# Ideal time to bring home puppy



## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

I had read that it was better to leave small breed dogs with their mothers a little longer, so I thought something like 10 weeks would be optimal to pick up my new fur baby. 

However, I just read through Ian Dunbar's puppy guide, and he advises that 8 weeks is preferable to a little older. 

Is that the common sentiment among Havanese knowledgable folks? Picking up my boy a little earlier is certainly ok with me!


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I think the consensus for most here would be to wait. I got Timmy at 10 weeks, but I know others have picked their's up at 8 weeks. I'm sure others will chime in with their two cents, I guess there are pros and cons with both sides.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Leave it up to your breeder. Some are good to go at 8 weeks, to an experienced home, and others are better off staying for a couple of more weeks. There is no one ideal time for every puppy in every home.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

To add to what Tom said, I think it is also REALLY important to know HOW your breeder is socializing and preparing your pup for their adult life. If you have a breeder who takes their job seriously, does LOTS of socialization, potty trains (regardless of chosen system) crate trains, gets them used to different surfaces and different experiences, it's fine, maybe preferable, to leave them with the breeder a little longer. 

If you have a breeder who, no matter how well-meaning, "over-shelters" the puppies, may love them to death, but keeps them mostly in an ex-pen with no other experiences and very few outside people coming into the home, you'd better get your hands on that puppy ASAP to start that critical early socialization and other important early training. That extra 4 weeks between 8 & 12 weeks can make a HUGE difference.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Eight weeks is fine . Like Ian mentions it depends on your education, if you're ready and the breeder agrees, eight weeks is fine. Scott and Fuller researched this area and that is their finding, minimum eight.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

krandall said:


> To add to what Tom said, I think it is also REALLY important to know HOW your breeder is socializing and preparing your pup for their adult life. If you have a breeder who takes their job seriously, does LOTS of socialization, potty trains (regardless of chosen system) crate trains, gets them used to different surfaces and different experiences, it's fine, maybe preferable, to leave them with the breeder a little longer.
> 
> If you have a breeder who, no matter how well-meaning, "over-shelters" the puppies, may love them to death, but keeps them mostly in an ex-pen with no other experiences and very few outside people coming into the home, you'd better get your hands on that puppy ASAP to start that critical early socialization and other important early training. That extra 4 weeks between 8 & 12 weeks can make a HUGE difference.


THIS is the best advice! KNOW your breeder well and what, if any socialization and grooming readiness is going on. If you have an excellent breeder who is doing everything he/she can for your puppy, then I would suggest picking your pup up later rather than earlier. By staying a few extra weeks the pups can learn a LOT of lessons about bite inhibition as well as growing a stronger bladder!!


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

TilliesMom said:


> THIS is the best advice! KNOW your breeder well and what, if any socialization and grooming readiness is going on. If you have an excellent breeder who is doing everything he/she can for your puppy, then I would suggest picking your pup up later rather than earlier. By staying a few extra weeks the pups can learn a LOT of lessons about bite inhibition as well as growing a stronger bladder!!


I second this. IF your breeder is working on socialization and starting house training then extra time with littermates and mom can help with bite inhibition. Also, the time will help with housetraining as long as your breeder is actively working to teach the puppies to use an appropriate potty place and is keeping them very clean so they don't think its ok to walk or lie down in pee and poo. Ask your breeder to start your pup sleeping in a crate by himself at night a few days before you bring him home. It will make for a much less stressful first few nights for your family. Also, a lot depends on whether your family has had experience in puppy raising or if this is your first puppy. If its your first puppy, it is extremely important to have a breeder that will mentor you and be willing to answer any and all questions, offer guidance on all aspects of dog care and be there for you every step of the way for the whole life of your dog!


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

Another consideration is your own schedule. We picked up our pup at 10 weeks because it was the start of Memorial Day weekend and my husband is out of vacation days. This allowed both of us to spend a solid 72 hours introducing her to our life before he had to return to work. Otherwise, we might have waited another week for Zelda to grow up even more in her great breeder environment.

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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Sounds like all great advice - thanks so much. Obviously, not a black and white issue.

The pups will be 8 weeks old the last week of June - I'd like to have mine home by July 4 so I can use the July 4 holiday for some extra bonding time.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

RoutineAvocado said:


> Another consideration is your own schedule. We picked up our pup at 10 weeks because it was the start of Memorial Day weekend and my husband is out of vacation days. This allowed both of us to spend a solid 72 hours introducing her to our life before he had to return to work. Otherwise, we might have waited another week for Zelda to grow up even more in her great breeder environment.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yup. And I got Kodi a little later than some of his litter mates were picked up, because I was going to a conference, and didn't want to bring him home and IMMEDIATELY leave him with someone else for 3 days!


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Brody's breeder gives the all clear to send the puppies home based on the litter. She said some were ready at 8 weeks while others needed a bit longer. She started sending Brody's litter home at 8 1/2 weeks. I didn't pick Brody up for another week because it was more convenient for me to make the trip down there a week later.

I did want to point out that July 4 can be very stressful on dogs.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

misstray said:


> I did want to point out that July 4 can be very stressful on dogs.


Oh, wow, good point, I didn't think of that.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

misstray said:


> I did want to point out that July 4 can be very stressful on dogs.


I got Kodi after 4th of July, but just a week before another fireworks event. sooner or later, your pup is likely to be exposed to fireworks. Make it a fireworks "party" I kept him inside with the windows closed to muffle the sound and saved his dinner until fireworks time. Then I fed it to him piece by piece while playing with him and telling him how much fun we were having. He was a little nervous for the first couple of explosions. By the finale, he was in "party mode", tail wagging and having a great time. We still do this during fireworks.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Great idea! My birthday is July 3rd - if I have him by then, we'll have ourselves a homecoming/birthday/Independence Day party.

My previous Hav was not disturbed by fireworks at all. His dachshund step brother - now, that was a different story.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Update - Because of some life circumstances, instead of picking up my puppy in the 8-10 week window as previously discussed, the breeder with whom I put down a deposit wants me to wait until the puppy is 11 1/2 to 12 weeks old to pick him up.

I'm very disappointed - not only because of the prolonged wait to bring my little guy home, but also because I'm worried that it may be harder to housebreak him on the indoor potty I intend to use (uses artificial turf) after he has become accustomed to pee pee pads.

Do others think this is a valid concern, or will a 12-week old be as easy to train on a different surface as a younger pup? I do realize there may be other pros and cons (e.g., more bite inhibition (pro) but also more bonding to his current "family" (con)).


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

DebW said:


> Update - Because of some life circumstances, instead of picking up my puppy in the 8-10 week window as previously discussed, the breeder with whom I put down a deposit wants me to wait until the puppy is 11 1/2 to 12 weeks old to pick him up.
> 
> I'm very disappointed - not only because of the prolonged wait to bring my little guy home, but also because I'm worried that it may be harder to housebreak him on the indoor potty I intend to use (uses artificial turf) after he has become accustomed to pee pee pads.
> 
> Do others think this is a valid concern, or will a 12-week old be as easy to train on a different surface as a younger pup? I do realize there may be other pros and cons (e.g., more bite inhibition (pro) but also more bonding to his current "family" (con)).


I don't know the answer, but I'm wondering if the breeder would be willing to start using your preferred method now since she wants to hang on to him a little longer? Maybe that would be a compromise that would ease the disappointment. I haven't heard good things about the artificial turf systems so maybe it would just be easier to stick with what's he trained on anyway? I'm sorry you aren't getting your pup when you had planned.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Thanks for your thoughts. If the general sentiment is that the artificial turf systems aren't optimal, it's hard for me to ask her to use them - especially as I haven't picked the puppy yet, so she'd have to use if for all of the candidates.

I'm stuck with finding some kind of long-term indoor potty solution. I live in a condo on a high floor, and sub-zero (that's sub-ZERO, not just sub-freezing!) temperatures are common in the winter. My plan was to put a patch of artificial turf into the walk-in shower, where it would be easy to rinse every day. Maybe I could put a washable pee pee pad into the shower just as easily. 

A complaint I've had with previous experience with pee pee pads is that while my dog's front feet might be on it, his butt wasn't necessarily over it! Of course, the effects of that problem will be minimized by keeping it in the shower.


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

DebW said:


> A complaint I've had with previous experience with pee pee pads is that while my dog's front feet might be on it, his butt wasn't necessarily over it! Of course, the effects of that problem will be minimized by keeping it in the shower.


We use a litter box and still have this problem of just the front feet going in. Sigh...


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

At least they're trying!


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## HavGracie (Feb 27, 2012)

I started Gracie on a UGODOG from the day we brought her home at 9 weeks old. You can line it with newspapers or pee pads. They are a hard plastic tray with a grate over it, which allows liquid to go to the bottom and solids remain on top.

http://www.ugodog.net/


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

HavGracie said:


> I started Gracie on a UGODOG from the day we brought her home at 9 weeks old. You can line it with newspapers or pee pads. They are a hard plastic tray with a grate over it, which allows liquid to go to the bottom and solids remain on top.
> 
> http://www.ugodog.net/


Can I ask your experience with it? I have the Pup Head, which is a similar design. I also bought pee pee pads (both disposable and washable) to place under the grate. I liked the artificial turf with the Pup Head, which has a woven backing that drains better than the plastic backing I've seen on other artificial turf products.

I'd love to know how easy it was to teach your dog to use it, and how bad the smell factor was. Was this a long-term solution for you, or just to be used during the puppy phase?


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## HavGracie (Feb 27, 2012)

We kept her in an expen, in our foyer, along with her bed, water and UGODOG. I also covered the floor of her pen with washable pooch pads. She started out peeing on the pads, but little by little I would expose less and less of the pads, and eventually just started using the UGODOG. She certainly had her share of accidents, but I think that is just Gracie. I liked it for the convenience of being able to leave her in her pen for several hours if we had to go out. She still uses it for early morning potties, instead of going outside. My big concern with the UGODOG was that she wouldn't learn to hold it if she always had immediate access to her potty. My other concern was going to others homes and she wouldn't know where to go, so she would go wherever. We recently started to use bells for her to signal us when she has to go out. At this point, I think she prefers to go outside unless it's raining, then she will use her potty. If I were to get another dog, i would continue to use the UGODOG, as I think it's pretty easy to clean. As long as i change the paper/pee pad every day, I don't really notice any bad odors.

BTW -- when she does use her UGODOG she still let's us know and we still have "potty parties"!!!


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

HavGracie said:


> BTW -- when she does use her UGODOG she still let's us know and we still have "potty parties"!!!


Love it! I can't wait to get my boy and throw similar parties.

Thanks for your comments.


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## HavGracie (Feb 27, 2012)

Good luck with your new little boy! I would have been disappointed, too, if I was planning on getting Gracie on a certain date, and had to wait another two weeks! That time will go quickly though, and before you know it, you'll be bringing your new bundle of love home with you!!! They truly are a bundle of love, I can't imagine owning any other breed!!


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## puppy-love (Nov 9, 2012)

We've been successful with the UGODOG in the house.

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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I would definitely advise the UgoDog over anything with artificial turf. Of the MANY people who have tried artificial turf potty solutions over the years on the forum, I don't know of ONE who has stayed with that method. It's really easy to get the dogs to use it, so that isn't a problem, but in a very short period of time, no matter how often you wash it, and no matter what you wash it WITH, they stink to high heavens! I paid quite a bit of money for my system, bought extra pads so I could soak them in bleach or nNature's Miracle or vinegar or... daily, and NOTHING worked. 

I went back to litter, which is what he was trained on, but others go back to pee pads if that's how their pup was started. The advantage to a grate for the pee pad, like the UgoDog, (rather than a pee pad by itself) is that many puppies will chew and destroy pee pads. It also keeps them from confusing scatter rugs with a potty spot. 

Tom King says it may be hard to get a puppy used to litter if they aren't started on it, otherwise, I'd suggest that. The litter has LOTS of advantages. (easy to clean, NO smell, cheap and biodegradeable)

As far as the front-feet-only thing is concerned, that seems to be a phase that many of them go through, and it doesn't matter which surface they are using. It's a matter of hind-end awareness... They just need to learn, over time, where those back feet are! It also helps to have the potty surface big enough that they can easily make their "potty dance" circle and stay on the surface while they do so. I had a problem with Kodi missing his box for a while as he grew (after several accident free months). I switched to a larger litter box and the problem disappeared overnight.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

For front feet only, you have to try different things to find something that works. One thing that works pretty good is finding a box that it just the right height that's uncomfortable to stand over the side, but low enough so that they are encouraged to jump to get in. You can find all sorts of plastic boxes at big box stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and such


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Thanks guys. That's the kind of information I was hoping to elicit - although not what I wanted to hear, having invested a lot of $ in other systems using the turf! Sigh.

I should have asked first! 

Can the Ugodog be used with washable pee pads?


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

I bought the Pup Head after reading this review.

http://erratic.ws/reviews/?p=59

The comment about catching a toenail on the grate gave me pause about using any system with a grate.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

Tom King said:


> For front feet only, you have to try different things to find something that works. One thing that works pretty good is finding a box that it just the right height that's uncomfortable to stand over the side, but low enough so that they are encouraged to jump to get in. You can find all sorts of plastic boxes at big box stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and such


That's a great idea. With my previous Hav, I surrounded the pad with paper towel rolls covered in plastic to accomplish the same thing. Your idea is much better.


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## dickli (Jun 19, 2012)

I'm one who has stayed with artificial turf for an indoor alternative. The system (Pet Patio Potty) uses K9 grass that is woven, not plastic on the back. It has never smelled bad. It's a bit expensive, but the look is more aesthetically pleasing than most other systems in my opinion.

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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> For front feet only, you have to try different things to find something that works. One thing that works pretty good is finding a box that it just the right height that's uncomfortable to stand over the side, but low enough so that they are encouraged to jump to get in. You can find all sorts of plastic boxes at big box stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and such


Another suggestion that Pam made to me when Kodi was doing it was to push his litter to the back of the box, so he had to get all the way in to get onto it. That worked too, but I'm not sure how it would work with pee pads.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

DebW said:


> Thanks guys. That's the kind of information I was hoping to elicit - although not what I wanted to hear, having invested a lot of $ in other systems using the turf! Sigh.
> 
> I should have asked first!
> 
> Can the Ugodog be used with washable pee pads?


I'm pretty sure I've heard of people using it with washable pee pads.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

DebW said:


> I bought the Pup Head after reading this review.
> 
> http://erratic.ws/reviews/?p=59
> 
> The comment about catching a toenail on the grate gave me pause about using any system with a grate.


Anything is possible, but I don't think this is a common problem... I've never heard of it happening before, and I know a lot of people who use the UgoDog.


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## DebW (Jun 11, 2013)

dickli said:


> I'm one who has stayed with artificial turf for an indoor alternative. The system (Pet Patio Potty) uses K9 grass that is woven, not plastic on the back. It has never smelled bad. It's a bit expensive, but the look is more aesthetically pleasing than most other systems in my opinion.


So glad to hear that the artificial turf option worked for someone! The turf with my Pup Head also has woven backing. I agree, that seemed like a much better idea than the typical plastic backing of most artificial turf options - for quicker draining as well as odor control.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

DebW said:


> So glad to hear that the artificial turf option worked for someone! The turf with my Pup Head also has woven backing. I agree, that seemed like a much better idea than the typical plastic backing of most artificial turf options - for quicker draining as well as odor control.


The stuff I had had a woven backing too. Maybe my nose is just more sensitive. Within a week or two I could no longer get it acceptably clean.


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## dickli (Jun 19, 2012)

Mine uses clumping cat litter underneath the grate, which works to absorbs odors (I use a pine litter). I scoop the litter about once a week and change it about once a month. The grass gets rinsed in dilute bleach depending on how much it's used, but never more than once a week. I tried using it with litter and also with river pebbles in the beginning, but for me the grass worked best. I think smell might be more of an issue if she used it full time, but Zoey only uses it when she isn't let out (like tonight, because I gave her a bath and it's been raining ever since).


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