You know, one thing that I've found interesting as an American living in England is the different perception of when is the best time to adopt a puppy. It used to be in the States that we thought around 8 weeks was best. Now, as you know, the current thinking is that it's best for them to stay with mom until they are 10 - 12 weeks so that they learn proper dog behavior (as it relates to other dogs).
Here in England, that isn't the norm. Here, they are pushing for earlier adoption (like 6-8 weeks) because they feel that puppies socialize better to people when adopted younger.
What I take from this is that there is no right and wrong nor is it proven fact that one way is better than the other. I believe that whichever way you go, you (the new owner) needs to compensate for what the pup has lacked. An older puppy at adoption needs to quickly be exposed to alot of different people so that they don't develop fear issues related to people. A puppy adopted at 10 -12 weeks who hasn't had all their shots is also going to miss some crucial socialization time with other dogs while you wait for the immunity to kick in.
A puppy as young as the one Amanda is adopting needs to be socialized early and often with other dogs. This means other dogs in addition to Tucker. A puppy socialization class would be a good idea. Naturally, though, you've got to be sure that her shots are fully effective before you expose her to other dogs. |