I just read a post about getting a pup at 7 weeks.Is that too soon,because my breeder gave me mine at 4 weeks.Is that not good?

Thought we had been through this with you before Amyleigh, yes 4 week is far to early unless you are experianced in rearing pups who have lost their dam.

Well I don't remember going through this already.I haven't ask this question before.If I ask a question that you don't want to answer,or feel that you've already answered it,don't feel obligated to answer it again.

Sorry was sure we had a discussion about the age a pup should leave it's dam and the number of feeds required by a 6 week old pup, may be that was someone else. Did you have your other dogs at 4 weeks old and for what reason did this breeder let you have this one, did the bitch die.

No,that discussion was not with me.No the dam didn't die,the mother wouldn't have anything to do with the pups.She wouldn't feed them or even lay with them.I wish I'd talk to some of you people before I got him.If I had known,I wouldn't have taken him that early.

hi amyleigh, can i offer some advice? there are an awful lot of people on here who are just waiting to tear into anyone who asks a question which shows up their inexperience. in an ideal world, everyone would be nice to you and offer you advice, without critisizing or making false judgements about you, but this isnt an ideal world!!! if you ask questions on here, be prepared for a barrage of insults and rude posts, ive experienced it myself! and all because you are searching for a breeder, or trying to get a question answered.....its not very nice is it? I think 6-8 weeks is the best age, 4 weeks is definately TOO young. if you want any advice, ill try to help you if i can, (without being harsh, as some tend to be on this messageboard!) everyone was a beginner once you know, even some of you who appear to be experts in every subject! being rude etc just puts people off using the board. ;-(

Is Amyleigh for real????

What do you mean by that Freddie?

At 4 weeks the pup should still be with its mum and litter mates. They help teach it how to behave. Even if it was fully weaned it should NOT have been allowed to go. 7 weeks is the earliest I would personally let a pup go, but it will depend on the pup AND the would-be owners. Some pups just aren't ready, even at 8 weeks, which is the normal time for my pups to go to the new homes.

4 weeks is MUCH too early!! Your pup will not have been properly weaned or socialised at that age. The earliest is between 7 or 8 weeks, and for the small/toy breeds it can be up to 12 weeks.

liberty

I had no idea.The breeder called and said that the mother wouldn't have anything to do with the pups anymore,so she started them on puppy chow and told me to come get him.She's been doing this for awhile,so i trusted that she knew what she was doing.

You seem to have lots of questions about puppies and dogs in general, it's good that you're asking them, and taking on board the answers. May I suggest you buy 'The Perfect Puppy' by J.M. Evans and Kay White. It's got bags of information in, which you can read at your leisure. I bought my copy from Amazon.

Best wishes
liberty :)

That sounds like a good idea.I'll do that.Thanks

Think this member is experienced, she has shown GSD before and has an older BC so not sure about the questions but may be it a long while since she had a 4 week old puppy to cope with. Have to say it is not something I would take on unless I bred it.

Hey Jackie,think maybe that's why he digs all the time?

what type of puppy have you got?  I have a litter of retrievers at the moment and no way would they be able to cope.

Barbara

shih tzu

Sorry what on earth made me think it was a GSD - must be confusing you with someone else.

Yes, I was confusing you with someone else, as you pup is a small breed 4 weeks was at least 100% too young, what was the breeder thinking of, no wonder the pup is distressed and digging at the floor.

Mmm Jackie, I think I know who you are confusing Amyleigh with :rolleyes:  I'm sure she's gone now though ;)

liberty

Think you are correct liberty, can't think why I made that mistake.

Believe me, it's easily done so many questions....so many posters..........so many names

liberty ;)

Should that be "So few posters, so many names" Liberty? ;)

LOL :D :D

:D  :D Very true JG, it must be me age ;)

liberty

ice and a slice please ;)

amyleigh, you need to be very careful with this little pup it will need warmth/ 5 meals aday/ some of those need to be milky/ goats milk is best nice and warm/ food i would try NatureDiet mush it up so pup can eat a bit of it, do you have a crate if not i would get one and make a nice bed for it and it will be safe in there and you can put it into any room then lots of luck

This is what worries me about trying to housetrain him.I'm afraid it's too cold outside.But I don't him to make a habit of him going in the house.If I don't get him trained now,I know it will be harder once he is used to going in the house,but I don't want to kill him either.I could just strangle the breeder he came from!!

Hi Amyleigh!

You really are better off getting him used to going outside, even though he's a pup, he's still got a fur coat to keep him warm, when he pops out to do his business ;)
Remember, you're not leaving him out side for any length of time :)

Good Luck,  and don't give up :)

liberty ;)

Come on guys, I have had to home pups before I would like to before. Certainly not that young, but I once had a bitch become aggressive to her litter and thought that I would be doing the best thing for them to be homed, at the time they were 6wks old. They have all grown into happy well adjusted dogs.

I got my now 8 week old lab at 6 weeks and she just seemed so happy to be away from her litter mates. She is doing fantastic, is now almost fully paper trained (still get the odd wee and if i leave my bedroom door open she will poo under my bed) and knows all of the basic commands.

Debbie

I agree.  By 6 weeks old (bigger breeds) they are ready for constant human contact.  My pups always do fine and they are great with people in the future.  The first 6 weeks they are very well socialized with humans and their litter mates.

I believe that I've also just read a post further down from Snowtiger asking when is the right time to wean a litter!  If I was looking for a puppy, I think that I would take advice from breeders with knowledge and experience. ;)

<<but I once had a bitch become aggressive to her litter>>

What breed is this where the bitch become aggressive with the pups at or before 6 weeks, or is it common in several breeds.  Not suggesting it is the case with you but is this a management problem rather than a breed problem.  Yes, bitches become increasingly firm with the pups and it sounds aggressive but it is correction and that is why some of us say this 'correction' is needed as part of the pups education in canine manners, so much easier for the bitch to do it than us who only think we know the language and are poor replacement mothers.

Hi Jackie

Bitches in any breed can become aggressive to their young pups and this is not necessarily maternal discipline but "if you try suckling from me I will crush your head"  - literally!  I had a bitch like this - her dam and daughter were excellent mothers but she had to be separated from her pups (and promptly got mastitis).  Once her milk had gone and they could not feed from her she was excellent with them again.  No way would I have dreamed of parting with them early though as they learn so much from each other

Dear Val, yes, I am new to this board and I did ask about the best age to wean a litter. I don't realise that it shows my "inexperience", but I haven't bred in a while before this and wanted the opinion of other breeders, as the old memory isn't what it used to be.........so I must apologize for posting on a topic that I obviously am too "inexperienced" to know anything about.

Just not had the experience of it, but then only have that sort of experience of 4 different breeds none of whom behaved like that. Would chastise for attempted nursing after they were weaned by not to the extent that they would harm the pup, and the dam was given to opportunity to escape from the litter as and when they wished. But would soon dive back in if some discipline was required.

Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

Hi Amyleigh.....please look at the post "Why be rude" on this forum. 

I've been looking at it all morning!!

Now you do supprise me, Amyleigh I would never have thought that. Just shows you are never to old to learn how silly people can be ;)

 

Hi Kerioak, if we can return to the discussion in hand, was the bitch you were talking of a Dobe and if so is this common in the Dobe or was it one particular bitch. Don't know what other breeds you have knowledge of but is this common in some breeds or is it individual bitches. Have had clumsy bitches and laze bitches but never a nasty one so would be interested to know if it is breed specific of if it just individual bitches of any breed. Anyone advise.

I know you didn't ask the question of me Jackie.

But I do know that a friend of mine who has Min Bull Terriers dare not leave the side of the whelping box until the pups are at least 2 weeks old, and very often not until the bitch has weaned the pups. When the pups are weaned then she separates them, apart from supervised time with mum.

It is not all her bitch's but unfortunately until they have had the pups she never knows what their reaction will be.

On the other hand it doesn't seem to be hereditary, as one of her best mothers produced a bitch who was evil with her pups.  It goes without saying that when she has a bitch behave like this she never breeds from them again.

Jayne

Thanks Jayne, I know that some dams will kill or eat newly born pups but was surprised to hear that 4 & 5 week old pups would be attacked by their dam. Would like to know, as I said, if it is a breed specific thing or just individual bitches. If it is individual bitches are they aggressive anyway or only with their own pups. Would expect a bitch with eclampsia or mastitis to be wary or even agressive with the pup or if she was unwell, but it is a shock that it seems more common than the odd occurrence. Silly of me to ask a question at the end of a contentious but dead thread, may be have to start another thread at a latter date if I am to find out.

Hi Jackie

It was one of my bitches, she was wonderful to about two and a half weeks, good to three weeks and then I had to wean them pdq.  Once her milk had dried up she was fine again.

I have heard of this in one other (unrelated) Dobe, Basenji, Mongrel and GSD so I think it is individual bitches rather than breeds - bit like humans I suppose, some make better mothers than others.

the best time for a pup to leave his mother is beween 8 and 9 weeks

I think that this pup will have long gone to its new home - this thread is 19 months old!! :)