We have just reserved our new puppy. She is 4 weeks old and the breeder will let her go if everything is going to plan (weaning etc) from 6 weeks. The prob we have is we have a holiday booked (in this country) when she is 11 weeks old but the breeder is prepared to keep her till we get back by which time she will be 12 weeks.
Our options:
Take her as early as possible and then take her on holiday with us.
Leave her till she is 12 weeks (not keen on that option).
Leave my eldest son at home with the puppy. (he is happy to do this cos he has a girfriend and would like the house to hiself).
How pheasable is it to take her on holiday for a week do you think? I know we would have to carry her if she hasn't finished her vacs but the socialisation would be great.

Hmmm thats tough!

There are so many pros and cons in that situation! Having her home as early as possible is a great advantage as you can start her training and she will bond better with you and learn good human social skills, however i would not advise taking her with you as puppys (especaially so young take up a lot of time and patience lol) and you might not be able to give her the full attention she needs if you are on holiday which could delay her training (of course that depends where you are going etc. are you confident that you could secure her sourroundings? make sure she does not come in to contact with any unvaccinated animals - for me the risk would be too great, especailly while she is so young and vunerable to disease)

Hmm leaving her at home with your son. Are you confident that he can take good and proper care of the pup? we all know what its like when you are home alone and want to do your own thing. Training is important at this stage and you would need to be confident that he can continue the routine and be vigilant with the toilet training.

To be quite honest if i were you - i would ask the breeder to look after the pup while you are away. This way you can take the puppy at 6 wks and start the bonding and training and then you can be sure that she is getting the same commitment when you are away. If the breeder is willing to hold on to the pup then i dont see why she wont look after her while you are away :)

Think it over and look at your options, if taking her with you would work and you could give her the time she needs (can be very stress full having a young pup! I know as i have a 10wk old one at the moment!) then you could have a great time, but if your not sure then leave her with someone who can keep to her routine and continue with her training.

Hope That Helps, Roxanne

I'd leave her with the breeder until you get back if it were me and I was determined to go on holiday. I got my younger boy at 11 weeks due to school holidays etc and it has worked out just fine. He was raised in a home environment and was very well socialised by the breeder.

If you did take the puppy earlier, then I wouldn't take her on holiday as she wouldn't be able to go down for her toileting etc.

What breed is she coz 6 weeks is very young to let a puppy go. 8 weeks is the norm and what the KC recommend but it can depend on the breed just how much you would gain by taking her earlier. The other option you haven't mentioned is re-arranging your holiday. It's really important for a puppy to bond with it's new owner and have a good period of stability in it's new home before disturbing it with holidays and the such like.

However, if it was me - the holiday would wait. I'd get puppy at 8 weeks and devote the time to her.

jmho

Pam n the boys

If it were me I think I would have the puppy at 7 weeks, and if the holiday was very special (to a family wedding abroad etc) or otherwise unmissable, I would ask the breeder if they would have the pup back for the holiday. It's what I would prefer my puppy owners to do at that young age.
:)

I have to agree with jean take the puppy no earlier than 7 weeks and ask the breeder to look after it while you go on holiday if it is impossible to change the date of your holiday.

Having left a teenage son (now nearly 21) at home with my dogs, I can't say I think it's a solution conducive to furthering the puppies house training - lads (especially ones with gf's) seem to waft in and out with little regard for the needs of others - luckily my girls are used to being left for periods of time, and seem none the worse for it - but unless your boy is VERY clued in to what housetraining a puppy means, I think that's an avenue for disaster :(
To take the puppy on holiday with you? Or return it to the breeder? I think this depends on the breeder and the type of holiday you have planned....... A walking holiday with a small breed tucked in the front of your jacket could be a great socialisation experience for the puppy. But you might find yourself unpopular in the B & B if puppy screams to be let out half way through the night :( On the other hand - returning a pup of this age to the breeder whose puppies live in a shed in the garden might result in a pup with some fears of normal domestic situations - 12 weeks is around the start of a 'fear impact' stage in puppies - whe things that are quite normal can seem scarey - and if not properly dealt with can leave long lasting impessions.............

Hiya
I would definately ask the breeder to keep the pup until you get back. Teenage sons with girlfriends do not make for good dogsitters !!!

I am on the opposite side of the fence to you in the same situation. People who have one of my pups had a holiday arranged for when pup was 11 weeks, and like your breeder I was happy to keep pup to 12 weeks.

What we did do in the end was let pup go tpo them on Easter Monday when it was 7 1/2 weeks, and it came back to stay here on Saturday for a week at 11 weeks old.

The advantage is that it has already gotten into their routines, still remembers her birsth place really well. In fact she went looking into the kennel for her littermates. Mind you her mother gave her the cold shoulder, but hey, it's lovely to have her back for a while!!! :D

Thanks for all your replies, they have really helped. My son is very capable and trained our first puppy in his year out. He read books and took her to classes. The holiday is self catering and all the family is going so it can't be re-arranged and I would like my son to be there with us. I think I will keep thinking and talk more to the breeder and perhaps my vet. Going back for the week may be the best option I think.