5 week old american bulldog mix

Question
We brought home a new puppy.  Just a baby.  Only 5 weeks old.  I am worried that she will not learn proper dog behaviours being separated from her mom and her litter.  We would like to visit her with her family before the rest of the pups go to the humane society, but they live 5 hours away with my sister.  Any advice on how we can make sure she acts like a dog and not a human?

Answer
Boy, this is really too young to have brought this puppy home, and your fears are very valid. She needs to be around other dogs/puppies, however, she really shouldn't be before she has had any inoculations.

If you have any good friends, relatives, or neighbors who have NICE dogs that might take this puppy under their wing *AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE UP-TO-DATE ON THEIR VACCINATIONS*, then set up play dates for her so that she can learn from them. Invite them over for coffee or lunch!

Once she has had her inoculations, then you can take her out and expose her to other people, situations, and animals. Be sure to get her into a few months of obedience classes and practice "Nothing in Life is Free" with her. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  And don't forget to work on bite inhibition!

Also get the book, "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With", by Rutherford and Neil. It is a WONDERFUL book!