3 1/2 week puppy, Need Help

Sunshine Adams · 06-30-2010, 07:03 PM

Hi. I am getting atleast one possibly 2 Bassets this weekend. They will only be 3 1/2 weeks old. I am worried that this is too soon to be away from the mom but the owner is ready for me to come and get them. I need all the help and advice I can get. I also plan to keep them in the house and this is also a first for me. Please Help!

Yogi's Mom · 06-30-2010, 07:52 PM

I don't know where you are getting these puppies from but I absolutely would not get them at three and a half weeks old. No good breeder would ever let their puppies go at that age. Much better for them to stay with their mother and siblings until they are at LEAST eight weeks or later. They need that time to learn and I fear you will have many problems if you get these dogs so young.
We have several breeders on the board, perhaps one of them will chime in and explain it to you far better than I ever could.

Kirska · 06-30-2010, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogi's Mom

I don't know where you are getting these puppies from but I absolutely would not get them at three and a half weeks old. No good breeder would ever let their puppies go at that age. Much better for them to stay with their mother and siblings until they are at LEAST eight weeks or later. They need that time to learn and I fear you will have many problems if you get these dogs so young.
We have several breeders on the board, perhaps one of them will chime in and explain it to you far better than I ever could.

Agreed. No decent breeder would allow the puppies to leave the mother that young. One of my dogs was dumped when it was 5-6 weeks old and has problems because of it even now that he's 10 years old. Puppies learn an incredible amount of social behaviors in the first 8 weeks of their life with their littermates.

Mikey T · 06-30-2010, 09:57 PM

this thread reeks of "trollishness"

at 3 1/2 weeks they are not even weened from their mother.

Week by week development of newborn puppies

Puppy Developmental Stages - Raising Puppies Timeline

hig4s · 06-30-2010, 10:18 PM

8 weeks is the standard, but if properly weened and cared for puppies can easily be ready at 7 weeks, maybe 6, but 3 1/2 is ridiculous. Odds are not good that they would be healthy, possibly not even survive.

Soundtrack · 06-30-2010, 10:50 PM

The best advice I can give is simply: don't!

Don't handicap yourself by getting a puppy at too young an age, that's not been properly cared for, from someone who clearly has no clue what they are doing.

Don't support irresponsible and ignorant breeders.

Don't set youself up for ten years of behavior and health issues.

Walk away and get a puppy from a good breeder.

Sunshine Adams · 06-30-2010, 11:15 PM

The reason why I'm wanting one these puppies is because my male is the Dad. I was wanting a puppy off of him. I never imagined she would expect me to come and get them at this age.

smitte21 · 06-30-2010, 11:53 PM

Ugh... I'd refer the owner of the female and puppies to the sites MikeyT has mentioned. 3 1/2 weeks is WAAAAY too early and reguardless of whether or not they are from your male they will not be healthy, strong enough and ready to go home at this age.

Mikey T · 07-01-2010, 02:13 AM

The 3-6 week period is critical for developing dog v dog skills as well removing from the litter this early create a dog lacking in dog comunication skill which inevitably leads to dog on dog aggression

given the relative lack of knowledge of the breeder I think it is imperative you read the following two articles, as perhaps the only way to end up with well adjusted adult dogs

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 1) Why is it Necessary?

Quote:

In 1961 Freedman, King and Elliot identified the age of three weeks as the start of a puppy’s critical period, in terms of social/environmental interaction and the commencement of their capacity to develop social relationships. Significantly, this is the point in time when the puppy becomes truly mobile and can hear and coincides with increased electrical activity in the brain (Fox 1971a).
Michael Fox (1971a), a behavioural researcher, found that three week old Chihuahua puppies fostered individually in litters of four week old kittens would, at twelve weeks, prefer the company of cats over the company of their litter mates that had not been fostered. ...Michael Fox (1971a) carried out a subtler but even more revealing experiment. Litters of puppies were split into three groups: one group of puppies were hand-reared from birth and received no canine contact; the second group were given an equal amount of canine and human contact; and the third group only experienced the company of other puppies and their dam. When these three groups of puppies were reunited those that had only experienced human interaction preferred the company of those who had received the same rearing experience. Similarly, those puppies who had been exposed to both human and canine company preferred the company of puppies of the same upbringing, as did the puppies only used to canine company.

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 2) How to go about it

Sunshine Adams · 07-01-2010, 10:17 AM

I just called and talked to her and she is going to keep them till they are 6 weeks old. I really appreciate all the post and the advice. I am also supposed to go one day next week and interact with them. Thanks again for all the help.

06-30-2010, 07:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sunshine Adams Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 3	3 1/2 week puppy, Need Help Hi. I am getting atleast one possibly 2 Bassets this weekend. They will only be 3 1/2 weeks old. I am worried that this is too soon to be away from the mom but the owner is ready for me to come and get them. I need all the help and advice I can get. I also plan to keep them in the house and this is also a first for me. Please Help!

06-30-2010, 10:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,581	The best advice I can give is simply: don't! Don't handicap yourself by getting a puppy at too young an age, that's not been properly cared for, from someone who clearly has no clue what they are doing. Don't support irresponsible and ignorant breeders. Don't set youself up for ten years of behavior and health issues. Walk away and get a puppy from a good breeder. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

06-30-2010, 11:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
smitte21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: WI Posts: 295	Ugh... I'd refer the owner of the female and puppies to the sites MikeyT has mentioned. 3 1/2 weeks is WAAAAY too early and reguardless of whether or not they are from your male they will not be healthy, strong enough and ready to go home at this age. __________________ Proud owner handler of AKC/UKC Ch. Olde Fashion Agent 99, CGC, TDInc. and Beauregard Smith, CGC www.savybassets.net

06-30-2010, 07:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Yogi's Mom Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,109	I don't know where you are getting these puppies from but I absolutely would not get them at three and a half weeks old. No good breeder would ever let their puppies go at that age. Much better for them to stay with their mother and siblings until they are at LEAST eight weeks or later. They need that time to learn and I fear you will have many problems if you get these dogs so young. We have several breeders on the board, perhaps one of them will chime in and explain it to you far better than I ever could.

06-30-2010, 09:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mikey T Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: West Warrwick, RI Posts: 7,728	this thread reeks of "trollishness" at 3 1/2 weeks they are not even weened from their mother. Week by week development of newborn puppies Puppy Developmental Stages - Raising Puppies Timeline

06-30-2010, 10:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
hig4s Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 112	8 weeks is the standard, but if properly weened and cared for puppies can easily be ready at 7 weeks, maybe 6, but 3 1/2 is ridiculous. Odds are not good that they would be healthy, possibly not even survive.

06-30-2010, 11:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
Sunshine Adams Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 3	The reason why I'm wanting one these puppies is because my male is the Dad. I was wanting a puppy off of him. I never imagined she would expect me to come and get them at this age.

07-01-2010, 10:17 AM	#10 (permalink)
Sunshine Adams Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 3	I just called and talked to her and she is going to keep them till they are 6 weeks old. I really appreciate all the post and the advice. I am also supposed to go one day next week and interact with them. Thanks again for all the help.

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