I just had a lady contact me several weeks ago. she was interested in a puppy.
But insisted she recieve it at 7 wks. Because at 8 wks the puppy can go through trauma ( stress shipping stress. loud noises etc.. And if it does then it will never bond.So then it's usless. I asked her where she has heard this and said she read it in a Raising a puppy,book. It only happens at 8wks.

I have more problems with puppies/dogs who were sold to new homes at 5wks and come to me older. That have issues,.I can tell they went to new homes to young to leave the BYB home.

I also sold a pup a few yrs ago at 4 mos. This guy wanted a hunting dog.He was very hesitant in purchasing it.As He never buys a dog older then 8 wks to use for hunting.To his surprise that 4 month old pup is a dynomite retriever.But he would never again buy one older then 8wks.

I must have had the same person call me too. Same story. I told her I never heard of that and thought it was crap. I haven't heard back from her so I have to assume some people believe everything they read.

In some states its ilegal to sell a pup before 8 weeks.

They myth started when one guy who trains hunting dogs (his name escapes me) wrote a book and said the optimium time to purchase a a puppy was at 7 weeks. That was based on the assumption that the puppies get no human interaction when they're small. Carrie Eberhardt (Legasea Labradors) had a link on her website to an article called "Another Look at the 49th Day".

Puppies supposedly go through a "Fear Stage" but I thought it was closer to 10 or 11 weeks. It's talked about in "How to Raise A Puppy You Can Live With".

In the 1970s getting puppies on exactly the 49th day was accepted information from researchers like Campbell etc. and was popularized by the hunting dog books written by Richard Wolters. There is a critical period at 8 weeks but if a puppy is introduced to his new home with little fanfare at 8 weeks it isn't that big of a deal. In fact recent studies showed that puppies that remain with their dam and littermates a little longer learn things like bite inhibition much better. Of course many breeders take the dam away much earlier than 7 or 8 weeks to help with weaning. A good breeder will provide lots of stimulation for their puppies and that extra week with their littermates can help the prospective owners get a jump on crate training and housebreaking.

The different developmental periods are discussed in the book "How to Raise a Puppy You can Live with"

Actually I think it was that book she mentioned.Well not only have I not accepted her application. It was only after she said she talked to a well known breeder/judge about buying one of her pups.That the breeder told her not to spay the bitch till she was 3-4 yrs old. Huhhhhhhhhhhhh.?? As she didn't want the same health issue as her lab she had to put down not long ago. Because she spayed it to early.

Se didn't want a pet quality she only wanted a show prospect, so it had the utmost in health, another huh??? No interest in breeding or showing.

So she wanted the pup at 7 wks show prospect and wouldn't spay it till 3-4 yrs.
Needless to say she has not contacted me after my answere??

I think sometimes people forget that what they read in a book is written for the average dog. I have not observed an obvious fear period in my labradors. Maybe if we had other more high strung breeds, we would see it. I think breeders and buyers need to be reminded that labradors are not your average dog.

I've read all that stuff too and I personally don't see a huge difference between getting a puppy at 7 vs. 8 weeks old. I also don't notice an obvious fear stage in my pups. On my last litter, I had a guy like this lady. We had taken a deposit on the litter from him before the pups were born because after speaking with him several times, he seemed like a really nice guy and a great home for one of our pups. But once the pups were on the ground, he became increasingly annoying. He was one of those I've-read-a-book-that-says-this people. He was constantly hounding me about coming out to visit the puppies, I had to tell him 3 different times that I don't allow visitors until the pups are 5 weeks old. And he also asked me several times if he could take his puppy home at 7 weeks because he read that was the best time. I can't legally do that in FL, not to mention that he had second pick and he knew it, so I had to tell him no several times. I was seriously considering refunding his deposit for awhile and telling him to take a hike. But after the upteenth time telling him there was no way he was getting his puppy early, he backed off and was nice as pie. It takes all kinds I guess.

Yes, the Richard Wolters "Water Dog" and "Gun Dog" books are still in print with the magic 49 days. If this were true, we would never be able to "rehome" older dogs or place started dogs.

This comes up probably every litter--I tell them flat out no one leaves before 8 weeks because of eye exams, etc. And they have to be 8 weeks to fly--last litter I had four people fly in to carry their pups home.

My rules are my rules and I don't make exceptions.

MK

I have puppy buyers try to implement THEIR rules on me all the time.

They try to tell me why they need the pup at 7 weeks and recently had a lady burst in to tears because she couldn’t take her pup home on the 49th day.

I gave her the deposit back. I’d rather not deal with people like that.

These are my pups period!!!!

Yup, I let mine go 8 weeks at the earliest, sometimes 9 weeks.
I have a litter that turns eight weeks on a monday and already have people upset they can't come "just a few days early" over the previous weekend to pick up.
Sorry, the law is the law and besides, I need to make MY final pick at EIGHT weeks.
I know it's hard waiting but it's only a few more days!! Geez!

My biggest reason for keeping them until 8+ weeks, is that is when I make my descision what I'm going to keep.

I don't think 7 weeks(at least) is too early. As someone here said, Labs are different than a lot of breeds. Most of them deal with change and bond with people easier than many other breeds, so older works ok too.

Mike

No one "Insists" with my puppies or should they with yours. Tell them my way or the highway. There are plenty of wonderful homes out there that will do it your way. Refund the deposit and let them go wherever they want, who cares.

While I agree with the principal of "my way or the highway", there are tactful and polite ways to say it.

I think that's what the original poster is looking for.

Many puppy buyers aren't saavy to the way we do things. They often are saying things or asking for things that we won't do, and maybe even offend us, because they don't know any better.

If we use these times as opportunities to educate and explain why we do things the way we do, it usually is not a problem, they usderstand and move on. When we come off gruff and surly, they go find a breeder who will take there money and send them home with a puppy, "no questions asked", it's easier.

Then there are some that are just plain nuts and it doesn't matter what you say or how you say it. I usually try to be calmer and more polite to them as I tell them I'm not selling them a puppy. If I'm not going to let them have a puppy, why make a fight about it.

Mike

Beware those who want a 'show quality' pup but "aren't interested in showing.."...

One seemingly nice 'new to dogs' person at first wanted a pup for a pet. Then she later asked if the dog could be bred. When i inquired as to why she was now interested in breeding, she let it slip that she wanted to breed.....LABRADOODLES!!!

After i picked myself up off the floor, i explained as politely that no reputable breeder of labs OR poodles (or cockers or shi-tzus or whatever) would allow any of their dogs to be used in such a fashion.

Never heard from her again!!! (thank goodness...)

Actually I had asked the original question to see if anyone had heard of this.

I do alot of educating folks.But some of there minds are set. You can educate them to your hoarse and blue in the face.And they will either listen or they won't.

I don't tell anyone hey hit the highway, Your not getting one of my dogs.
I'm nicer then that.

But I feel she was going to find some one to sell her a dog at 7 wks. she said she was on several puppy lists and I was one of those just in case lists , in case the others fell through.
sounded like she has done her research.So she is getting educated along the way. she knew how to get on OFA and check dogs out.
Actually occasionally I do see the fear age. It is around 10-12 wks seems like. Not often.
We do allow our dams to be around the pups up until the day they leave. Or if we keep a couple they raise them up.

In my experience as a dog buyer - I have acquired a puppy at 50 days and several at 9 weeks. The age isn't the issue as much as what the environment is. As someone said above Labs are pretty unflappable as a rule. One puppy that I got at 9 weeks was still in a dirty whelping box with his remaining litter mates and he was tough to housebreak. He has never been too good with new situations either. The one that was 7 weeks was my best temperament and socialization wise but he was also my first and got a lot more one on one attention from us.

I think if you politely explain that your puppies are getting lots of socialization from you while still getting time with mom and littermates it's better for them and easier for the new owners to housetrain them etc. It's one less week of carrying them up and down stairs and one week closer to them being semi-house trained.

I agree with Gina that the situation has a lot more to do with it than the age. Mine are in a 12 X 12 inside area with access to a 12 X 24 outdoor area. They're with their mom, have lots of interaction with human family. They are introduced to crates and are semi-housebroken.

In IL where I reside, if you are licensed by the state, which I am, the age minimum in 8 weeks. Often, I will keep a puppy longer...sometimes because I will run back the two best until I'm sure who to keep, etc...

I try to turn the tables on the question...more like, "you know, it would be a lot easier and cheaper for me to let them go home earlier...but I try to do what is best for the puppies, not easier or cheaper for me". Then usually follows a discussion of how we socialize, handle and clean for hours every day... Then I would follow with a question for them: "Why would you want to buy a puppy from anyone who does any less for "their babies"?".

Just a thought, but sometimes you can make them "think" about why we would do all this if it wasn't for the best interests of the puppies.

I did have one person recently read me the 49 day rule... This was someone whose last dog from me when on to earn 8 agility titles, CDX, and oh, yeah, a MH title. I said "gee, that must have really held Norm back in his training, having to stay that last week with me". She realized how ridiculous she was being and waited the extra week...:)

Leslee Pope
Huntcrest