New puppy

Hi,

I'm getting a puppy in a few weeks time, she'll be 6 weeks old as the mother isn't coping well after having 10 pups in her first litter and was hoping to hear from other dog owners. I'm getting an Inuit cross, does anyone else here have that kind of dog or know of someone with one? I never even hear of the breed until i went to go pick my puppy. I'm kinda scared too, I haven't had a puppy before. My last dog, Charlie ( some people might remember my previous post - I'm doing much better now, seeing a therapist and on the right meds) was a rescue dog, he was 5 when we got him, so it was like having a ready made dog.

Does any one have any advice? Plus, i'm just started college, the timetable is great, mostly half days so i'll be in for the puppy. I'm doing Exercise and Fitness, I'd like to become a personal trainer. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of my persistant 25lb melt off.

Thanks for reading.

My advice...DO NOT TAKE THIS PUPPY!

Trust me, you do NOT want to deal with the potential emotional impact of having a puppy taken away from it's mom and siblings too early.

Hi

Usually the best moment to take a puppy home is at 8-10 weeks, social skills develop at that time and when possible it is best to wait until then, I would ask those people to hold the dog 2 weeks more, besides at 6 weeks puppies are weaned and eating puppy food, so the mother needs not to be bothered any further. If they wont  hold the dog any longer you can take it, it won't damage the dog permanently but you will have to work harder to socialize it.

If you don't have a lot of time, having a puppy is very time demanding, and the result might not be what you need, probably going to the shelter and adopting another dog is a better idea for you and in just a few weeks the dog will be adapted to you and your lifestyle, a puppy needs months of training to learn how to behave. Even if puppies are so adorable they grow fast.

Give it a good though.

good luck

I would suggest you do not get this dog. A new puppy is hard enough, having been taking away from the family earlier it will not learn bite inhibition well enough (how to bite playfully and not too hard). I took my puppy home when she was 9 weeks and she still had some trouble with it.  If you don't know how to correct it properly, it can be a problem as they get older.

A new puppy can be VERY stressful, so it might be a bad idea when you are just starting college. My puppy tore up the carpet in our apartment, chewed electrical cords, had accidents on our carpet, our bed and our couch, destroyed her bed, several brand new rolls of toilet paper, several pairs of headphones, a keyboard, chewed holes in various articles of clothing... and a lot of things your dog destroys and damages you'll have to replace. It adds up, plus vet bills, getting it fixed, intestinal parasites, ear infections, eye infections.. my puppy has had 2 stomach parasites, yeast in both ears, had a bladder problem, an eye infection, plus shots, getting fixed... and we've only had her for 7 months!

It's a big commitment, so really think it through. And you really need to learn more about the breed, do a  lot of research. Different breeds have very different needs, some have tons of energy and need to be walked at a fast pace for two hours a day, some are fine lounging with the occasional game of fetch.

well, in five minutes of googling I have come to the conclusion that this "breed" is not going to be a good choice for someone as a first puppy. why would you want a dog breed you know nothing about? and why would you want one from someone who is breeding their dog even though she already didn't not cope well with her first litter, not to mention breeding "crosses" when thousands upon thousands of dogs die each day in a shelter. they don't sound like the kind of people i'd want to take a puppy from!

i'm sure you'll make a great dog owner, but i have to agree with the other posters and STRONGLY suggest you don't take this puppy from these people. you rescued a dog once before, why not do that again? i mean obviously you don't have your heart set on the breed, so why not just find a puppy up for adoption and save a life, instead of encouraging some irresponsible back yard breeder?

also, the problems that come from taking a puppy away from it's litter too soon will more than likely make things VERY difficult for you and the poor dog.

I agree. Don't take this dog. You admitted you know nothing about Inuit dogs. Do your research. Find a breed that suits your needs. I agree with Haley... 

I agree with the others.  I've worked in dog rescue for eight years.  Inuit's are more or less Eskimo dogs.  They prefer colder climates.  6 weeks is WAY to early for this breed.  Some breeds 8-10 weeks is ok.  I wouldn't take this dog until it is 12 weeks.  The mother dogs gets snappy with them for a reason.  It is because they are biting too hard or maybe doing something that is socially unacceptable.  The puppy needs to be corrected by mom for these behaviors or you will be stuck with a behaviorally challenged dog that is strong enough to pull a sled and very stubborn.  Good luck to you if you take this pup...really.  You will need it.

Have to agree with everyone else.  Probably not what you want to hear but it's the best I've got.  As someone that's having some puppy issues it would have been good to have been a little forewarned into what a pup can be when they're taken from mom early.  My little guy came home to us at 8 weeks (approx) as a rescue.  The story we got was that he was found by someone at  a park and taken in, my vet speculates that his double dew claws were mistaken for a deformity and he wouldn't sell as a potential christmas puppy.  Every other pup we have ever had was 10 weeks at least when they came home and I can't remember behavior like his in any of them.

That said, having him and being home full time we've had our share of problems.  Just got him a crate to diffuse a good bit of them.  But knowing to expect more of an impact then our other dog (also a rescue) I'd have been better prepared with the crate from the get go.  I think that would be easier on all of us (and our ears) but it's an adjustment that we all have to work on.

Hi,

First of all, the puppy is only 1/4 Inuit, the mother was only half. The pups father is a pure bread border collie, which my last dog was. I'm not stupid, i researched the breed before i contacted the owner. After speaking with my vet and a few other breeders i know, as long as the puppy is eating they see no problem in rehoming a little earlier if the mother is too ill to cope.

As for time, i'm having to pull out of my college course so will be home 24/7. My older dog had tonnes of problems when we got him but with a little help from watching Cesar Millan i sorted them in no time. I know that taking on a pup will be hard. Thats why i wrote on the forum, I was looking for other dog owners who have brought up a pup and was hoping for some helpful insider tips.

I'm greatful for everyones concern, i wouldn't take her if i didnt think i could manage and that she was ready. I contact the owner daily to find out her progress and if she needs the extra time with her mum then i'm quite willing to wait. I'm an animal lover and would never do anything to harm them.

I've found that this dog breed selector is pretty good if you want to look into a breed you may be compatible with. 

Except for question 3.  The first option should be 2-3 hours, the second option should be 1-2 hours, and the third option can stay the same.  My 99% choice is an Australian Shepherd, which is wonderful to me, but they need WAY more exercise than 30-45 minutes daily.  Just took my Aussie-mutt on a 1 hour walk where she got to swim, and she's still ready to "go."  She's 6.

When I got my puppy I had just started college too.  I went to school three days a week from about 8-1 or so.  On my days off from school I went to work; usually 5-6 hour shifts. It was hard.  Really hard.

My puppy was taken away from her litter mates at about 6 weeks old.  She was given to a girl I worked with.  After a two weeks the girl decided she had enough and was going to take the puppy to the (high kill) pound.  I just couldn't let such a sweet face go to her death so I took her.

I lucked out with the aftereffects of being separated too young.  Her bite inhibition sucks and she's stranger (dog and human) reactive, but thank the heavens she doesn't have separation anxiety or serious aggression problems.  It could easily have been the case.

Original Post by malkavian: I never even hear of the breed until i went to go pick my puppy. I'm kinda scared too, I haven't had a puppy before.

I'm not stupid, i researched the breed before i contacted the owner.

So which one is true? NM, I it doesn't matter.

Good luck with your puppy.  :)

Original Post by malkavian:

 I'm not stupid, i researched the breed before i contacted the owner.

 No need to get defensive, you asked for advice and you're getting it.

I hear border collies are pretty energetic. Remember as a puppy it may have WAY more energy than an older dog, so it may be a lot more than you're expecting (not sure how old your dog was when you adpoted it). I'd suggest getting the pup into group training once it's old enough and not relying on watching repeats of Cesar Millan. The group environment will be great for socializing, you'll learn good training techniques and you'll have a trainer nearby to make sure you're doing it properly and not just confusing your dog. Plus some of Cesar's techniques are considered unsafe, so just going off of his show doesn't sound like a very good idea. Let the puppy stay with it's siblings as long as possible. If they keep the pups seperate from the mom I wouldn't think it would be troublesome for her, but the pups will be able to play and develop more socially. (Of course I'm no specialist, just an assumption) 

Ahhh I smell another abandoned dog coming soon...

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

I've found that this dog breed selector is pretty good if you want to look into a breed you may be compatible with. 

Except for question 3.  The first option should be 2-3 hours, the second option should be 1-2 hours, and the third option can stay the same.  My 99% choice is an Australian Shepherd, which is wonderful to me, but they need WAY more exercise than 30-45 minutes daily.  Just took my Aussie-mutt on a 1 hour walk where she got to swim, and she's still ready to "go."  She's 6.

When I got my puppy I had just started college too.  I went to school three days a week from about 8-1 or so.  On my days off from school I went to work; usually 5-6 hour shifts. It was hard.  Really hard.

My puppy was taken away from her litter mates at about 6 weeks old.  She was given to a girl I worked with.  After a two weeks the girl decided she had enough and was going to take the puppy to the (high kill) pound.  I just couldn't let such a sweet face go to her death so I took her.

I lucked out with the aftereffects of being separated too young.  Her bite inhibition sucks and she's stranger (dog and human) reactive, but thank the heavens she doesn't have separation anxiety or serious aggression problems.  It could easily have been the case.

I got 99% beagle!!! ;D

People who carelessly breed are beyond selfish.

I heart beagles.  I only got a 97% match with them though.  My 100% match was Bulldog.