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Adopting a 5 month old Puppy. Thoughts?
So...My mom and I are going to go look at a 5 month old Irish Doodle puppy today. Does anyone know any thing about adopting a puppy that is "older"? I have been told that there is a window of when a dog will either bond to humans or not and that is 8-12 weeks. How true is that? Doesn't seem that true to me but I am not sure. We always got puppies when they were 8 weeks old but I would like to think that a 5 month old puppy will still bond to humans. 5 months/20 weeks still seems young to me.
Also, this puppy has been living outside with its remaining litter and other dogs. Will potty training be extra more difficult because he has been use to being outside?
Are there any key things we should look for when we go meet this puppy today as far as how he acts?
TIA
Re: Adopting a 5 month old Puppy. Thoughts?
What is an Irish Doodle? Who has this dog?
I adopted my dogs at 2 years old and 5 years old and I'd say they're pretty attached to me. Are you saying that dogs that are adopted at an age older than 3 months never "bond" with people?
Why is it living outside? Dogs that live outside can be easier to housebreak because they are used to going outside.
From what you've described, I don't think you should go meet this dog at all.
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No. I said I have been told this information but I find it hard to believe that dogs wont bond with humans after 3 months. Just was looking for some more opionions on the matter because I didn't feel it was right. I personally feel that if you give any dog the right kind of training and time, they will be great pets.
Its living outside right now because that is the type of environment the facility has set up for the dogs it has on site. It's in northern Wisconsin. Lots of land.
Irish Doodle is a mix btwn an Irish Setter and a Poodle.
Ditto on not meeting this dog. It also doesn't sound like an adoption, it sounds like a purchase (I bought my dog, I'm not judging, but it's better to call it what is it).
If you're in the first stages of figuring out what you want, you can get a lot of good advice here (the FAQs in the green box at the top are very helpful) about deciding between adoption and purchase, whether to get a puppy or an older dog (whether you get a puppy or an older dog, the dog is going to love you to pieces if you're nice to him), and deciding what dog is right for you.
Edit: http://sites.google.com/site/petsboardfaqs/home/getting-a-new-pet That's the link to the FAQs. They are so informative, I've wished several times I'd found them when I was looking to buy my dog.
I whole heartedly agree with this. Which is why I was surprised when I was told the info on the whole bonding issue. I was told from a boarding/training/daycare facility we currently go to. I trust them as they all know dogs very well but I was just taken back by the bonding comment. Wanted to get other opinions on it as I found it hard to believe.
Thank you very much for this help. I have had dog's my entire life and it's exciting when you are thinking of adding a new addtion to your family. Want to make sure I make the right choice for us and for the dog. Thanks again.
I adopted my dog as a 2 y/o and she is very, very bonded to me. No worries on that. My foster dogs have been of various ages- from 2 months to 9 years old and all bonded to my family during their stays with us.
Is the place where you are getting the dog from a person who bred the litter or is it a foster home or shelter with outside access? I'm not sure I quite understand-
Maybe the person was talking about how important socialization in general is for young puppies, not that they couldn't bond with anyone new after that time period? We adopted our dogs at 6 months and 2.5 years old and they're both very bonded.
And if this is a breeder (rather than a shelter or rescue group) be sure to check out the FAQ's at the top of the main board page for some things to check out. From what you've said it sounds like they're not reputable or responsible in their breeding practices.
The lady normally breeds Irish Setters. She has a littler of Irish Doodles. I know of a family who has a Irish Doodle puppy from the same place. She is a really good dog. She got her at 3 months. This is how I found out about these pups.
I apologize for not being more clear. We are going to purchase the dog, not adopt. I really see it though as giving a dog a nice forever home that is in need of one. Regardless of where you get it from, it still needs a home, right?
When a dog we took in as a stray ended up pregnant, we put the puppies outside for most of the day since the weather was nice (they came inside to sleep and they had shelter and water all day long outside). I now have one of those dogs. He was a BREEZE to house train him because he was already used to going outside. The only time he's ever had an accident was when he was sick. Not all dogs might be as easy as mine but I think him being outside a lot had something to do with it.
Also, the page on designer dogs, and why we prefer not to use the "designer names" on the Pets board.
Meh, that last point is debatable. I mean, obviously innocent dogs shouldn't suffer. But if you're going to hand over cash to this woman for the puppy, you're just encouraging her to breed more dogs so it's not helping the overall problem of pet overpopulation that we have in this country.
I haven't gotten a dog from a breeder before, but from what I've learned here these are the trademarks of a responsible breeder:
- Wants to better their breed. They breed healthy dogs only, and have determined the quality of their dogs by excelling at either conformation (dog shows) or by function (hunting or herding, etc.). This also means that they do not breed mutts/mixes like this one.
- Only breeds once they have homes lined up for the possible new pups. This means that they would have a wait list before they even breed their dog.
No no no no no. Please run far away from this. This is not something you want to get involved in. Read the FAQ about designer dogs. The upshot is that dogs should be bred to better the breed. A mix is not bred to better any breed, and no reputable breeder would breed them. Repubable breeders breed dogs that are health tested and who have won titles. They breed them to other exemplary specimens of the breed to produce more healthy, exemplary specimens of the breed.
No reputable breeder would breed a mix. So the dogs that are being mixed are not exemplary, and can produce puppies with serious health and other issues. On top of that, they breed to make money, and contribute to pet overpopulation.
I'm sure this is a nice lady, and I'm sure she means well, but that doesn't mean she's not a backyard breeder, and it doesn't mean you should pay her for doing something irresponsible. Every one of the puppies in the backyard is taking away a home from a puppy in a shelter that will die because this lady is irresponsible. Do not do it. For so many reasons. Read the FAQ to learn about how to acquire a pet.
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Hi There,
Just thought I'd weigh in on the bonding issue... I have two dogs, one that we adopted at 8 weeks old and the other we adopted at 6 months. They are both EXTREMELY attached to both my husband and I. It doesn't matter the dog's age, they are all basically looking to be loved. As far as this particular dog, I would just urge you to do your homework. I've had both rescue dogs and dogs from very reputable breeders. Unfortunately, however, there are very many non-reputable breeders out there. Proceed with caution and if you have any doubts, check out a local rescue group. There are so many of them, even many breed-specific groups if you have your heart set on a particular breed. Good luck! At the end of the day, you are giving a loving home to an animal which is amazing.
Yes, but you may have more issues than whether or not the dog bonds with you if you have not thoroughly considered this breeder before buying.
Based on your desciption of the situation, my concern is that you might be looking into a less than reputable breeder and which means the puppy is more likely to have whatever congential defects are common in Irish Setters and Poodles. You can't always tell this from just meeting a puppy. So, to clarify, my suggestion in what is most important to look for in meeting a puppy is that the puppy is from an excellent breeder as described in the FAQs.
Please read and open mindedly consider the information in the aboved linked FAQs about reputable breeders and designer dogs.
Thanks for the info. It's definitly something I will look into a lot more before we make the decision on where we get our new pup from.
I most definitly will. Thank you guys for the help! I really appreciate it!
Well, true. BUT I would definitely check out the FAQ about why you don't want to support an irresponsible breeder. Your money could be better spent saving a life of a puppy in a shelter- and that cost would cover first shots, microchip, speuter, etc etc. A much better deal, all around, plus you save a life
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We got our dog at two years old and he is absolutely bonded with us. My last foster was 9 mo old and bonded to EVERYONE despite living in a pet store for the first 6 months of his life.
Both of those dogs are perfect examples of why not to support backyard breeders. By definition, reputable breeders are aiming to better the breed. As "poo' mixes are not recognized breeds its hard for me to think of any situation in which they're bred by a reputable breeder and not purely for profit. There is a distinction. When you're breeding mutts like that it's hard to predict or control what kind of puppies you get, which goes vs. the point of reputable breeding as well.
With our dog, Darwin, he is a designer dog but has a lot of allergy problems that did not onset until he was 2, probably because the breeder did not screen for genetic conditions properly. This is very common with backyard breeders and while he has a good quality of life, he does sometimes get sick and did have a several thousand dollar hospitalization when we were trying to figure out WTH was wrong with him. It has been hard, on him and on us, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
The foster puppy is an even worse story. Also a designer dog (beagle and english bulldog). They lived in a pet store for 6 months and when she couldn't sell them she surrendered them to a rescue. So he still wound up safe, but she received no financial incentive for it, which I hope will be a deterrent to her breeding in the future.
If you look you can absolutely find reputable breeders or mixed puppies in rescue.
Dogs will bond with you at any age. My dog did; he was about 2 when I got him.