Hi,
    Does anyone know how old a flatcoated retriever has to be before leaving the mother.

              Many thanks   

8 WEEKS

8 weeks is the recommended age.  I would be very suspicious of ANY breeder that let their puppies go at under 7 weeks or even worse sold at 6 weeks.  We have sometimes let a puppy go at just over 7 weeks depending on the puppy and the owner.
Becky

Thanks its just we've got a close friend thats a vet and she told us that we could recive the pup at 6 weeks.

                                         Thanks

I wouldn't let one of mine go at 6 weeks, not that they couldn't be self sufficient, but because the Dam and sibblings teach them so much "doggy" communication that's invaluble to them in the outside world!

It is usually only the "commercial" breeders that let their puppies go at 6 weeks.  They do this in order to make more profit.

I love them best at the 6 to 8 week stage - they are really starting to establish their characters and I love to watch them all play together.  It is the best age in my opinion.  If I had my way all our puppies would stay until 12 weeks (or more) - i hate it when they go!

Becky

Well we already have a flatcoated retriever and we had her at 12 weeks only because the breeder wanted to keep her but we had our own way and she pines for another dog so we are in the middle of going down that road but had to find out what age most people let them go.

                                           

You will love having a flatcoat puppy!  What is her breeding - ie sire and dam?  Is she Black or liver?

Becky

well the one i have already she is 18 months and black but the one we are hopefully getting is a boy liver, where we live there was not 1 flatcoated retriever to be seen now because of our jesse theres loads so many people just love them and we are so pleased with her.

                                                              Thanks

Have fun with your new boy!

I let mine go at some time between 7 and 8 weeks,certainly never before.   I do a little puppy attitude 'test' at 7 weeks exactly to help me pick the most suitable pup for the new owners, and for myself, of course.

Homing at 6 weeks smacks far to much of commercialism for me.

Occasionally, with a really experienced owner, I would let a pup go soon after this, but if I'm not quite sure which to keep myself, I appreciate having extra time to choose.    Mind you, being born under the sign of Libra makes me totally non-committal and sit-on-the-fence by nature, so I should really keep them all to make quite sure I haven't made a mistake!!  :-) :-)

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

What date Jo ???
From
fellow Libra Polly

29 September, Polly - Michaelmas Day.

Jo x

Another flatcoat owned libran here - and I share my birthday with Ella's breeder and collected her on that day (hows that for coincidence!).

We picked Ella up at seven and a half weeks when our breeder decided the pups were ready to benefit from individual attention (and I do recall her referring to them as little thugs!).  It was pure luck it was my birthday as well, we would certainly not have been allowed to take her before our breeder thought she was ready.

The only thing I wanted to add to this query was that the book The Perfect Puppy which is often recommended on here (and is very good in most things) suggests the optimum time is six weeks and certainly not more than eight weeks.  Most people who write on this forum disagree with this (I think) but it must be confusing for some prospective puppy owners who are only trying to do the right thing.

Best wishes and good luck with your new puppy when you find him.
Alex

Have we hit upon something weird here.......?   How many Librans own Flatcoats?    Is it part of the job spec to have a balanced view on life, and try to pass it onto our dogs?

Any other Libran flatcoat people please hold their hands up!

(Sorry, Admin, way off topic, but we probably answered the guest already!)

Jo

1&th October Libran Jo & Treacle.

Getting spooky eh? lol 

Perhaps it is because we can't make up our minds so the flatcoat clever little thing that it is does it for us!!! :-D

Have any of you owned a flatcoat libran? I have and he was a lovely boy, so biddable it was easy working with him.

Bit like their owners eh?   Little Albert is 7th October, so maybe that's auspicious!

Jo

I keep reading 'libran' as 'librarian' ... gives a surreal image!

Jo, can you cope with any more spooky-ness??  Holding my hand up!! ;)

But to achieve true balance, do you think I need another Flatcoat in the family? :D

I am a flatcoat owner with 6month old puppy gorgeous, and yes I to am a Libran.

Now I know where I went wrong. I'm Aries and dont have one! :p

This really is getting spooky.

Never mind John, maybe we can change your birth sign by deed poll or something!

Jo

no  i am a pisces,
wispa a virgo
brie a sagittarius
teyha  a aries
blue a gemini
gollie a scorpio
and guess what chase is a libra

i have a book on dog horoscopes.

We knew that you'd have to be different Terri :d

that why every likes me beacuse i am different and off my head at times,
any way that gollie still not come into season yet,i think you sold me a dog that as battiers in her,so lay back no care in the world,just people keep ring me to see if she been in season yet,no only two in 3years and 3 months.

There - you see JG - Terri is the librarian that you were waiting for  with her book on dog horoscopes!!!
Wonder  what it says about Libra then Terri?

Jo

Wanting flatcoats was the only thing in my life I think I have been absolutely sure about and not needed help making up my mind!  I think us librans like beautiful things and there's nothing more beautiful than a wet wagging flatcoat. lol

I'm an Aquarian Flatcoat owner, but Aquarius is an Air sign like Libra :D

liberty :)

bloody hell john,thats why we keep clashing!!!...fellow aries here!!!! we are too alike!!!!!!

Warlike bu**ers arn't we! ;)

its hell at work cos my boss is one too! god we can scrap but he likes me really!!!!!!!

i feel i "get" you abit more now! ;)

Thing is, we both have the dog's best interest at heart but as in all thing, there's more than one way of doing things and we both have our favourite methods. I rarely get to really watch obedience these days because I'm tied up on other things. About the last time I had the chance was at the Flatcoat and the Golden Open Shows a couple of years back. For quite a few years I used to steward at the Aylesbury club's obedience show but not had time recently.

Best wishes, John

i keep meaning to get to aylesbury but it keeps clashing!

Back in the old days we often invited guest instructors to the club in order to get other people's ideas. The then instructor at Aylesbury, (I believe he still works obedience) was one. We also aranged "Handlers" courses, often a six week course run at weekends, such people as Paddy Burn, John Singlton and the like. You may remember my old mentor from when I first started, the late Andy Anderson, judged Crufts obedience some time in the 80's. He did the regional one year and was then going to do the "C" but had a heart attack. I think it was about two years later when he finally got to judge it. Another judge you may remember was Vern Stevens. He started at the club around the same time as me. From time to time if he was short of a steward I used to fill in for him.

Regards, John