What age to pick a pup

dudg · #1 04-21-2009, 12:02 PM

I have found two which I feel are very reputable breeders. They both had liters recently (the boxer not the breeder

)and the pups are a couple of weeks old. They will both be watching a couple of pups for show dogs. At what point should I pick out a pup and put a deposit down? They say they can usually tell show dogs by 6 weeks.

**gmacleod** · #2 04-21-2009, 02:10 PM

I think the 6-8 week mark is a reasonable time

So really not an issue to wait till after they've decided what they're keeping (and the pup shouldn't be rehomed prior to 8 weeks anyway).

It would also be helpful if the breeder were to help you to choose. They'll know a lot more about each pup's personality than its possible to tell in short visits, and should be in a good position to match the right puppy personality to your home/family/circumstances if you give them the information to do so.

sargboxerluv · #3 04-23-2009, 07:15 PM

I always thought it would be best to wait until 4 - 6 weeks too so the breeder can help you pick out the right personality. When I was looking into getting a puppy, the breeders expected you to pick very early just based on markings. That was one of the reasons I decided not to go with a pup. I could have the most beautifully marked boxer in the world, but if it hated or feared kids it would never work for me. And I do know people that got puppies that ended up hating their kids. Of course it is my assumption that they weren't supervising the interaction and the kids were being mean to it - even if they werent intentionally mean.

Kilby'sMum · #4 04-23-2009, 07:19 PM

We picked Kilby at 4wks and Kona at 6wks - the breeder knew enough about their personalities to know whether they would be a good fit for us or not. We then had to wait until they were 8wks to bring them home.

aznando · #5 04-25-2009, 08:05 PM

I know the going answer is to wait till the pups are 8 weeks to get them. My pup will be 7 weeks 3 days during Memorial Day Weekend. My idea was to get him when I had a 4 day weekend instead of waiting till the next weekend when he will be over 8 weeks. I figured it would be better to be able to devote 4 straight days getting him accustomed to the house then just 2 days. Are those extra 4 days going to make a difference?

Aznando

**gmacleod** · #6 04-26-2009, 03:49 PM

4 days may not seem that much to you - but it is quite significant when you consider that your puppy will only be 52 days old when you bring him home at just over 7 weeks. That is 8% of his lifespan. More importantly, when you consider that most of his learning about "how to be a dog" - social behviours, etc takes place after about 6 weeks of age, depriving him of 4 days actually means depriving him of nearly 30% of his learning opportunities/time. 4 days isn't as minor as you think

Having the opportunity to spend 4 whole days with him isn't that minor an advantage either. But if you did go ahead with that, it would be wise to keep in mind what he's lost out on and to make very sure that he gets plenty of time with other dogs and puppies of about his own age from the outset. If you can't do that, then you might consider that the balance of benefit is greater if he's allowed to remain with mother/littermates for those extra days.