crate beside the bed where she could smell her new Mommy. We also had the plug-in mother dog scent going. Both slpt through the night until about 5 am. Then there would be a little whimper that meant, "I have to go out." Out we would go; then back into to crate for sleep. At that time my sister was home, and she managed the crate training according to the Monks' schedule posted n the refrigerator. Nobody ever lost sleep!!
 
Hmm...

Altho I'm probably going to get a lot of negative feedback from this, I should probably share anyways. I brought Caliber home at the 6 week mark. Many of my friends have taken their pups home at 6 weeks as well. A lot of people are very opinionated and feel very strongly against taking a pup home before 8 weeks, and that's fine, but for me - it worked out just fine. The first night he was here he woke up at 5:30, and I think it was because I had the crate out in the kitchen...so I moved it in the room, and after that he was fine. He would wake up, and whine to go to the bathroom, so I would take him out, he would pee, and we'd come back in, and he'd go right to bed in his crate. He didn't show any sign of distress. I too, took off a week to make sure he was ok, and my b/f took off 4 days when I got back to work just to be sure. He was just fine...he was playing with the cats the day he got home lol. Soooo...if the vet says it's ok health wise, and you feel comfortable taking him home at the 7 week mark(and of course if the breeder says it's ok - after all, THEY call the shots) then I don't think it would hurt. It mainly just rides on what the breeder decides, really...

Either way - good luck! We're looking forward to some stories! :biggrin2:
 
Health really isn't the issue with bringing a pup home early. It is their mental and social development. A vet saying the dog is healthy really isn't the best judge as to whether or not the pup should come home early. It is important for them to be exposed to other dogs, their litter mates, and their dam during that crucial development period. Also being exposed to stresses and stimuli in a safe and appropriate manner by someone who knows what they are doing (ie. a responsible and experienced breeder) during a stage of development that is crucial to the dog's mature temperament and mental well-being.
 
My DH told me the other day that I was obsessing over getting Ellie. Ha! that can't be true! :no: You think that's true? Huh? Am I obsessing? Huh? Am I? Huh? Obsessing? Me? You think I am? Obsessing? Wouldn't I know if I am obsessing? It can't be obsessing! Nah! Not me! Not obsessing! Nah, never obsessing! LOL! :winkgrin: :rolleyes2:
 
I also feel its better to leave the pup with mom and litter mates until at least 8 weeks, but the guide dog pups we raise go to the raisers home at 6 weeks old. all have them were fine social wise, but that could be due to the fact that we have older dogs that taught the pups bite inhibition. Sam is a little mouthy, but I think that is more due to he is teething and he is a lab!
 
Understandable

I understand that the physical health of the pup isn't something to totally go on, but it does play a larger part(only my opinion :smile2:). It just so happens coming home earlier with me worked out perfectly with no problems whatsoever!! Thats all I'm saying!! :biggrin2: But I made sure to socialize him a lot, and he has no major issues with the way he's developing! Maybe I just got lucky?? I know next time tho I'm going to wait...partially because I won't be so anxious to get a pup!

And Lahree - I think everyone obsesses about getting their pup!! I know I did!!! There was an album on facebook started once he was only 3 weeks old!! HAHA :lol:
 
Obsessing?

Lahree said:
My DH told me the other day that I was obsessing over getting Ellie. Ha! that can't be true! :no: You think that's true? Huh? Am I obsessing? Huh? Am I? Huh? Obsessing? Me? You think I am? Obsessing? Wouldn't I know if I am obsessing? It can't be obsessing! Nah! Not me! Not obsessing! Nah, never obsessing! LOL! :rolleyes2:
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Certainly not! You are obsessing no more over Ellie Mae than I am over Ginnie Mae! And I'm certainly NOT obsessing! Now, excuse me I have to check the 20 threads I've posted on Ginnie since I brought her home....! Nope, no obsessing going on here! :rolleyes2::lol:
 
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