Puppy question to those experienced owners/breeders

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sunshineinme

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
1,234
Reaction score
5
Location
Surrey
Dear Geeks

Please don't shout at me for posting this here but I struggle with finding an honest advice

I put a deposit for a border collie pup but the person who's having puppies wants me to collect my pup when it's 6/7weeks old. I was told by him that's not too early at all.

I've read a lot and usually it's 8weeks to allow the pup to socialise, learn skills etc. so it must be with mum until then? What are your thought on this????

My worry is that if I don't collect the pup when they say so- which is after 6th or 7th week, The pup will be anyway on its own in the cage and separated from mum :( I don't want the pup to be emotionally affected by the early separation.

I tend to get easily paranoid over things (security issues tho!) and I just want someone's opinion if that's ok, not ok, too early? Not too early? To separate the pup from the mum x

Once the pups are born i will contact the person with my concerns but I want what's best for the little one and if they would anyway separate the mum from the pups then it's better if we take it earlier, isn't it?

So many thought in my head! Ehhhh
 
It's a tricky one because if you're certain that 8 weeks is the ideal then that's that (i'm not sure myself).

Think of it this way, if the owner will let the pup go early then they will let it go early whether that be to you or someone else. I would say that you sound like someone who will give the pup a good home and that's what matters.
 
Dear Geeks

Please don't shout at me for posting this here but I struggle with finding an honest advice

I put a deposit for a border collie pup but the person who's having puppies wants me to collect my pup when it's 6/7weeks old. I was told by him that's not too early at all.

I've read a lot and usually it's 8weeks to allow the pup to socialise, learn skills etc. so it must be with mum until then? What are your thought on this????

My worry is that if I don't collect the pup when they say so- which is after 6th or 7th week, The pup will be anyway on its own in the cage and separated from mum :( I don't want the pup to be emotionally affected by the early separation.

I tend to get easily paranoid over things (security issues tho!) and I just want someone's opinion if that's ok, not ok, too early? Not too early? To separate the pup from the mum x

Once the pups are born i will contact the person with my concerns but I want what's best for the little one and if they would anyway separate the mum from the pups then it's better if we take it earlier, isn't it?

So many thought in my head! Ehhhh


My personal opinion is its far too early. 8weeks I would say is the earliest.
If you really feel unhappy about it you could say you arent able to take it at the 6/7 week mark because you wont be at home but then again if all the others are going at the same age then it wont make much of a difference.
You may not be able to change the breeders mind, If thats what age they rehome there isnt much you can do about it. I'm sure whatever age you collect it will have a good home with you though x
 
Dear Geeks

Please don't shout at me for posting this here but I struggle with finding an honest advice

I put a deposit for a border collie pup but the person who's having puppies wants me to collect my pup when it's 6/7weeks old. I was told by him that's not too early at all.

I've read a lot and usually it's 8weeks to allow the pup to socialise, learn skills etc. so it must be with mum until then? What are your thought on this????

My worry is that if I don't collect the pup when they say so- which is after 6th or 7th week, The pup will be anyway on its own in the cage and separated from mum :( I don't want the pup to be emotionally affected by the early separation.

I tend to get easily paranoid over things (security issues tho!) and I just want someone's opinion if that's ok, not ok, too early? Not too early? To separate the pup from the mum x

Once the pups are born i will contact the person with my concerns but I want what's best for the little one and if they would anyway separate the mum from the pups then it's better if we take it earlier, isn't it?

So many thought in my head! Ehhhh

Try getting in touch with your local vet and ask their opinion and if it is 8 weeks (which I'm sure is the earliest they should be separated)then you can explain to the owner your concerns and reasons for not wanting to take the pup any earlier.
Hope this helps
Lynn
 
Hi there, I've worked with dogs for 5 years now as a trainer. I have two myself and took my German shepherd home at 6 weeks. It's fine to do so as long as you are prepared to be 'mum' meaning 24/7 attention and care. My boy is 10 months now and such a mummy's boy which is due to being bought home at that age. If you're prepared to play mum then go for it :) it really helps training wise to have that strong bond :)
 
I'm definitely not an expert....my "surprise" puppy arrived and I have been on a steep learning curve, helped by lovely Geeks on here.
Anyway, Elsie arrived at 10 weeks old. She was bred within a family home, and was the first of the litter to go. I have been told that the reason I have found her great to house-train is because she was trained up by her Mum to go outside for a wee.
Hope all goes well!
 
Hi, that is very early at 6/7 weeks but that's what some people do ! All I can say is the advice given is great and the pup will need a huge amount of care and attention ( even more than normal).

Keep us updated as I would love to know how you get on x
 
8 weeks is the earliest a pup should leave its mum and litter mates, weeks 6-8 are very important in there development stage and removing them before then can cause problems when they grow up. X :)
 
I cannot thank you all enough for your help, advice and support!

I will speak to the breaded once the puppies are born but I have very little control over his decisions. At the end of the day he can say yes but do whatever he wants.

I will take on board all you've said and will keep you updated.

Pups are due on 8-12th June and I hope that doggy mum will teach the pups all what's important before I get my little boy/girl!

Xxx
 
At the end of the day you will have to take the pub at 7 weeks or let it go to someone else the only reason for not taking the pup early is so the mum and littler mates can teach how to play nice most pup are on dry food by 4/5 weeks. I took but newest Labrador at 7 weeks and she fine. The only think you might find is that they are a bit bittey as the mum hasn't taught them no to bite but u can teach them not to do this and they don't have big teach at that age. My view is if the breeder is irresponsible enough to let them go to early they are better with you at 6 weeks than with them.

Get the pup on a god food like Origen
Get her wormed with vet wormer. As they prob haven't bothered.
 
I personally would find a breeder I'm happy with. You're taking a dog into your home and your lives for - hopefully - at least a dozen years so I think it's really important to go to a reputable breeder who you can trust. A decent breeder will grill you to make sure you're a suitable owner! Not fob their puppies off at the earliest opportunity.
 
We've recently bred chihuahua pups and done lots of research. I found smaller dogs tend to leave mum at 8-10weeks as they take longer to develop at the start, but bigger dogs go at around 7 weeks. To be honest even with the weeny pups we had by 6 weeks mum had had enough. She didn't need to feed them and other than breaking up the odd fight she used to just sit back and watch them. I let the chi pups go at 9 weeks but if i did it again i would have let them go a week or so earlier. You really need to feel comfortable with the breeder, they can do so much good or so much damage in the early weeks. For example one of my dogs (mummy of the pups) was a nightmare when we got her, she barked, chewed, peed and pooed. The pups we bred though all left toilet trained to pads, eating well and not biting. Also it ostensibly good to request to see both mum and dad. Lots of things to consider but enjoy your pup when you get him or her.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using SalonGeek
 
Hi

I'm no expert

I've read that 8 weeks is about right

Having said that we got ours at 7 - I would have had her earlier lol (being a bit ignorant then) but the lady said 7 was absolutely the earliest she was happy with

But I do know of cases where, particularly if the mummy dog is not being very nice to the puppies, they leave her earlier and to my knowledge they have been ok

One thing I would do, if you can, is to ask the breeder to pop a blanket or something in with the mummy dog for a few days to pick up the scent, your puppy can then bring that away and have mum's scent for comfort. We did this with our dog and I think it helped with the separation.

Don't forget to post piccies when you get your puppy!

Good luck xx
 
I brought my dog home at 6 weeks old & she was fine. I was with her 24/7 though. She has grown into a beautiful, well adjusted girl & all is good.
 
If you think about it, a lot of babies and children don't get the very best absolutely recommended start in life

but they usually become well adjusted toddlers unless there's something quite extreme

don't worry too much, you're going to love your puppy so much I'm sure it will be very happy x
 
Hi ya haven't read through all this post, i had 9 border collie puppies which i kept 3 of them so now have 5 of my own ,no way would i have let them leave their mum at 6 weeks , their just not ready in my opinion.
I hope its not another breeder just not caring about the pups and only seeing £££
 
I'm not an expert at all, but we got our collie/Labrador puppy when she was only 5 weeks old... The man was looking rid of them all :-(

She's been absolutely fine, really healthy, really social and friendly. At the start, she cried during the night, but we just fed her and put her back to bed.

Hope you get sorted!! Xx
 
Hi, I agree with a couple of the earlier posters. All the books will tell you not to collect a pup before 8 weeks. We got our lab at 6-7 weeks and I was concerned about that for the same reasons as you. Like someone else said we had problems with him biting and nipping for a few weeks but he might have done this anyway, we can't be sure. We trained him really well, made sure we toilet trained him right away and were with him lots for the first few weeks. I can honestly say he's a brilliant, brilliant dog. So much so that if I had to I wouldn't think twice about taking a pup that early again. I'd take a lot of convincing that it had caused him any problems.

Good luck with your pup, there's tons of advice available out there if and when you have any concerns/problems! PGx
 
Hi there,
I could set out pros and cons, as there are 2 types of breeders, we got our first dog from 1 type and the 2nd from the other type..But you have paid a deposit so you are going to have your pup, buy a couple of blankets, could be cheap ones from pound shop... Have them in your bed for a few nights and then visit the breeder take them and let them be with the mother just before you collect your pup.. This helps with the settling in - I would do this around a week before.
Then both smells are on them for the bed....
And enjoy.. Try not to be too soft though as you will only be asking for tips on an uncontrollable doggy😊
Keep me posted x
 
Hi there, I've worked with dogs for 5 years now as a trainer. I have two myself and took my German shepherd home at 6 weeks. It's fine to do so as long as you are prepared to be 'mum' meaning 24/7 attention and care. My boy is 10 months now and such a mummy's boy which is due to being bought home at that age. If you're prepared to play mum then go for it :) it really helps training wise to have that strong bond :)
I agree, if you are prepared to be mum it will be OK, am I right in thinking that the pup will be separated from it's mum anyway at 7 weeks old if you don't take it ?

It would be much better for the pup to be with you than in a cage on it's own. They are intelligent dogs and need a lot of mental stimulation as well as exercise if not they become bored and can be pain in the bum :) but so marvelous if well socialized. You can do it !

Let us know how you get on.

I have 2 rescue dogs one was NOT socialized as a pup and was in rescue kennels 4 times before he was one year old. We got him from the RSPCA and he had been there for over a month.:cry:
We had a hard time at first with fear aggression but now he is a big baby. Love him to bits. He turns 7 years old in June so he has been with us for 6 years now. The point is a pup in a cage on its own a young age can cause problems later. It needs a loving home to help it be the best dog it can be.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top