# What is the best age to bring a puppy home?



## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

No I'm not looking to get another puppy but a friend has just got a working cocker spaniel puppy but owing to work commitments the breeder agreed to keep her til she was 12 weeks. The benefits of this are my friend can walk her straight away and as such she gets tired so sleeps well.

What this made me think is what is the ideal age to bring a puppy home? My friends puppy is sleeping in her crate no hassle and maybe 10 mins of whining at night, sleeps through til 6am and when my friend has popped out she's settled in the crate without a sound, mainly as she's tired from walks etc.

This just made me wonder, do pups settle better if they are a little bit older? I must admit being able to walk her straight away is great as she is easy to take out and being out means when you get home she settles well as she is tired.

I can see that the good bit about having at 8 weeks is they build up the trust in you before you start walking them and you can carry them places to socialise them.

Just wondered what you all thought.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Morning Jules, I would always say 8 weeks plus ... I see the benefit for breeders keeping puppies longer, further vaccinations, more social skills can be gained when the puppy is bred by a good breeder etc, plus further training can be given by the breeder. 

I would happily keep a puppy in my care over 8 weeks, if I felt it was right for the puppy and if helped the owners, ie having an older puppy which is more trained and well socialised etc...

A good breeder will not be in a hurry to let their puppies go ..


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

I collected Betty at 8.5 weeks and she definitely seemed ready to leave. But having seen my friends 12 week old puppy and how well and easily she has adapted it just made me wonder if a bit older is better.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I think you have a good point Jules, I have experience of puppies at 6 weeks and 8 weeks old, would always say 8 weeks plus... 

A good breeder would be happy to keep a puppy on for further socialisation and training  

Be interesting to see what others think on this ...


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

It's interesting as my friends dog may have settled just as well at 8 or 9 weeks, but we'll never know! 

Like you JoJo would be interested in knowing what others think and what their experiences have been.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

I imagine a lot would depend on the breeder, if they have taken time to do plenty of socialising with the puppy, meeting quite a few people and other dogs as well as getting them used to different sights and sounds and taking the trouble to toilet train then I imagine it would be a positive to leave them until older, if however they had just been left in a pen with the litter it wouldn't. We picked up our boy at 8weeks 4 days, he is settling in brilliantly and I think it helped us that his brothers and sisters had already gone. Being able to take them out straight away would be brilliant.


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

I collected Izzy at 9 weeks, she was very well socialised, she also settled at home at night very quickly, although she does have a "big sister". Luna (Harri and Dave) stayed at JD longer, due to holiday committments, and she was crate trained.
I would think the dowsnside to waiting as long as 12 weeks is socialising your pup in your home environment, fitting in your lifestyle, you have a much shorter time to fit things in before the 16 weeks suggested window closes.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Lady was 12 weeks old....and cried like a banshee for 3 weeks in her crate....even though they had told me she was crate trained already. I think anything after 8 is great, and the rest is up to the dogs personality


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Bess was 11 weeks when we collected her (due to a 2 week holiday). She was fully vaccinated and in theory able to walk straight away, but we took it gradually, letting her get used to her new environment first.

She was relaxed and confident and settled easily ... but that may be her personality anyway, she is a confident, friendly girl. She was pretty well socialised when we got her, and we continued the socialisation. She had also had a few nights in a crate. We didn't feel it was a disadvantage to get her a little later, and we were very happy with the breeder.

S x


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

DB1 said:


> I imagine a lot would depend on the breeder, if they have taken time to do plenty of socialising with the puppy, meeting quite a few people and other dogs as well as getting them used to different sights and sounds and taking the trouble to toilet train then I imagine it would be a positive to leave them until older, if however they had just been left in a pen with the litter it wouldn't. We picked up our boy at 8weeks 4 days, he is settling in brilliantly and I think it helped us that his brothers and sisters had already gone. Being able to take them out straight away would be brilliant.


 Good points. I agree it depends on the breeder.

I got Milly as an older pup at 14 weeks as the people who reserved her decided after their holiday not to have her- well that was the story I was told anyway.

Don't think my breeder did anything other than vaccinate her- as when we asked about toilet training, she couldn't answer and just said she was kept in their utility room, though we were told she got on well with the other dogs.

The good thing was we could take her on walks but to be honest not knowing what was truly done in weeks 8-14 may mean no or little socialisation and I would prefer to have had her at 8 wks.


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