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getting a puppy.

  • 05-04-2013 9:20pm
    #1
    Sean Mullen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 133 ✭✭


    I'm looking at getting a female shih tzu puppy tomorrow. It's 11 and a half weeks old. Is this too old to be getting at that age as I was hoping for an 8 week old one.


Comments

  • #2
    ISDW
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭ISDW


    No, I'd say thats perfect, the smaller breeds especially do well when left with their mother for a few extra weeks. Is she going to be fully vaccinated?


  • #3
    andreac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Not at all. Better to be bit older. I'd be more concerned that the breeder is reputable and has all health tests done.


  • #4
    Sean Mullen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 133 ✭✭Sean Mullen


    ISDW wrote: »
    No, I'd say thats perfect, the smaller breeds especially do well when left with their mother for a few extra weeks. Is she going to be fully vaccinated?

    It comes with a vet cert and all injections and wormed and ikc reged


  • #5
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Aww! She's going to be a delight. There's nothing as cute as a Shih Tzu puppy...

    One thing OP. Shih Tzu are VERY strong-willed. Puppy training (once she's had all her jabs) is so important as is socialisation. Toilet training is said to be a problem with Shih Tzu, but mine was potty trained in a fortnight. The way I did mine was to watch for the 'triggers'. So when he woke, ate, played, we took him straight outside. Whenever he did his business, we say the words (wee wee, poopy - whatever you like!) get really excited, and would praise him like mad. Didn't take him long to get the idea.

    11.5 weeks is ideal really. I got mine at 10 weeks.

    Good luck!


  • #6
    paultf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 974 ✭✭✭paultf


    I was lucky to get a new pup 4 weeks ago - he was 11 weeks old at the time. The breeder was going to show him but changed his mind.

    I couldn't believe the difference. Previous pups I got at 8 weeks. This fella is so advanced in comparsion.

    He is a lovely pup and I reckon the extra 3 weeks is showing through. The breeder had him interacting with his other dogs.

    My fella has settled in way quicker, he is socialising better and the house training is better too.


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  • #7
    DBB
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,770 Mod ✭✭✭✭DBB


    paultf wrote: »
    I couldn't believe the difference. Previous pups I got at 8 weeks. This fella is so advanced in comparsion.

    He is a lovely pup and I reckon the extra 3 weeks is showing through. The breeder had him interacting with his other dogs.

    And therein lies the problem. If the breeder is working hard to socialise and habituate the pup to a home life, having pup experience lots of different people of all ages, other dogs etc, then leaving pup with the breeder until it's a bit older can be very successful.
    However, if the pup is being raised in a shed, getting limited exposure to life as a pet dog, then for the sake of developing into a well-adjusted adult dog, the pup needs to come out of there asap, definitely no longer than the 8 week mark, otherwise the chances of the pup becoming a social nightmare as an adult increase hugely.


  • #8
    trickymicky
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭trickymicky


    just got my pup over the weekend at twelve weeks and you do see a huge difference in the few weeks. now granted hes is still a pup and not some genius dog, but i found the older the pup, the easier it is to train them.


  • #9
    fatmammycat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,208 ✭✭✭fatmammycat


    I got my guy at 13 weeks, he slept through the night from word go and had only two accidents in the house- my own fault as I was paying attention. I would never take a pup younger than 12 weeks again if it could be avoided. Agree with DBB though, my pup was well socialised with family and -most importantly- small children from the outset.


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