Hello

For a medium sized breed, what are the disadvantages of not getting a pup until it's 12/13 weeks old?

Thanks

Char

Only the fact that they seem to go through a very suspicious and some what fearful stage at about that time.

A lot depends on how the breeder has reared it. If it has been in the house getting housetrained and used to the hoover, the washing machine, people coming and going, and socialised as it should be, had its injections, partly lead trained etc etc, just as a puppy should be at that age, then there will be little problem. If however it has been out in a kennel, isolated from real life, the new owner will have their work cut out.

The optimum period for socialising and habituating a puppy is between 8 & 12 weeks of age.  Of course this needs to continue until they are at least a year old to remain benificial. 

So it would very much depend on what the breeder has done in the way of socialising the pup.
Sally

I know that in my breed you could have quite a few problems as they need to be socialised between the 8 and 12 week period but all breeds are different.

I kept a puppy until it was 12 weeks due to the new owners holiday commitments, and there was no problem, but I treated her as my own new puppy, with the normal socialisation, getting used to collar and lead and noises etc. If the breeder has done this, fair enough, but if a few of the litter are still left at 12 weeks old and no action has been taken to do any house training etc. I would say that you will have to accept that that it will take longer to socialise and housetrain than if you got the pup at 7 or 8 weeks. 

Not getting into an argument here but all of my pups are treated as if they are my own at no matter what age they go, it's just unfortunate that my breed become attatched to one person so if you left it that long it does cause a problem.

Your best thing to do is find out about the breed.  Our Pomeranian's which are of course a small breed don't go until they are about 12 weeks old.

i think its alot better to buy at this age because the dogs spent longer with its litter its more socalised alot of the timr take a dog at 6 weeks it will be agressive

I agree.  Puppies left longer with their litters are less likely to have problems with dog aggression.   As long as the pups are being properly socialised with people, in a good enviroment, are exposed to the typical sights and sounds of day-to-day life with people, no problem.

Stacey

One thing to bear in mind is that puppies who have lots of interaction with humans are more likely to grow up prefering the company of people and those that spend lots of time with other dogs, especially after the age of 8 weeks are likely to prefer the company of other dogs.  I have both types in my group and I know which I prefer.
Sally

Hi,

I got my pup (Bullmastiff) at 13 weeks due to holiday commitments and have had virtually no problems. He is well socialised, has a wonderful temperament and adapted to our household instantly, but he did have a wonderful breeder who spent alot of time with the pups. The only slight problem is that it did take longer to housetrain, but that may have been the case anyway as he is such a lazy beggar.
Regards
Jan

I'm afraid I rather take exception to the comments regarding aggression. A pup being homed at eight weeks is not automatically aggressive, and I think its rather misleading to suggest it is. All breeds are different, and many NEED to be in their new homes at around 8 weeks. My last litter (apart from the one previously mentioned) was homed at  8 weeks and NONE of them are  aggressive. 

My Spanish go at 7 weeks if they were to go at 12 weeks their could be problems with aggression.  We've got to remember not to generalise here, as a number of us have already said all breeds are different, what suits one doesn't another.

I picked my pup up at 11 weeks and she was brill.  She had been introduced to the lead and other dogs - and two of her sisters were still around until 11 weeks too so I guess she learnt some valuable social skills as our trainer say's she is the best mannered pup she has met for a long time ;)  She came from a busy household and her breeder also ran a boarding kennel and groomers so dogs were always coming and going - The property was also by the side of the A37 so Lana was very familiar with the sound of traffic!
Oh - Almost forgot...She was an absolute bugger to housetrain as she was outside most of the day with her sisters, so i guess when she needed to she just went.  It took a good two weeks just for her to get the idea at one point I could have pulled my hair out :rolleyes: but we got there in the end!!!

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies.

I haven't asked the breeder yet if she will agree to keep the dog on for me, I've worked it out that (if everything goes to plan!) I should be able to get it when it is 11 weeks old. My obedience trainer has said that she could always look after the pup for me, for those 3 weeks (ie between 8wks and 11wks) but I thought it would be better for the pup to stay in one place rather than be moved around. Is that a good or bad thing to do?

If the breeder does agree to keep the pup until 11 weeks, how much should I be expecting to pay her in the way of boarding fees?

Thanks,

Char

I would say a good breeder will agree to keep the puppy if possible (ie breeders own commitments permitting). Certainly I would avoid moving it to a "temperary" home during that time, as it would be very upsetting for the pup.

Hello again (another question lololol).

If the breeder kept the pup for me, for an extra 3-4 weeks, and didn't socialise it as much as it should have been, would it from then on always be a nervous pup, or if I spent the next couple of months doing absolutely loads of socialising with it, would it turn out okay?

Thanks

Char

The socialisation window closes at 16 weeks therefore it is imperative that dogs have sufficient contact with other dogs, animals, people, experiences in order that it does not grow up into a windy adult

Many years ago when my husband and I bought our first house after living in a flat the first thing we did was buy a dog, a cocker spaniel bitch, she stayed with the breeder until 12 weeks until the day we actually moved in.  She had never seen the inside of a house, as was most common in those days, and from 8 to 12 weeks lived entirely in a run on her own although she was able to see other dogs in their runs.  I went and picked her up while my husband coped with the removal men :) and she and I spent the day in the courtyard of the new house.  That night she slept quietly in the kitchen and I was astonished to find a dry floor, although she wasn't housetrained she picked it up quickly during the day and always settled down at night and seemed to sleep too well to bother peeing.  She grew into the most layed back, gentle dog, politely friendly to dogs and humans by far the easiest of any dog I have owned since.  It may have just been in her nature but maybe not having anyone respond to her beck and call during those formative weeks taught her to take things as they come, I'm no expert I just thought I would share my experience with you.

If socialisation is carried out by the breeder early then even if the pup is isolated later, and the basic temperament is sound the pup will be fine as long as the new owner continues with socialisation.

Two examples from personal expereince. 

In Nov 98 I bred a litter one of whom was destined to be exp[orted to a fellow breeder in Australia.  Now the export regulations required vaccination and blood tests at certain intervals, which mant pup would not go until 14 1/2 weeks of age.  It would then undergo a Months Quarantine in Australia, so no normal life in new home until 19 weeks.

Now knowing this I started carrying this puppy everywhere I went (more so than it's littermates who would get the normal amount of socialisation, taking out to see traffic etc).  By the time she was ready to go (this was before the new early vaccinations, so no on ground walking until 13 weeks) I was taking her about in a holdall, with ther head poking out as she was so heavy.

She di her month solitary in OZ, and then had to face another flight (they have government run Quaratine Stations, only two of them), this was on top of the 30= hour flight originally.

They got her off the plane and took her for a wee.  she was running up to anyone that would talk to her.  This was Easter Monday, and she went to her first show the Saturday, and won Best Baby Puppy in Show(4 to 6 months).

The second experience is of a puppy imported to Uk at 9 1/2 weeks where he spent 6 months in Quarantine.  I visited him 3 times a wekk, bringing in a Radio st to Talk channels, then Loud Music etc.

His breeder had playsed noise tapes to thelitter, taken them visiting to freinds with kids etc, for maximum socialisation.  the only thing they wouldn't have had too much experiuence of was heavy traffic, but luckily the Quarantine kennel block faced the road, with only a hedge between, and lots of different vehicles, including farm machinery went up and down daily.

Pup went to an Open show 3 days out of Quarantine where we his owners expected him to be overawed and diffident.  He couldn't stop saying hello to anyone who would talk to him, human or canine, despite spending the last half of his Quarantine next door to two rather noisy GSD.

It of course took a while to housetrain and teach him house manners.  He basically had the mind of a 9 week old and body of a 8 month old.