I am getting my first yellow lab in a few weeks. Everything I have read is that for training purposes you want to take the puppy home on the 49th day. I want to know if I should bring it home at the 49th day of life (Tues, Sept 16) or when the puppy is 49 days old (Wed, Sept 17) the puppies were born on Wed. July 30. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you

Have we answered this question before? The best time to bring a pup home is infinitely variable. It depends on the breed of the pup, the individual character of the pup, the health of the pup, the experience of the new owners, and of course must be a day convenient for both breeder and buyer. The average pup is probably best going to its new home on the Friday or Saturday after it is 7 weeks old. In this case, probably September 20th would be good, providing the pup is well.

Detailed dates such as this are pointless - these are individuals, not robots! No two dogs are alike, so supposed "rules" such as the 49th day are a load of nonsense.

I agree Jean, there are so many variables. I got my pup flown over from interstate and she was 12 weeks when I got her. She's a bright, happy, well-socialised pup that I believe really benefited from the extra time with mum, siblings and the 'crowd'. Even though she's only 3kgs she's not afraid of fully grown rottweilers and malamutes at the park and can definitely hold her own with my maltese cross.

Where did you read this, Jason? I've never heard of this theory before.

It will be fine to bring your puppy home at 7 weeks as long as he is weaned onto 4-5 meals a day which he eats happily. I dont quite understand why you have reposted this question as it has been answered before on a thread in "General". As you refer to the pupy as "it" I dont know whether to recommend "The book of the bitch" for bitch owners or "The Doglopedia" for all owners. Both books are by JIm Evans and Kay White" and are the dog owners "bibles" and covers just about everything a dog/puppy owner needs to know. If you haven't got them I suggest you get the relevant one. Good luck with your puppy.

I'm sorry that none of you have read this, maybe it isn't a big deal. I read it in 'Game Dog' by Richard Wolters. I know two breeders and they will only sell a lab puppy if the buyer agrees to make arangements to pick the pup up on the 49th day. In the book it states on page 31:
"Here are some more absolute musts for the hunter. The scientists do not tell us to take the dog out of the litter ABOUT the seventh week. They spell it out to the exact day, the forty-ninth day of life. Their reasons for this are, first, they want to stop the effects of the pecking order before thy have had time to mark the dog for life; and second, this is the best time for you to become the mother substitute. A third reason--and vitally important to the hunter--is that a dog will make a bond with man during the period between the seventh and twelfth weeks, and never again in his life will he establish as strong a rapport with a human as he does during that short period. Twelve weeks sounds very young, but the dogs brain has been physically formed to its adult size. . . the only thing added will be experience. Read that sentence again; it's a shocker."

With posting that quote you can see where my questions comes from, to me it sounds very important. Take it for what it is worth and tell me what you think. The only reason I posted it on this board also is to get some different opinions.

Can't say I agree about the bond bit. Think about it; what about the assistance dogs who don't get to their owners until they are a minimum of 18 months etc? It is vital that dogs are exposed to humans early but any human will do (lol).

Just my personal opinion, but this sounds about as plausible as the teachings of the Flat Earth Society!

That aside, if it were true, how would you know exactly, for certain, when the 49th day of life is? You can't necessarily go by the pup's birthday, because not all pups in a litter have had the same gestation. The bitch's eggs aren't all shed on the same day, and if there have been two or more matings, siblings in a litter can be as much as 5 days different in gestational age. So it would stand to reason that the 'youngest' ones would need to be with the mother for an extra 5 days from the 'oldest'. If a pup was ill for any reason (slight infection, or diarrhoea etc) it would suffer a developmental setback and would need to catch up.

I don't know what you expect from this pup - if it is to be a working gundog John will be the best one to advise you on this, because he is the working lab expert and hes been for many years - if he hasn't heard of this then it is truly nonsense! - but (and again, this is my personal opinion) unless the pictures in that book are very good I would bin it.

A Veterinary reference book I have ("The Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook" by John Bower and David Young) it states under "Age of Purchase": The ideal age is from six to ten weeks, depending on his size, his health and your circumstances.

I know everyone has their right to an opinion, I was just asking for some help. I thank all of you for your responses. I am convinced that that is when I want my dog, the 49th day. Maybe I am being to exact maybe I am not, I tend to beleive the findings of research by animal behaviorists and scientists over anything else. Just try not being so closed minded, it might help.

Closed minded?!!!! Well there's a first time to be called anything! :D

Did the author say how these scientists (they could be botanists or industrial chemists for all I know) arrived at their findings? Or are you just blindly accepting one author's words? Why not the words of the vets I quoted - after all, they're animal experts and scientists! Or you could wait for a response from a gundog expert?

But hey! If it makes you happy ....
:)

Aren't you the one being "closed minded" by refusing to listen to alternative opinions, other than taking your pup on the 49th day? If you are so sure thats what you want to do, then why are you posting on here? :) I truly hopw you are not planning to raise your dog "by the book" because you will definitely be disappointed.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't "research from scientists" show that Thalidomide was perfectly safe to take in pregnancy?

I'm not disagreeing with any of you. I am simply stating my decision and how I came to it. When I posted, if you read my original message I wasn't asking if the 49th day was okay or not, I knew from the beginning that is what I wanted. I was only asking if the 49th day was Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm not being closed minded, I did consider everyones suggestion and I have dicided on what I want to do. Sorry if I seem close minded but I appreciate everyones different points of view.

My litters have all been born during the night, some before midnight and some after. I know, because I always attend the whelpings. So the 49th day for some of the litter will be different to the 49th day for the rest. You're going to have to be so careful to get it right.......
:)

do you really think a day is going to make any difference :rolleyes: Honestly, it will not make a jot of difference... the puppy won't know whether its day 48, 49 or 50 - they can't count you know ;)

Hi,
Sorry, you'll have to cut and paste, but I recommend that you read the article below.
TiaLee

http://my.execpc.com/~crzy1ess/49daymyth.htm

Hi Jason,

I know it won't make any difference to your decision, but I have brought my dogs home at a variety of ages. Jess was 11 weeks, from the minute I got her she stuck to me like glue, she was very smart and very trainable. Dillon was 10 weeks, he took a couple of weeks to bond specifically to me, but then became very loyal, he is also extremely intelligent and trainable. True, quite by chance, was exactly 7 weeks (49 days) when I picked her up. She bonded very strongly with Jess, didn't care one way or the other whether I was around or not. She was quite difficult (by comparison) to train, and is rather slow. When Jess died, she became more attched to me, but is anyones dog. Shine was bred by me, she was also here on the 49th day, and every other day as well! Like Jess and Dillon, she's very loyal, smart and trainable. I don't think age makes all that much difference, I think it's more about the dog itself, just like people vary. At the end of the day, if you aren't even sure which is the 49th day, it can't be that important, these hunters may have been taking their dogs home on days 48-50 all along.

Angela

Just an observation, but although in my opinion most pups are ready to leave their mothers earlier, but there are exceptions, but surely doesn't the Kennel Club not allow licensed breeders to release puppies until they are 8 weeks old?

Most breeders breed as a hobby and therefore so not come under the rules for registered/commercial breeders. A breeder only requires to be registered if the breed five or more litters in any 12 month period.

the awful thing is that these registered breeders can sell puppies under 8 weeks old to licensed Pet Shops and Scottich rearing establishments! This I feel is completely wrong. Even if it is leagal to sell pups in commercial outlests, it should be this situation that they shouldn't go to until after 8 weeks!!!!

Oh fiddlededee, everybody knows its the astrological cycle that counts, the puppies should be brought home when the moon is ascending on uranus :p ;) :D