GR Puppy: what age to adopt?

[yorkster]

At what age is it best to separate a Golden Retriever puppy (or any breed) from it's Mom and siblings?
A breeder that I know of wants to do it at 49 days. She says that after that the pups start establishing a 'pecking order' and they need to be adopted out before that happens.
It just seems really young to me, so I am not sure that this is a good place to get a pup.
With kitten/cats I know they say to wait until they are at least 8 weeks old, and I would think close to that for a puppy (if not longer).

Any answers or advice would be appretiated. Thanks!

[Cincy'sMom]

I have heard the best time to adopt a puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks. Sooner and they do not bond as well with other dogs, and later they do not bond as well with people.

I don't know if their is any truth to either...we got Cincy when she was 6 1/2 wks and she is very social with other dogs, but we have worked on that with both girls by taking them to classes, allowing them to play with other dogs and taking them to "dayschool" where they can play freely with other dogs. While it may be in the best interst of the dog to get it at a certain age, I believe the dog will adjust if you properly socailize it.

[aly]

I would not get it from that breeder. It is best to get them from 8-12 weeks, but not a death wish if you get them younger. It can totally work out like it has with Cincy's mom but I believe responsible breeders shouldn't let them go until at least 8 weeks.

[Logan]

I think Candy will be the best resource here since she has raised a litter and is quite knowledgeable about this stuff. Both of mine came to me between six and seven weeks old. I don't know if it did any permanent damage.........they couldn't be better dogs, either of them. I have always heard something about that 8th week though, that it isn't good to get them at 8 and 9 is supposed to be perfect. Sooooooooooooo if you can hold out and wait until they are 9 weeks old, that's probably the best, but as I said, I'm no expert, and mine came to me far earlier than that.

[KYS]

I agree with Logan, Candy would be a good resourse.
I had to wait till my current dogs were 8 weeks old
before their breeders would let them go.
Now on the other hand,
Many years ago, I adopted two dogs at 6 weeks old, and
one of them was the best dog I have ever had in my life.
She had the best personality and was very well
socialized. Now I can see 6 weeks being to young,
but what is wrong with getting a puppy at 7 weeks?

Ok Candy we are waiting.

[pupper-lover]

Puppies are usually weaned from their mother's milk at 6-8 weeks (if they're lucky). I got Jake at 7 weeks. He was a handful! I adopted Addie from a shelter at 3.5 months. I have to say that the younger the puppy, the more work it is going to be. Addie was housebroken immediately, slept through the night, and was past the puppy nipping stage. She was easy to train. I know part of this is due to her personality, but age plays a huge factor. Jake, on the other hand, barked through the night for the first couple of night's, had to go to the bathroom 3 times during the night and every 30-60 minutes during the day, and had that puppy nipping problem. He needed me all of the time! He was a mere infant at 7 weeks. I can honesty say that having a young puppy in the house is almost like having a newborn child. Despite all the sleepless nights and chewed up belongings, my pups are worth it! I would definately suggest waiting until the pup is 8 weeks old, if you can. Whatever your decision, you'll have a friend for life .

[Dixieland Dancer]

Getting a pup at 7 weeks (49 days) is quite common. However, I do not think a pup should be away from the litter until it is 8 weeks. Six weeks is definitely way too young!!

Most pups are fully weaned around 5 - 6 weeks if the breeder does it right. Temperment testing of puppies is done on or as close to the 49th day because this will show you the truest personality traits that are genetic. After this you start to have environment influence the behavior. Temperment testing is done by reputable breeders who are interested in placing their pups in homes where their optimum ability will be used such as working, showing, or just a great family pet.

I believe it is critical for the pup to remain with the litter until 8 weeks because of the learning that they can only get in a litter environment. Mom is pretty much out of the picture at this point but the litter is thriving and yes, establishing a pecking order. This pecking order teaches them how to adjust behaviors to survive in the pack. It also teaches them that there is a alpha. They learn bite inhibition and that there are consequences that they face if they cross the line in play. Play itself is very important at this stage. Basically so much is going on between week 7 and 8 that the pup can get only from the litter.

This does not mean that if you get a pup before 8 weeks it is doomed. What you do to socialize the dog will determine how it will adapt. If you are diligent in socialization with people and other animals and in training, you should be ok. It is just not the optimum scenario.

On the other hand, you want the pup away from the litter by the 8th week. Bonding occurs between 8 and 12 weeks and this is a valuable time for pup and the new owner. Again, this does not mean that if you don't get the dog between 8 and 12 weeks it won't bond with you. It just means it is more natural and easier at this point to make the seperation from litter to owner. I have refused to give someone a pup because they wanted me to hold the pup until 10 weeks. I don't want the pup bonding to me and then making the separation harder at 10 weeks. It is not fair to the pup or me. At 12 weeks a fear factor creeps in for a few weeks and things that were fine for pup only a week ago sometimes cause major problems. This is when phobias are usually developed and the owner needs to be more understanding in dicipline and handling. It is a short window but can do quite a bit of damage if not handled properly. The most common phobias developed are to noises and seperation. My Dixie was a classic case of seperation anxiety since she went to live with friends of ours for a week at 12 weeks because my husband was hospitalizied and I was not home much. It was unavoidable and getting her comfortable with me leaving was a very difficult task to achieve (but thankfully we made it!).

Critical socialization occurs up to 16 weeks. Make sure you socialize in all kinds of situations (people, children, other pets, etc.). You should get the pup involved where ever possible at this time frame. Their little brains are like sponges and they soak everything up. This slows after about 16 weeks so use that time as a advantage in socializing. After 16 weeks you want to start concentrating on obedience training and letting the pup know you are the giver of all good things. Socialization is still important but not as critical.

I think a lot of breeders let the pups go before 8 weeks because it is A LOT of work. When they are younger, mom takes care of most of their needs until around 3 weeks. They are just starting to get mobile around week 3 - 4 and mom is still feeding them. They are getting weaned around 4 - 6 weeks and can't go until that point. That is why usually the earliest you hear of pups going to their new home is at 6 weeks. It is mostly your backyard breeders and puppy mills that let them leave that early because they are not worried about how the pup will mature, only how much money they can get for it and why put themselves through a couple of hectic weeks when they don't have too.

In a nut shell, I would not get a pup younger than 7 weeks and preferrably at 8 weeks. 8 Weeks is perfect for pup and new owner!

I hope this info helps.

[lovemymaltese]

I think adoption is great at any age.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by yorkster
At what age is it best to separate a Golden Retriever puppy (or any breed) from it's Mom and siblings?
A breeder that I know of wants to do it at 49 days. She says that after that the pups start establishing a 'pecking order' and they need to be adopted out before that happens.
It just seems really young to me, so I am not sure that this is a good place to get a pup.

I just reread the question and had some additional thoughts. There are more important considerations than if the pup is 7 or 8 weeks old when you bring it home to determine if this is the breeder for you. I would want to know if the parents have their clearances and what they are. What is the rating on the hips and elbows? Did they have normal cardio readings done by a board certified cardiologist? Were the eyes cleared (CERF) by a board certified optomitrist? Does the breeder give you any pedigree information? How often does the breeder breed this bitch? Is the breeder keeping a pup from the litter? Does the breeder give you any kind of written contract that stipulates your responsibilities as a new owner of one of their puppies? Does the contract stipulate what the breeders responsibilities are if there is a major health problem. Is the dog being sold on a limited or full registration? Can you see both the dam and the sire?

I believe if you have a reputable breeder they will be able to give you answers to all of these questions. Then you may want to determine if getting the pup at seven weeks is an issue. The other factors at this point are more important. If you get a quality puppy at 7 weeks vs. a non quality pup at 8 weeks, I would go with the 7 week puppy (hands down).

I hope this makes sense. If you have more questions, let me know.

[yorkster]

Originally posted by Dixieland Dancer


I just reread the question and had some additional thoughts. There are more important considerations than if the pup is 7 or 8 weeks old when you bring it home to determine if this is the breeder for you. I would want to know if the parents have their clearances and what they are. What is the rating on the hips and elbows? Did they have normal cardio readings done by a board certified cardiologist? Were the eyes cleared (CERF) by a board certified optomitrist? Does the breeder give you any pedigree information? How often does the breeder breed this bitch? Is the breeder keeping a pup from the litter? Does the breeder give you any kind of written contract that stipulates your responsibilities as a new owner of one of their puppies? Does the contract stipulate what the breeders responsibilities are if there is a major health problem. Is the dog being sold on a limited or full registration? Can you see both the dam and the sire?

I believe if you have a reputable breeder they will be able to give you answers to all of these questions. Then you may want to determine if getting the pup at seven weeks is an issue. The other factors at this point are more important. If you get a quality puppy at 7 weeks vs. a non quality pup at 8 weeks, I would go with the 7 week puppy (hands down).

I hope this makes sense. If you have more questions, let me know.

Yes, it all makes sense. They also already have the pup (he is about 3 months now- I guess I did not make that clear)
He was 49 days when he was adopted, so I guess that's 7 weeks and old enough.
They were given all the paperwork about his bloodline, medical records, shots, met both parents, etc. so I think all is well that way.
We also did some researching yesterday and found out that this particular breeder has a very good reputation and has been breeding GR's for almost 30 years now.
Thansk for all the info and advice- I feel much better!

Oh and BTW, here is a pic of the 'pup'. He is 3.5 months and weighs 37 lbs. already! Sammy is the name:

[harriel52]

Hi! I've adopted a few puppies in my lifetime. Some as young as 5 weeks and some as old as 8 weeks. It depends on whether the Mother dog is still feeding the pups. Our last pup Marley was only 5 weeks old as her mother stopped feeding her and her littermates. Just last week I adopted an 8 week old male lab cross. He is doing just great? Hope this helps, Lorraine from Toronto, Canada.

[aly]

Oh my gosh... Sammy has the cutest little GR face in the world!!! AWWWWW!!!!

[Dixieland Dancer]

I did a double take of Sammy. He looks identical to my brothers Golden. Here is a picture of him when he was a puppy at 3 months. Look at those paws! I can't tell if Sammy has paws that big or not from the picture but the ears look the same size.

My brothers Golden grew into those ears and the paws and weighs in at 101 lbs today with just a trace of fat on him. He is on a diet and will be about 98 or 99 at perfect weight. When he was a pup his ears would actually get soaked when he drank water because they were so long. He is the friendliest dog I have ever met!

The boy in the picture is my son. He was 9 in the picture and is 12 now. I am putting both pictures together so you can really see the resemblance!

[yorkster]

Your brother's GR is adorable! What's his name? And yes, Sammy has these HUGE paws (and ears!) The vet thinks he will be around 100 lbs. also. Right now he is at that REALLY awkward age- all legs, feet, ears, with a big head too. Has not grown into all of it yet. It's funny to watch him run!

Just a note since we went to dog obedience laast night: he did awesome- one of the 3 best in the class of about 12! Yea! My Mom was very excited about that. She has been a little frustrated with him the last week or so, which was why we had the questions about his age at adoption, etc.

Thanks everyone & especially Dixie for the info- it really put our minds at ease

[Dixieland Dancer]

My brothers dog's name is Commando. Why was your mom frustrated with Sammy?