Age to buy puppy at. Is 11 weeks okay?

[Evan Freymiller]

Hello all, my first post on Doodle Kisses!  I am a student at Florida State University and recently found a breeder who I plan to buy my Goldendoodle from in August.  My Doodle was born on May 21st.  Normally they are allowed to go home at 8 weeks which I wish I could go get her at 8 weeks, but I am interning at Aflac for the summer and will not be able to get her till she is 11 weeks old.  I was wondering if anyone knows, is 11 weeks okay to get her at?  

Will it help or harm her?  I was reading that the 9-12 week is the most impressional time, is this true?  

Is there any advantages/disadvantages to getting at 8 weeks vs 11 weeks?

Thanks for the information!  

[Gail and Bailey]

My doodle was 6 months old when I got her.  She is well adjusted, smart and full of love.  She was living at the breeder's house with all the other dogs....the last of her litter.  We still can't imagine why nobody else chose her.  I am so happy to have her...she is now 11 months and I can't imagine life without her.  I don't think it matters if they are 8 weeks, or 8 months, or 8 years old when you get a dog....so long as you love them!!  Enjoy your internship and be sure to post pictures of your pup when you bring her home!

[Evan Freymiller]

Awesome!  Thank you for the information, I was also reading that the longer they stay with the mother the better as she teaches them more rules of life, and they continue to feed from her which gives them more antibodies.  I am so excited to get her!  I will be going to the breeder in three weeks to pick out my pup from the litter and will for sure post pictures!  

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

You should make sure hte breeder is taking good care of her and ensuring she gets the proper socialization, vaccinations, etc. Otherwise, I don't see any issue with 11weeks.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I raise pups for a breeder and kept two pups until they were almost 14 weeks old--I did a lot to train them and socialize them and they were almost housebroken when they left--they were terrific for the new owners so I don't think this is a problem at all---many breeders wait until 10 weeks until they let the pups go.

So as Sherri said make sure the pup is not isolated and is getting a good three weeks of socializing and all should be fine! Good luck!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

As long as she is socialized and the breeder has started training her, she will do just fine

[cheryl & oliver]

We got one of ours at 16 weeks and he was just fine, in fact I think he was more socialized, and the breeder had him crate trained and almost completely housebroken.  we had him for 15 yrs, so I think it will be fine.  Oh and by the way, both mys ons graduated from Florida State, we are still big football fans....I am assuming that where u are living they allow dogs?..And are u able to put the time in to train the puppy with you having classes and schoolwork?...Will you be able to take the puppy with you when the semester is over?...I don't mean to sound mean, but puppies are a lot of work, all dogs are,and shots and vet bills are not cheap, and sometimes student life can be all consuming...With people going in and out of your apartment, will there be a problem with the puppy getting out by accident?...There are so many things to think about with a new puppy, but if you can manage everything and be there for the puppy, so that he or she is not left alone all day at first, and have a lot of love to give, it can work...But please make sure that all of the above and other things are really thought about before you go down the road to dog ownership...This is a great site, with great people that can help you with problems if you need, or just come to brag about your new baby or  older dog....Come often and don't be afraid to ask questions....

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Cheryl, thanks for brining up those points.  The same concerns came to my mind too.  Training is very important and puppies take a lot of time.  Teaching the pup to potty outside can start to feel like a full time job.  lol  And all dogs seem to stress you out financially from time to time (gotta love those unexpected trips to the emergency vet!)

Evan, we got Cubbie at 5 months and while he has his issues, I don't think that any of them are related to the fact that he was with the breeder those extra few months.  I picked him up on a Saturday and we had him checked by the vet and started in a training class later that same week.  Training and time will be very imporant with any new dog no matter what age they are.  So if you have the time and resources available to give this puppy, 11 weeks so be no big deal at all.

[Shannon and Finn]

We got Finn when he was 11 weeks and it was great!  He was secure, strong, eating well and sleeping through the night.  Potty training was also quick.  He was with other puppies and the breeder took a liking to him so she was taking him to work and on errands and playing with him a lot.  She had also taught him to sit.  She sent me videos of him along the way as well.  It wasn't intentional for us to wait for him to be older, we just found him when he was 10 weeks and picked him up a week later.  I think there is some advantage to getting a slightly older puppy who has had more time with him "family."

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca was 10 or 11 weeks when I got him, and Calla was 17 weeks. Luca was fine but Calla was much easier ate her age. But then I had recent puppy experience and had learned a lot.

[Ginny Nightingale]

By the way, Evan--is the puppy going to be home alone all day when you are in classes? I hope your schedule is pretty flexible. They should be fed at noontime and should be allowed to go potty and be played with numerous times during the day. It is not easy to fit a puppy into a busy studen't's schedule. But perhaps you commute to school and there are others at home to help--I hope it all works out for you.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

That's a great point, Ginny.  Eleven week old puppies are a full time job...lol.

[Adina P]

I would just want to know that the breeder was going to put some time into socialization, potty training, handling body, appropriate responses to nipping, etc.