We are getting our pup at 11wks instead of the usual 7 weeks. There are only 3 pups and the owner is socializing the pupies well with 4 other dogs at home and lots of various experiences in the house and out.

My question is when we get our puppy how would we treat it differently than a 7 week old puppy. For example, would he get the run of the house after a few days if he's house trained. Etc. Does anyone have some help for me. This is our first dog.

Thanks.

Is there a reason that you are getting him at 11 weeks? . Even though he may be getting lots of socialisation with the breeder you are missing out on a special bonding time with your new puppy. Im sure that you will get lots of advice from more experienced people on this forum, but let me tell you he wont be fully house trained so beware, accidents still happen.
Best of luck.

HI
as mentioned there will still be accidents so dont shout at him . He is still a baby after all . I would treat him the same as a 7 week pup as regards to bringing him home . Let him get used to you and the family and to get used to the house ( all those unfamiliar smells and scents ) .
The only difference should be that he should have had all his injections by now ( or coming up to the last one ) and will be able to go out earlier .
Dont expect too much of him -after all its only 4 weeks difference .
When you say should you give him the run of the house this is really dependant upon you and your pup . Obviously your home needs to be puppy proofed ( no trailing cables etc) but i think you need to assess how he is and get him into some sort of a routine anyway .
Some puppys like to chew on furniture , while some are ok . See how he is when you bring him home and as i say DONT EXPECT TOO MUCH
Have fun :D
Lel

I don't really know why the breeder is keeping the pups for so long. She sounds like a really conscientious breeder; she even sent me a puppy book (How To Raise a Puppy You Can Live With) and all sorts of information. I think she wants to keep them until they've had their second set of jabs. When we first contacted her, she said that she usually keeps the puppies until they're 10 weeks old. I was wondering about the bonding period too. My husband says I worry about everything too much, so I just wanted to see what people here thought. Not that I can change the situation. I'm sure it will work out.

Thanks.

Dont worry
dogs that chang homes much later in life always manage to bond dont they
:)
Lel

If the breeder sounds good and 10 weeks is usual practice this is just a suggestion why don't you ask them to put you in touch with one of the owner of a previous pup they have bred?

Then you can ask them how they settled in, just a suggestion but it seems logical to me.

Hi Bluebell - Congratulations on your new addition! I've heard about a few breeders that have decided to keep pups with the mum and littermates for longer than the usual - some even up to 16 weeks. The argument for this is that the pups get better socialisation from mixing with their littermates than they could get on the "outside" - and it teaches them vital social skills such as sharing/pack order etc. And their mum gets to tell them off so they learn from her too, unlike some puppies who would go to a new home without an adult dog around. Apparently (and I'm going on hearsay here) a dog is less likely to have dominance and aggression problems in later life if it is subjected to the litter pecking order for longer. Hope that helps! Oh, and dont worry if there's a few "accidents" on the carpet - a lot of dogs take up to 12 months to housetrain, but most are sorted by 6 months old. Unless you plan to breed from your pet, I would recommend contacting your vet about neutering also - some vets do it very early now - the sooner the better.
Take care
Kathy
xxxx

Hiya,

I bought a pup at 12 weeks....she's 1 1/2 now....and she's lovely.

She was well socialised, and a very happy little girl.

I didn't realy treat her any differently than I would a 7 wk old. I think you get to know their needs very quickly, give it a couple of days with your pup...see how things go. Then decide whether you need to change anything that you're doing. :)

Lisa

It is very common in the tiny breeds to keep them longer, probably to give the breeder more time to choose which they want to keep, and for the pup to be that bit bigger before going to new home. Some of the tpoy breeds aren't as forward as babies as some of their larger counterparts.

You all have set my mind at ease (I can hear my husband saying, "See, I told you not to worry."). I'm not worrying about the housetraining at all. And since my pup is the only male and the largest of the litter, and since you all mentioned about dominance being less of an issue if the pups stay with the mom longer, then that sounds really good.

One of the littermates will be coming to my city, and I was also thinking maybe the dogs could visit.

I'm all set up for a puppy training class that the breeder recommended in my city. She checked it out with the puppy training class that she always uses. I'm going for a visit to the puppy class next weekend.

Also, with a 11 week old puppy, do you think he would be o.k. in my lap (I won't be driving) for a 3 hour car ride? Or should we bring a crate?

Thanks again, all. :)

Bluebell - good luck with your new puppy. You asked if you should treat him any differently to if you had got him at 7 weeks. The answer to that is no. He is still a baby leaving his home, going to a new home with new things and surroundings.

As for transporting - 3 hours is quite a long time and depending on the breed - you might find it a bit hard on your lap. If it's only a standard/small sized puppy then you could have him on your knee - if a bigger one then you may find a crate useful. I have always brought puppies home on my knee without any difficulties at all.

Do take plenty of kitchen roll, towels and water with you - just in case puppy is sick. I've never had a puppy be sick but I know others have. Take some newspaper too to put on the ground in case you have to stop to let your puppy relieve himself. Put the paper down and let him go on it. This is to minimise the risk of him picking up some illness from the ground. Take a large container/s to fill with water from the breeders home and gradually mix that with your own water that you give your puppy to drink at home over a few days. That will help reduce tummy upset which many puppies get from the change in drinking water.

hth

Pam n the boys

Pammy what a good idea. I have always pointed out to new owners who have come a long way that change in water can make pups a bit loose. It had never occured to me for them to take my naf Bristol water back home with them :D

I do have them sometimes:D - good ideas that is:D

we got our dog at 5 months old,cause the breeder didn't know whether or not he would make size,and he settled in great,he cried a bit on a night so i bought a plug in night light for him and that seemed to work.we are also getting a puppy in may so it is to all come again.
lots of luck
mel :)

Our puppy is a Bedlington Terrier. So I guess he should be O.K. on my lap. I'll bring the crate anyways, just to be on the safe side. I never would have thought of the newspaper or the water ideas. Good thinking. :)

Mel78 - what type of puppy are you getting? :)

we are getting a kerry blue,we will be calling him boscoe, a nice irish name for a nice irish dog.
mel
my friend owns a grooming parlour she had a bedlington in today he looked like a lamb,all soft and fluffy.congratulations

Thanks! :D

Kerry Blues are gorgeous. I just love the color and the coat! Congrats :)

Hi Bluebell,

In the States, members of the Cairn Terrier association (the national breed club) must agree not to sell any puppy before it is 12 weeks old. In the UK, it's 8 weeks.

Besides a bit more size, which is good in a small breed, the difference I've found is in house training. I chose to pick up my new Cairn puppy at 10 weeks, just to make things a bit easier on myself. I don't know about Bedlingtons, but in Cairns they are only really able to control elimination when they are about 12 weeks old.

Don't worry about bonding, your puppy will have no trouble bonding with you and your family.

As to the run of the house - I think my Cairn will need to be about 10 years old. :-) She is housetrained and will go out dog flaps on her own. I work at home very often and since she's been about five months old I've let her have free run of the ground floor while I work in my office. Before that, I kept her in my office with me while I worked. However, she's not ready to have free run of the house while no one is home. At least I'm not ready to try her out yet. She's never alone for more than a couple of hours and we keep her in her crate.

Stacey

Stacey

Hi Bluebell,
I got my Bedlington at 11 weeks too, Happy, well socialised, well on the way to house training, and bonded with the whole family immediately. Definately the best dog I have ever had. :)

Stacey - I laughed out loud at your 10 year comment. :D :D

Dill - You have a beddie too! That's really reassuring that you got your puppy when he/she was 11 weeks old and everything turned out fine. Best dog you've ever had too!!! We should start a new thread talking about bedlington terriers. Why is yours the best dog you've ever had? Tell, tell :)

ooooooooohhhhhhhh how long have you got??? :) :)

We researched a number of breeds to find one that would suit our family and this was the best match - luckily I already wanted a bedlington!! For a terrier this breed is so gentle and quiet and yet still has "fire" lurking just under the surface. I go to some dog shows and we can always find the Bedlingtons really easily - we just look for the quietest section of the terriers LOL. They are so loving, gentle and responsive that sometimes I have to remind myself they are terriers - till mine smells rats!. I couldn't believe how easy training was, but there's still an independant streak - Dill won't fetch anything I throw out of doors, just looks at me as if I was mad lol, yet this is the dog who will keep you throwing a toy for hours in the house !! I could go on for pages but you'll soon find out for yourself :D

How exciting!! I'm glad we chose such a super breed!

Anyone in your house allergic to dogs? My husband is, but he said he lived with a cat (he is more allergic to cats) for 17 years, so he said it's O.K. for him. But I've heard that Bedlingtons are good dogs for allergy sufferers. Any truth to that?

Oh, I can't wait :D

My husbands allergic to dogs and cats - officially, he's had the tests - but we went to a dog show and he deliberately got close to all the dogs and guess what?? no reaction, no asthma, nothing!!!! He's given up milk and milk products and hasn't had nearly so many asthma attacks or bad reactions. He can sit with our dog on his lap all night without a reaction :) I guess it depends on how your hubby reacts and how severe it is.

PS we also have a cat but her fur seems to irritate my husbands eyes - but there again her fur irritates everyones eyes !!

Hmmmm, that's strange! :)

Maybe I'll suggest the milk idea to my husband if his allergies act up. Thanks!! :D