Getting A Pup At 3 Months

[Marley'z Mum]

But if they were as cute as these kelpies, the name Cupcake would be fine!!

that was adorable!!!

This may not be relevant but I just wanted to say, Marley didn't start puppy classes (dog classes) untill he was 16weeks old due to not being able to find a good one and alot of cases of parvo in the area so not alot of people were running them..... anyway my point is, I was worried about it being to late for any skills socialising, and he had not been around many other dogs at all, so I was concerned about him just being aggessive because he hadn't been around many..... again my point is, I was worried for nothing, he was very calm, loved all the other dogs, and people, and now at nearly 6 months just wants to play with every dog he meets, pity not all of them want to play with him hehehe....

Hope that is slightly helpfull

[Cosmolo]

Some puppies cope better than others with average- poor socialisation. For those pups who don't cope- the issues are significant. I have seen many 13-16 week old pups that are already showing extreme fear, reactivity to dogs and people etc. Be careful.

[Rebanne]

I am extremely respectful of all views and opinions and do appreciate the time that people take to give me their input, but must stress that my main concern was whether or not 11-12 weeks is still ok in terms of socialisation based on your experiences or whether a critical window has been missed. As mentioned, we are very aware of the consequences of our actions and will not make any decisions lightly. We would also stand by any decision we made and would never pass off problems to anyone else.

IMO if the pup has a sound, solid temperament to start with getting it after 8 weeks does not make a lot of difference.

[WreckitWhippet]

I am extremely respectful of all views and opinions and do appreciate the time that people take to give me their input, but must stress that my main concern was whether or not 11-12 weeks is still ok in terms of socialisation based on your experiences or whether a critical window has been missed. As mentioned, we are very aware of the consequences of our actions and will not make any decisions lightly. We would also stand by any decision we made and would never pass off problems to anyone else.

IMO if the pup has a sound, solid temperament to start with getting it after 8 weeks does not make a lot of difference.

Especially if the breeder has put in the hard yards and to be honest, if they have, it's much easier that taking on an 8 week old.

[dancinbcs]

I don't like puppies to be just left with the littermates after 8 weeks. If the litter has been split up and kenneled with dogs other than the mother or littermates it it might be alright but 8-12 weeks is when they really develop their own personality and staying with their littermates 24/7 does not allow this to happen. The dogs may still make perfectly fine working dogs without this socialisation but not necessarily good pets. I don't like the fact that the dog has never been in a car either. You could be stuck with a dog that gets carsick all it's life. Mine start car rides at 4-5 weeks to avoid this problem developing.

I really think you should wait until Elbie is older to get another puppy. You could undo an lot of his training and the new puppy will only want to play with him and will not react to you like Elbie did. Also if you are only going to have two dogs, think ahead 13 or 14 years and you will have two old dogs together and probably lose them close together.

Also you say Working Kelpies don't have any health testing. Well they should, just because they work, they are no different genetically from other dogs. As you pointed out, if there is a problem with a working dog the farmer just shoots it. I would be asking how many haven't made the grade and why. Ataxia is mainly a problem in working Kelpies, so far they don't have a test, but they are working on it. I would be asking what they know about ataxia in their lines before buying because the WKC are funding the research, so all breeders should know about it.

[poodlefan]

Also you say Working Kelpies don't have any health testing. Well they should, just because they work, they are no different genetically from other dogs. As you pointed out, if there is a problem with a working dog the farmer just shoots it. I would be asking how many haven't made the grade and why. Ataxia is mainly a problem in working Kelpies, so far they don't have a test, but they are working on it. I would be asking what they know about ataxia in their lines before buying because the WKC are funding the research, so all breeders should know about it.

My friend's working line Kelpie has HD. Mind you, he was desexed aged 6 weeks.

Edited October 7, 2010 by poodlefan

[aussielover]

I am extremely respectful of all views and opinions and do appreciate the time that people take to give me their input, but must stress that my main concern was whether or not 11-12 weeks is still ok in terms of socialisation based on your experiences or whether a critical window has been missed. As mentioned, we are very aware of the consequences of our actions and will not make any decisions lightly. We would also stand by any decision we made and would never pass off problems to anyone else.

IMO if the pup has a sound, solid temperament to start with getting it after 8 weeks does not make a lot of difference.

Especially if the breeder has put in the hard yards and to be honest, if they have, it's much easier that taking on an 8 week old.

+1

[Kavik]

I only recently found out about the ataxia thing, so don't know how many test for that, but I know Kaos's breeder X-rays her dogs for HD.