Quote:
Originally Posted by Cerise   YES they do suffer from it! Important socialization comes from it's mother, not by carrying a puppy around in a purse before getting it's shots. |
How on earth is it's mother going to introduce it to other people (including those in uniforms, in dresses, in trousers, in loud colours, short ones, tall ones, fat ones, thin ones, long haired, short haired, clean shaven, in groups, etc) traffic, the sea, the countryside, transport, etc, etc, etc? THATS'S socialisation and a dog's not going to get that being shut in a pen/crate/kennel with its mother.
Dogs do NOT suffer from leaving their mother at 8 weeks at all. Dogs leave their mother and littermates at that age in the UK all the time to absolutely no ill effect. Are you saying that all our vets, breeders, welfare organisations, etc, know nothing? The PDSA aren't even against them leaving at 6 weeks but I do think that's too young. Most of our vets run puppy parties so they can mix with each other before they're fully vaccinated.
Attacking everyone who gets a pup at 8 weeks is ridiculous and needless. We are all entitled to our opinions and mine is (and that of all our vets, etc) that there is nothing at all wrong with a puppy leaving at 8 weeks unless there are health issues.
Tilly's 10 weeks now and already is doing clicker training and has learnt sit. She also comes when she's called and is virtually housetrained. She also doesn't get nervous around other people so won't end up being yappy through nerves. She's not frightened of the sound of traffic and nothing at all has worried her so far. She loves going out in her pouch and being fussed by people. It does them no end of good and no harm at all. She's also happy to be left in her crate when we go out without her. Yes...she's mouthing still but that'll stop soon enough. The benefits she's received by coming to me at 8 weeks are tremendous. We're going to have a great family dog with no timidness or hang ups. She's already there. She's also fit, healthy, well wormed, well fed, vet checked and very happy. She's didn't miss her mother or siblings for one second. She's had no trauma and no stress. She's a fab little dog and she's already a very firm part of the family.
It really is no crime against nature to have a puppy at 8 weeks providing you're prepared to put the work in. Breeders over here expect their pups to be gone at 8 weeks and if they're not they start worrying about being lumbered with pups.