Puppy at 7 weeks

[VanillaBean]

Hi

Need some advise.
Breeder has advised that we can take Honey at 7 weeks. This is due to personal reason as her mum is in hospital, unfortunatly very ill and other personal reasons.
Honey is weaned, vet checked microchipped etc. Breeders Vet said all good health.
I know normally would prefer to wait until 8 weeks and we where going to get her next Friday, so it would be 5 days earlier.
Thoughts please

 

[snowbunny]

I wouldn’t. That’s for the breeder’s convenience (albeit in difficult circumstances) but not for the benefit of the puppy. That one week is a huge percentage of the puppy’s life - especially the part where she’s been a bit more sentient - and I think it’s important she spends that extra time with her litter mates and mum.

 

[Emily]

I suppose it also depends on what the other new puppy owners are doing. If they are all collecting at 7 weeks then Honey won't get to spend any extra time with her litter mates. Also, what will the breeder be doing that week? If they are in and out of hospital and Honey isn't going to be supervised as much as in the prior 7 weeks, I'd definitely give it some extra thought.

It's a tough one.

 

[VanillaBean]

I am hesitant anyhow.
What would be the case though if all litter mates go, and she only spends time with her mum and aunty's?
I am going back to the breeder to ask if she is getting rid of all?

 

[HAH]

We got Kipper at 7 weeks (actually, a couple of days earlier) and I’d sincerely recommend leaving it longer. I like our breeder and she was excellent in many ways, but on this I think it was wrong to let newbies have a pup so little. We felt he developed so much in that first week he really would have benefited from having his mum and litter mates with him. Next time we’d definitely aim for closer to 8 weeks, for us and for the pup - I know the trend has been towards pups leaving at 7 weeks but I’d advise against it if possible (even if other pups have left, there’s a lot of developing and much to be learnt from mum in that week). Having said all of that, if it’s unavoidable it’s not the worst thing in the world - we’ve still got a brilliant hound!

 

[Loraseal]

We collected Hunter at 7 weeks and 2 days. Some of the litter had already gone. I was worried. We had left toys at the first meet and greet so they smelt of his Mum.He did sleep bad through the night... For about 4 weeks. Crazy labrasharky as expected. I wanted to wait a week but then he would be the last to leave his Mum. I personally did not want that.

 

[VanillaBean]

OK spoken to the breeder as I got this info through OH via text. the breeder is the same one as where we got Vanilla from and is the same mum. She has said Honey's temperament is similar to what Vanilla's was when she was at the same age.

Bad news in one way is that the litter is gradually going as of this weekend and we would be the last one to collect by next weekend if we waited. The care of them would not diminish during this time, which is what my main concern was. Not a good situation to be in as I see all the benefit of playing with litter mates, but if none to play with then I don't think that would help much. I could then also get Honey into a Pre-Puppy school at the vets, which we did with Vanilla when we got her at 8 weeks old. If we collected her the weekend as planned, she would be attending the next one in Feb and be 12ish weeks old instead. I know not the same as her litter mates.

It's a tough one.

yes it is as want to make sure she gets bets start in life...

 

[Boogie]

All Guide Dog pups come to puppy walkers at seven weeks.

Spencer came at nine weeks but that’s unusual and due to Keir’s exposure to kennel cough.

He was just as much a crocapup as all the others!

 

[Naya]

It is a difficult one. Would it be worth writing a list of pros and cons then weigh them up? We collected Harley at 7 weeks, but were quite ignorant at the time around the recommended age, but saying that, her litter mates had all gone by the time we collected her and she was a really easy pup compared to others.

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

We got Xena at 7 weeks which was also for the breeder's convenience (it was Queen's Birthday weekend and they were off to Auckland to go to a Labrador Club pow-wow or something). If you don't have much of a choice then I'd take her. Yeah, it's an extra week of biting and weeing etc but it's not the end of the world. All the other forum 7 weekers seem to be well adjusted so don't stress about it

 

[Emily]

yes it is as want to make sure she gets bets start in life...

Of course. I'm sure you will do the best for her

If the other pups are already gone, I don't see that there's much of a reason not to collect her. Yes, she could get an extra week with mum but it could be quite strange for her not having her littermates. It's also good that she'll have Vanilla at your place so it's not like she's just going to be with humans.

 

[Ashley]

We took Quinn home at 7 weeks and two days I believe. Mum had no interest in the pups early on and a few had already gone home to their families. My knowledge then wasn’t near what it is now and the vet said it was ok so we brought her home! She wasn’t overly bitey and we had no issues really!

 

[Atemas]

Red was two days short of 8 weeks when we collected her - all the puppies were going that weekend. Never having had such a young puppy, I don;t know if that was good or bad.

You know this breeder so she wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t totally necessary. I think Honey would be better with you.

 

[SteffiS]

We collected Ripple at 7 weeks after being pushed into a corner by the breeder. Similar thing, “all the others will be gone, your puppy will be on its own anyway”. I believe this contributed to all the problems we had with him. I would not buy from a breeder again that pushed me like that and would be prepared to back out at the 11th hour if it happened again.
Obviously this is just my personal opinion.

Toffee was nearly 9 weeks and the breeder was perfectly happy to keep him while I made a flying visit to see my Mum. I felt much more comfortable with this.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Either way seems to have advantages and disadvantages, so I'd say go with whatever feels best for you and then don't overstress about it.

Brogan was from a rescue litter and came home at six weeks. That was because his foster home was not allowing any contact with the mother or other littermates - she kept them in individual laundry baskets! - which I thought was fairly horrific. I figured at least with me he'd have my other two dogs to interact with and I could start socialising him. He did have some issues but with a start like that - plus his adoption contract required early neuter - who knows if the six weeks thing even played a role.

Since @Boogie says GD pups go home at 7 weeks, that would help put my mind at ease if that's what you decide to do.

 

[kateincornwall]

Reuben was bang on eight weeks to the day , first to go but within two days , all had left for their new homes . We rescued two pups when we lived in France , they would not have survived had we left them with their neglectful cruel owners , both were far too young at 6 weeks, but to be honest , they never suffered any adverse effects of leaving early . I truly wouldn't stress over a few days , it would only be about five days early , so do whatever you feel is right x

 

[Anne123]

we Got Finn at 7,5 weeks. We didn’t think that it would be a problem for Finn didn’t have his mother and was bottle fed. So in my opinion it is more up to the circumstances, do others get their pups? Will he be supervised?

 

[Charlie]

It's tough indeed and to feel pushed into a corner like this which seems to be a trend at 7 ish weeks. I don't think I would buy from a breeder that did that as @SteffiS said. We got Hattie at 12 weeks and she was one of the first to go. She is super, wonderful, marvellous even though she "missed" out on the apparent socialisation window of 16 weeks. No she absolutely didn't. and of course she is the best dog in the world I was ignorant 11 years ago with my first dog but not so 'much' now. The only thing you can do is what feels right for you all. xx

 

[Selina27]

I truly wouldn't stress over a few days , it would only be about five days early , so do whatever you feel is right x

I agree with this. Over the years I've known puppies leave their mothers between 6 -8 weeks and grow up to be perfectly normal well adjusted dogs. I'm not saying this makes it ok, but it used to be common place because people didn't know any different.

Cassie was 8 weeks to the day when she came home, and boy was she a crocopup. None of the others in her litter were like that, so I think it's the luck of the draw.

You are a caring puppy owner, and I'm quite sure Honey will be just fine whichever day she comes home!

 

[snowbunny]

I'm not sure it's (at) all to do with how much extra pain you're going to have to deal with (physically or figuratively) from taking the puppy early. I think the most important thing is what is in the best interest of the puppy. There is a reason that in England it is now law for breeders to keep the puppies for at least eight weeks, and for a trend within organisations like Puppy Culture to keep them until ten or twelve weeks. Of course we all know puppies who "were just fine" leaving early, and situations where there were extenuating circumstances that meant the puppies had to leave early.
I also know people who have lived into their 90s despite being heavy smokers. It doesn't mean it's something anyone would condone as being in the best interests of the individual.

Their personal situation sucks, but they have a commitment to this litter and whatever is going on in their own lives, those puppies do not deserve anything but the best care. I'm sorry, but it sounds like they're fobbing them off because it's inconvenient to them to keep them for the length of time they would otherwise have committed to. To me, that's not OK.