Kingdom of Pets

Posted by crazycrayonmom
Oct 30, 2009

We brought home our little boy this last weekend. He'll be 6 weeks old this Friday. I was worried about bringing him home at such a young age but since he was weaned for the last week and I was really ready to add another member to our family we decided to bring Puddles/George/Nipper (we haven't decided on a name yet) home.

So after 5 days with us he already goes to the door and whines and scratches when he needs to go potty! I've house trained 4 other dogs and this is a first for me. We crate train and since both my husband and I work from home he does get to go out quite frequently. Maybe I'm prejudiced but, by golly, I think he's a genius!

Posted by kjd
Oct 30, 2009

Of course he is!

May I point out that dogs (and cats) are a lot smarter than we are. Don't believe me? Well, who has to go to work, clean up, get the food? Who gets to sleep late, has food delivered, doesn't worry about the dirt?

All the best to Puddle/George/Nipper (Einstein?).

kjd

Posted by LetsPlay
Nov 1, 2009

Hi there,
congratulations, sounds like you have a lovely dog. Some dogs are quick learners and others are slightly slower. It's great that he knows the potty rules already.
One thing that worried me when I read your post is the age you got him with.
He must have been 5 weeks when you picked him up? That is way too young for a puppy to leave his mother and siblings. The weaning isn't the biggest deal, the socialization is. The rule is that a puppy should not be removed from his litter before week 8 because the bite inhibition isn't taught properly until week 7 (by the mother and other siblings). This means that dogs that have been removed too early often take a lot longer to learn that nibbling on peoples hands (which is not cute once they get their adult teeth) is really not okay.
You will need to make sure that he gets a lot of contact with other puppies, preferable on a daily basis. Perhaps take him to a puppy school where he can play with others. It is really important to socialize him well so that he can grow into a well balanced adult dog.
I wish you all the best and hope that you have heaps of fun with your new family member.
John

Posted by crazycrayonmom
Nov 1, 2009

That's actually something I was worried about too, the biting I mean. I tried talking the owner into waiting until the pups were 8 weeks but she didn't want to wait. Since I've adopted a pup at 5 weeks before, I figured I can handle it. (My 2nd dog was the last one left in a litter. He was barely 5 weeks old when I got him and all his siblings had been gone at least a week earlier!) I'm wondering if it's okay to take him to play with other puppies this young? I thought until their shots were all done they were supposed to be kept away from other dogs.

Posted by LetsPlay
Nov 4, 2009

Hi there,
I'm glad that you are so aware of this.
Yes, it's true that puppies are supposed to have all their shots before meeting other dogs. I talked to my vet about and about all the associated risks. We came to the conclusion that this imprint period is so important for a dogs development that the socialization is more important. HOWEVER, if you do live in a high risk area it is best to stick to puppy schools. Ask your vet if he/she knows about any that are close to you. That way your dog can socialize in a safe enviroment.

We did allow all our puppies to meet dogs that had all their shots up to date. There is a small risk involved of course, but I figured that it is very minimal and therefore more important to get the puppy to interact with other dogs. Obviously I didn't take them to the dog park until 2 weeks after they had all their shots.

The more interaction they have the better. The puppy I currently train was very confident and dominant and she might have turned into a bully without proper socialization.
Good luck, all the best and let us know how you get on
John

Is my new puppy a genius?