4 week old puppy
As he was telling me this, a horrified expression came over my face...he had no idea that this was waaaayyyy too young to be seperated from the mother... What is done is done, he is keeping this puppy...but what advice can I give him to help this puppy have a ''somewhat'' normal life....I told him that she may turn out to be neurotic, sickly etc..... Help....I have no idea what advice to give him for this tiny girl.... |
|
|
That is terrible and very sad for the puppy and the mother. 
I don't think there is very much advice you can give except to feed it properly and after she has all her vaccinations to socilise her with other pups. As she has been taken away so young she won't have social skills. What sort of dog is she? It's sad that people can do this to animals. Lets hope that she is ok and doesn't suffer in the long term. |
| Robert tole me that she is a german sheperd/chow mix |
| I'd have the pup vet checked... make sure he does the scheduled
worming/vaccinations that a responsible breeder would have done. Honestly, I'm not sure what the appropriate schedule is... the vet can tell him. As soon as the vet says this pup can interact with other HEALTHY pups (the key is "healthy" because of parvo, etc... by NO means do I mean a dog park or PetSmart!!!), get the pup exposed to youngsters close to his age. I'd get him out a few times a week IF the benefits outweigh the risks. The pup may be able to learn some bite inhibition and proper doggie behavior in a situation like that. The humans imitating basic mother dog behavior may also be helpful. We raised a 5 week old (?) orphaned pup. http://oesusa.com/Meesha-Maggie/Meesha.htm BUT I'm not a professional... maybe call a trainer to see what they advise. They should know dogs best. |
| Oh that is so sad 4 weeks old.
I agree with jaci, straight to the vets, well due for a worming then back at 6 weeks for vaccinations. Again at 12 then 16 weeks for the final lot. No outside in the public till all vaccinations are completed. The vet will also give a worming schedule for the baby as well. But due now for a first worming. Potty outside in the yard, no where else at the moment. Too young to be away from it's mom, they are still suckling on there mom on and off at that age. I would get a milk formula from the vets and make sure it has at least 2 milk meals a day as well as 2 kibble puppy growth meals a day too. Soak the kibble for about 1/2 hour so it is soft for the pup to eat and digest. So at the moment the pup should be on 4 meals a day. Socialisation at such a young age is hard as they are not allowed out in the big wide wonderful world at the moment. Just tell them to get the whole family involved in playing, touching and cuddling the pup inside as much as possible. If the family members have been out and about, before they interact with the pup, take there shoes off and wash there hands, you never know what they might trample inside as far as bugs are concerned from being out and about. When he takes the pup to the vets, tell him to nurse it the whole time, not to put pup on the floor as it could pick up anything at that age and who knows how many anti-bodies the pup has got from it's mom for protection. Hope it all works out OK. |
| I would do my hardest to find a nursing mom somewhere, or at least a young litter around the same age that the pup can hang out with for the next 4 weeks. ...Then bring it home....
A shelter might know of one... |
| You can safely begin to socialize a young puppy, well, not at four weeks but by 8 weeks. by putting them in the car and driving around and letting them see and hear the world a bit without their feet ever touching the outside...a school yard is a great place...so is a shopping center...hld them on your lap with the window open and they can see and hear all the different sounds... |
| My mother found a kitten about taht age several years ago. she was told to give him skin to skin time. Whether it help his metal stablity is questionable, he weight 20 pounds not and is a bully. He is an affectional cat, but does not like change. |
| IMHO if any pup needs good socialization it a GSD/Chow mix. I agree with all the posts regarding this. |
lisaoes wrote: I agree with jaci, straight to the vets, well due for a worming then back at 6 weeks for vaccinations. Again at 12 then 16 weeks for the final lot.
Sorry Lisa, I must comment here. That is absolutely a bad idea for a schedule. There is some controversy over just when to start vaccines, whether it is 6 weeks, 7 or 8 weeks etc... but it will still have maternal antibodies, they only recieve those at birth and in the first 24 hours so it doesn't matter how young it is taken from Mom in terms of immunity. The biggest argument I have with that suggested schedule however is the 6 week interval between first and second vaccine. If the second vaccine is not given within 4 weeks of the first, it is just like starting over and the pup will need an additional vaccine to aquire full immunity. The first 3 puppy shots should be 3 to 4 weeks apart, any longer and they are useless. |
That's interesting stacey might have to talk to you there about that, that is the protocal here for puppy immunisations.  |
George wrote: IMHO if any pup needs good socialization it a GSD/Chow mix. I agree with all the posts regarding this.
This is exactly what I was thinking. This puppy is starting out with everything working against her from the get-go. Socializing her by taking her out and about is great for her getting comfortable with the human world. Many of us live with or have lived with a dog that is dog-aggressive, and that is a real pain....Mainly this is a result of improper socializing with other dogs while under 5 months old....Especially, up to 8 to 10 weeks. This puppy needs to interact with other puppies....NOW...to learn how to be a dog...And the two breeds she comprises of are already not known for being easy going with strage dogs. This has so much potential for being a nightmare for your installer friend to have to deal with. |
| hmph. i wouldve called the police on this idiot! its illegal to sell puppies before 8 weeks in most states |
Quote: This puppy is starting out with everything working against her from the get-go.
The 5 week old little brat that we adopted is a Schipperke-mix. They are known to be loyal watch dogs, distrusting of strangers, confident and vermin-killers. She's exactly what they say. Depending on the breed, you may start out with a big challenge inside that little furry suit. This does not mean that the dog is automatically doomed however... other factors enter into the equation and more work is required. |
Poor pup!! I hope it works out well  |
| My brother came home one day to find that his fiancee had accidentally adopted a 4 week old pup from her office at work. (long story!)
Now the dog is about 2 years old, and is the most annoying dog I have ever met. They were not real good about getting him socialized, and it shows. He is very needy..will lick you to death....and when he plays with another dog that is even the tad bit dominant...he pees in submission. This pup really needs to be around other dogs. If I were you, when the pup got the go ahead from the vet, I would intro him to my dogs at least. Depending on how your friend does with this pup for the next few weeks, he/she may have a very long haul with this dog as it gets older. |
| Darcy - Is there any news on this puppy? How is he doing? |
Lil Walty wrote: hmph. i wouldve called the police on this idiot! its illegal to sell puppies before 8 weeks in most states
I think it was a free puppy at the grocery store thing. Like a guy with a box. I think that pretty much tells you what kind of person that was. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|