Well i finally brought my golden pup yesterday, so far he has been absolutely excellent, fell asleep on my lap on the way home, goes toilet outside, no accidents yet, doesn't mouth our hands excessively, is very responsive and playful. We are extremely happy with him.  We even put him in his crate and he cried for less than a minute and slept through the whole night no probs.
  Just one teeny little thing.... he humps....ALOT!!!
  I know he's still a baby so we dont tell him off for it, we just move away, but he's very enthusiastic about it, and has done it to me about ten times now! :D
  I had always thought it was an adolescense thing?? Why is he doing it? Have to add he's only six and a half weeks old.

  Any ideas??
  Jasmine

Well if he was still in the nest he would be discouraged from doing it, so as he is away from his dam and litter mates so young you will have to take over and point out in a gentle way that the behaviour is not acceptable

Hi,
This is the sort of behaviour that the extra week or two with the rest of the litter would have sorted out. With a very young puppy like this you are going to have to become an expert on canine behaviour and body language, because he will have no dog available to do it, and this won't be the only thing his mum and siblings should have had time to teach him.

Have you got "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey? You will find it invaluable.

Hello, yes i have got that book, and i must have read it bout 3 times now.

  To be honest i wish there was more information or studies on the best age to take pups home. It's just so confusing with all the different sources out there giving different information. At first, when i heard the breeder was letting them go at six weeks i was wary. However as everyone always recommended and followed Gwen Bailey's The Perfect Puppy, i assumed that what the book said went. And as Gwen Bailey says 6 weeks is old enough, then that was the way to go.
  Plus i visited the APBC where they also encouraged getting pups at 6 weeks, stating that pups are let go at an older age by breeders wanting to suss out the pups with show potential.
  What further helped me in my desicion is talking to the neighbours who had a GSD at 11 weeks who was uncontrollable from day one. He had been brought up on outdoor kennels and did not have a CLUE how things worked from day one. He was a lovely dog, but a huge handful and subsequently was rehomed at around 8 months. We were determined not to make the same mistake so chose a young homebred pup, and he is brilliant, he takes everything in his stride, is picking up things very quickly, and is a delight to be around.

  I'm not trying to be inflammatory here, but even on this board, some members have stated that they got their pups at 6 weeks and have had no problems. I have noticed there are some new members with pups at this age and many people are saying that the pup is too young etc.
  I understand that this is a young age and we know to be firm but fair with him, and he is already greatly loved. To be honest i just want to do the best by the pup AND make sure he ends up a well balanced, well behaved dog who is a pleasure to live with.

It's very difficult to generalise about anything to do with animals - each one is an individual. Different breeds have different characteristics, and dogs are needed for different tasks - for example, a collie required to herd sheep is going to be raised and trained in an entirely different way to a collie required as a Guide Dog!

So a careful balance has to be struck, between letting a pup learn all it can about canine behaviour from its mum and siblings, and what will be required as a solo dog under the control of another species (us!). I know that litters I have reared have learned a lot of bite inhibition and correct canine play behaviour between 6 and 7+ weeks, when I let them go. Pups as young as 6 weeks are going to spend a long time (about another 6 weeks) without coming into contact with another of their own species, whose 'language' they understand - so owners of pups under these circumstances have to put even more effort into socialising the pup with other dogs once it's old enough to go out.

There is also a world of difference between a home-reared pup at 8 eeks, and a kennel-reared pup of the same age.

Most pups that are 'run on' by show-folk to see how they develop are unlikely to be sold on till they are about 5 or 6 months - you have no idea how they turn out till they change their teeth!

Basically, 6 weeks is the very barest minimum age a pup should move on - you seem a very sensible person who will put in the effort to make sure it turns out alright. Unfortunately, very many people aren't prepared to put in the extra effort that a very young pup like this needs to develop properly, mentally and physically.

Thankyou Jeangenie,
                           i am trying to learn all i can and read and read, i really want to make the best of Bailey. We have enquired and the vets have put us in touch with a puppy class where Bailey can go at around nine weeks of age. He has also had a parvovirus jab today, and from tomorrow we will be carrying him around in our arms to different places.
  We're lucky in that i don't work so i am able to spend as much time as he needs, bar a few hours to shop and do household chores a day. In those times he will be kept in his crate where i must say, he has taken to extremely well :)
  I understand the worry that people are wary that a pup may have been brought in haste, and little thought given to the care and huge commitment a pup needs, even i, as a novice owner, have to say some posts i read do raise eyebrows.
  But i do want to say we have waited for a pup for so long now, and really are trying to do the best for him.  :)

It is all too late now you have the pup and will no doubt deal with any problems when they come up, pups can leave their breeder once they are weaned but that is not ideal, the consensus of opinions is that 8 weeks is about the right time to take a pup from the nest, it will have had time to learn to deal with other dogs and the dam will have taught the pup about manners and how to approach adult dogs without getting your head bitten off. The pup will have learned via the dam what is dangerous and what should be avoided and what is safe and should learn to be lived with. That soiling the bed is not on and that people are to be obeyed.  A pup going to a home without other dogs at 6 weeks will have to spend about 4 weeks without the opportunity of being able to interact with other dogs and by the time they are about 14 to 16 weeks they become wary of almost everything they have not encountered before.

So most experienced owners and breeders think that 8 weeks is ideal, with 7 or up to 10 being OK, anything before 7 weeks or after 10 requiring special efforts to be made by the new owners to either replace the experience lost by leaving the nest too soon or to counteract the fear factor if the change is made too late. Both can be overcome but are not ideal, well that is the opinion of most UK breeders and breed clubs.

Edit - sorry have said much the same as JG - was called away from the PC whilst replying, don't know if I should delete of not, but will leave it for now

Hi Jackie
           Have replied above

Jasmine

We brought our ACd pup home 5 weeks ago at 6 weeks and 3 days old.  The only problem we had with him that I haven't had with other pups (that we had at 7.5+ weeks) was growling, mainly at us, and presumably this is something the bitch would have dealt with.  However we took over that role and within 2 weeks the behaviour was extinguished.  For his age he is very well socialised, confident and friendly to all he meets, is pretty good with the cat and has been wonderful with my two small children and all the other children who have visited over Xmas.

You have the pup now, try and concentrate on the positives, i.e being able to socialise earlier, and being able to get the pup used to different situations, cars, etc well before the first fear period sets in (obi is fine with fireworks and christmas crackers!)

All the very best with your new baby

Hayley

Have to say i have had my pup for a few days and so far everything is going brilliantly, when he needs to go to the toilet he whines by the door, gets along well with the cats, doesn't bite our hands, copes extremely well in the crate, eats like a horse and has bonded to us extremely well :D
  On top of that there have been no humping incident since i posted last!  ;)

  The neighbours have been over to visit today and just coudn't believe how he was laying in his bed in the kitchen watching me cook, he is ever so well behaved.
  Maybe we have been extremely lucky, maybe it's due to us reading.... but i personally think that in this case the pup was rehomed at the correct age :)

  Many thanks,
                   Jasmine