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Choosing A Puppy

20 11:37:37

Question
Hi Melinda,
I asked you a question recently regarding which sex to choose as a companion to our 7 year-old female yorkie.  You suggested another female would be the better choice and I have found a breeder with whom I'm familiar, with  three female pups available.  They live a couple of hour's drive from my house, but as I had previously planned to in their area this weekend, I will be stopping by to see the puppies.  They will just be 2 weeks old the day I see them and I don't know if I can choose one over the other at that young age, but it may be the only chance I have to choose the one I'd like.  Any advice there?   Also, what age is most ideal to bring a yorkie puppy home?  The breeder said they like to keep them til 9 weeks of age as they are so small and they want to make sure they're fully weaned and ready to go to a new home.  I've been reading about an imprinting stage that starts at 8 weeks and is very important in the puppy's socialization.  
Thank you so much for being here to answer all these questions.  I have some trepidation about doing things "just right", to facilitate the transition of a new member into our family, and I really appreciate the expertise you offer.

Sincerely,
Vickie

Answer
Vickie,

Two weeks old is definitely to young for you to know which one to choose.  The first eight weeks of their lives their looks can change significantly.  There are many factors to consider when choosing a puppy.  If you are going to breed her then you will need to choose one that is larger than the others.  You also will need to see both parents.  When you go to see the puppies be sure to tell the breeder that you want to see both parents and arrange for the male to be present when you are there.

You can always put a deposit down on a puppy and choose which one later.  The breeder could send you a photo when they are about seven weeks old, with their approximate weight.  You could then choose which one you would like.  If however, the breeder is going to allow people to choose a specific puppy when they come to look at them then you will have to take your chances and choose one now.  The alternative would be to get whatever is left after other people have put their deposits down and chosen their puppy.

I always tried to keep my puppies with the mother until they were eight weeks of age. It is believed that the mother teaches them how to care for themselves and socialize.  With that being said I will tell you that whenever I purchased a new puppy I always tried to get it when it was weaned, which is usually around six weeks of age.  While there is no definitive proof I believe (from my experiences) that the bond between the dog and myself was always stronger the earlier I brought them into my home.  It also helped with the bonding between the older dogs because they would tend to want to mother the puppy.

Be aware however, that if you bring one home at six weeks you will have to feed it differently than you would a nine week old puppy.  Their food has to be soft and mushy so it is easy to eat and digest.  As they get older you can gradually introduce them to hard dog food.  There is a lot of do's and don'ts when it comes to feeding a young puppy so if you can get her at six weeks then write to me again and I will tell you how to feed her.

Good Luck with your new baby.

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