Best age to adopt an OES Puppy
Normally we are told they can be adopted at about 8 weeks old. However, we have also been told that staying w/ the mother an additonal 2 weeks is very important for a dogs socialization development. Is there any solid info about what the best age (# of weeks) is to remove an OES puppy from its mother? Our 3 other OSE, years ago, were all a year old or more and we want this puppy adoption to start at the dogs best age. Thanks for the help. Richard McP - Bellevue, WA |
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| For years people were told it was OK to get puppies at 6 weeks. Now the belief is another 4 weeks with Mom and siblings teaches the pups about social behavior. Of course it depends on the breeder. If they really don't care about the pups and want the bitch dried up quickly so she can be bred again, they will push the pups out quickly. A breeder who cares about the pups and the breed will use those four weeks to introduce the pups to as many different circumstances as possible: different types of "ground" e.g. grass, wood, dirt, house floors, etc. Also the pups will be outside, inside and maybe early crate training.....tho latter not so much. The pups will learn how to play and how to back off. The more the pups learns in the safety of it's litter and mum, the better. By 9 or 10 weeks, 8 in some cases, the pups are ready to bond with a new family. I'm glad to hear you are thinking they need to mature a bit more before joining your home, let's hope the breeder understands this and works with the pups, not just let them linger in a dirty pen for another few weeks. |
| Hi Richard, A new puppy in your home soon! I know you probably are very excited to get the little one into your home..it really is hard to wait. I don't know what the best age is to bring a pup home. I do know that having just lived through it, our Howie was terrible from 8 - 10 weeks old. He did not sleep, he bit us constantly, our arms were raw...he was very cute and fun, but when he attacked it was scary. It sounds silly to say that about a tiny creature, but it was not an easy 2 weeks. We got his wild behavior under control, but I often wondered if he had of stayed a little longer with his mum and siblings would he have been better for it? I have no answers, except to say, lucky you getting a puppy! And of course we love to see photos, peg & pup howie |
| Congratulations on your future Furry Baby!! We are not "Breeders" per say. Our Scout and Edmond have had some "Love Puppies" I like to keep them until they are 11 or 12 weeks old. That way they have had their second shots, been wormed and Mom has had a chance to work on Socialization and potty training. I think if you wait you will have a much happier, healthier, more well behaved and less scared puppy. Obviously this is just my opinion, but it has worked out well for us  |
| I'm not a breeder but I'll offer another perspective, a friend who is a vet says to get you puppy at 8 weeks old as 8-12 weeks is called the critical socialisation period. She says that's when puppies bond really well with their new owners. I dont know how much science there is behind any of these ideas but I do know that there are lots of different perspectives out there. |
| Well, I've gotten puppies at all different ages. My 1st OES was 14 weeks old when we got her & she adjusted just fine with my boys as they were growing up. My 2nd OES was 17 weeks old & she adjusted just fine although by that time the boys were grown & gone & she attached herself to me from day 1. She was my 1st show dog & she was definitely top dog once we started having multiple dogs. My 3rd OES was 2-1/2 years old & a finished CH when she came to live with us. Here again, no problem. My 4th OES was a male & 11 weeks old when we got him. No problem bonding at all. He belongs to everyone. My 5th OES..........I started seeing her at 24 hours of age, she came to stay with us for 2-3 weeks at a time starting at 5 months & finally "moved on in" at 11 months. She is probably the easiest going of all my dogs. And my 6th OES I started seeing at 24 hours of age, he went to live with my son at 10 weeks, came for 2-3 week visits periodically here & moved in permanently at 15 months of age. There again, no problem. They all bonded & adjusted to the family routine easily. A lot will have to do with the pedigree as well as how long they stay with mom & their litter. My ideal is to place puppies at 12 weeks of age. Although in some cases they won't be with mom this entire time, they will be with their littemates & some older dogs that teach them alot as far as where they are on the totem pole. |
| Due to timing and schedules, we had to pick up Mady when she was just 8 weeks old, but she is such a wonderful, well socialized dog. We did have a top-notch breeder (Blueshire/Amber on these forums) who did a lot to expose her to cars/people/kids etc. She was crate-trained the first night, she had the basics of house-training down within 48 hours, and she has grown into a big puppy (9 months now) who is superb with babies/people/dogs/cats/sheep/vets/grooming etc. Our biggest problem was puppy nipping the first 4-6 weeks. But I think that's pretty normal for all puppies, and the nipping and any other small issues were more due to Mady being our first dog, and us having had absolutely zero experience with puppies before. So if we were to get another puppy, I would have no hesitation about getting one at 8 weeks again. They grow up too fast...  |
| I think the only wrong age is less than eight weeks, but there's a wide range of right answers. We got our first (BRANDON) at fifteen weeks (he was a "leftover"...boy did we hit the jackpot with him) and he did great. Housebroken the first night, and eager to please. Then we got two littermates (Portage and ThePas) at eight weeks...they were a handful (two at once) but a delight. People said two would not bond with us, they'd be too obsessed with each other. These guys loved each other, and bonded with us beautifully. One was even MINE! All our dogs have always loved Daddy best, except one of these guys. ThePas was my heart and soul. We got our current boy (Hudson/Evil Puppy) at ten weeks. The breeder said he kept him the two weeks longer because he had to fly to us. The breeder turned out to be a horrible man (and pretty much runs a sheepie mill at this point - I've had to stop counting the number of litters listed on his web site per year...it's horrific) and I sincerely doubt that he did anything FOR Hudson. I suspect that since Hudson was so tiny (I'm sure the word runt applies) he kept him longer so we would not notice his tiny stature as much. Well, we did notice, and he's turned out to be a loving and wonderful dog NOW. For his first year and three quarters he was almost impossible to live with...destructive, crazy, not always pleasant etc. Would have been nice to get him at 20 months to be honest, and miss that stage! Of course we loved him to pieces all along...we just had to work a little harder at it. (Now he's the sweetest, nicest, cuddliest pup...I've no idea what switch went off, but I am sooooooooooo grateful it did.) We adopted Rudy in January, and he was a year or so...we don't know. He's been a joy. At this age, however, it's been tough to get the housebreaking down. He's had a year of not having to be, so things are going slowly (and I'd love to say but surely, but I just can't yet). It's been great starting with someone more grown up, and we're very happy with him. Can't imagine life without Rudy. So, I guess my answer is it's all good. If you start with the eight week old puppy and work hard on experiences and socialization (we've always done that, no matter what the age) things will likely be just fine. If you get someone older, do the same thing. If you go significantly older you may have to unteach some things, but it's all doable. The bottom line is, there's no such thing as the wrong time...it's a sheepie. They're always a good choice!!! Good luck. |
kfb wrote: ...We are not "Breeders" per say. Our Scout and Edmond have had some "Love Puppies" .... Huh????   |
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