Archive for June 3rd, 2009

Buying a Puppy That Is Older Than Six Weeks

Share: bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark

Buying a Puppy That Is Older Than Six Weeks

Most puppies on sale are usually around six to eight weeks old. Breeders and buyers prefer the puppies to be between six to eight weeks old because this doesn’t allow the puppy to get too attached to its mother. Also when you bring such a young puppy home it gets easier to get him used to living in the new environment and getting used to you. Also at a young age a puppy will quite easily start recognizing you as his mother and accept you. You will be interested in picking up some cheap dog clothes and dog dress for your doggie.

But there are always some puppies left behind and they stay at the kennel or with the breeders till they are 3 to 6 months old. Of course they are still puppies but there are some pros and cons to getting a puppy that is over 3 months old.

The Information that you need to look at while buying an older puppy

Older puppies are calmer than their younger counterparts. Also they are used to socializing with humans which makes them easier to handle. Since they are already used to living in the kennel or the breeders you may not have to through the gamut of things like potty training that you may have to undertake with a younger pup. You will want to get some of these small dog clothes for your dog.

But before you buy an older puppy take some time out to find out more about his background. More often than not, if you are not dealing with a professional breeder, the old owner may just be selling the puppy because he wants to wash his hands off him. You can imagine the kind of life that this puppy must have had with this owner. And there are strong chances that the puppy was neglected for a long time and is now being given up because the owner can’t take care of his needs.

Unfortunately a history of abuse and neglect can harm a young puppy’s mental well being. Most puppies that face neglect and bad behavior are either hostile or overtly shy. Of course you will not be able to discover his nature in one meeting. So it’s important that before you buy this puppy, get your entire family along to see him. You need to see how he reacts to them. If you see any signs of aggression or passiveness you will have to decide if you are willing to take on the added responsibility. There is also always the possibility that the breeder could not find a good home for him in time which means that even if your puppy is older he may be as even tempered as any other puppy.

Before you buy this puppy make it a point to get some background information on him. Some of the pieces of information that will help you to find fruitful answers are-
• Find out if the dog has received any sort of training
• See if you notice any bad habits such as excessive barking, chewing or aggression and ask the seller about them.
• You will also need to know if the puppy was owned before and if yes what made the previous owner give him up.

These are just a few pieces of information that will help you to make the correct choice. Of course you can add more to the list depending on what you are looking for in a puppy.

Share: bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark bookmark