Quote:
Originally Posted by dawn27 
I do not think that just because a pup goes to its new home before 12 weeks of age makes that pup any less capable of thriving or becoming a happy, healthy well socialized member of the family. I think that there is no better place for a puppy to get the socialization skills, human contact and the training that it so desperately needs than in a loving environment in their own home. At whatever age that be. Whether it be at the age of 12 weeks or as early as 8 weeks of age ? |
I don't think anyone is saying that the puppy isn't capable. Just that there are a lot of things taught by the mother dog and littermates that people have a hard time replicating. An owner that is educated and willing to put in the work absolutely CAN have a well socialized dog. But far too often I have seen both on this site and other dogs sites there are issues that could have been avoided if the pup had been properly socialized to start with. A puppy nibbling on your hand is cute. But it quickly becomes a problem as the pup ages and dogs get put down because they are "biters". Let's face it. Most buyers aren't very educated before they bring the dog home. They only start doing their research when there is a problem. It's far easier to prevent a problem than to try and correct it later.