Porky and Buddy Pet Health – At What Age Should Puppies Be Adopted?

Dear Porky and Buddy,
I am looking to adopt a puppy and a friend of mine is suggesting that I look for one as young as possible, 4 or 5 weeks, so that the puppy can get his early socialization from me and really bond with me.

That sort of makes sense to me, but on the other hand my friend is sort of a “know it all,” if you know what I mean, and is basing his opinion on something he read on the internet.

He’s not a vet or anything, so I thought I had better check with you.
Brenda

Dear Brenda,
OK, for purposes of answering this question we will assume you are not a female dog, just a female person with very poor taste in friends, if you know what we mean.

He is so wrong, wrong, wrong that it takes our breath away!

The typically accepted timeframe for adoption is no younger than 8 weeks of age, and ideally as old as 10 or even 12 weeks.

The reason is very simple.

During those early weeks, puppies learn from their mothers and their siblings how to be  happy, confident dogs.

They learn how to play, how to pay attention to dog social cues, what not to do to avoid “nips” from mom, all kinds of stuff about how to interact with the world successfully as a dog.

You don’t want to teach your puppy how to be a human for goodness’ sake.

He needs to learn how to be a dog.

It is well-established that puppies will exhibit a number of negative behaviors, among them social anxiety, a greater incidence of excessive barking, fearfulness on walks, reactivity to noises, toy possessiveness, food passiveness, attention-seeking behavior and destructive behavior when taken from their canine families before 8 weeks of age.

No reputable breeder or shelter or rescue group would sell or adopt out a puppy to its new home before that age.

In addition, it is actually illegal for breeders to sell puppies before 8 weeks of age in New York and many other states.

So tell your friend to go surf the internet for conspiracy theories about global warming and obtain your puppy, preferably from a shelter or rescue group, where the people do actually “know it all.”

The Oswego County Humane Society provides spay/neuter services and assistance, fostering and adoption of animals in urgent need, humane education programs, and information and referrals to animal lovers throughout Oswego County.

Located at 29 W. Seneca St., Oswego, NY.

Phone: 315-207-1070.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.oswegohumane.org

Because People and Pets Are Good for Each Other.

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