New Puppy Age
Hi All!
Question- I live in the UK, which means that no puppy under 10 months of age can legally be imported (grrr). They have to be vaccinated etc. in their original international home before they can qualify for a passport and such, so that they enter the UK.
What do you think about getting a new puppy at that age, particularly a Shikoku? Would you advise against it, or have any particular comments?
Thanks guys,
V
Comments
It's like adopting a dog. We got Keigo when he was 9 months old and he is seriously, the best dog ever! Since you're getting the pup from a breeder, you have the benefit of not having to go through potty training and the breeder will be training your dog, so it should be very well behaved when you get your baby.
Right, 10 weeks is great, but 10 months is a little different. In general, I'd say getting a puppy at 10 months is fine. I got Lucy at 7 and we're doing great! Off the top of my head, there are a few things you may want to look out for. First, is the breeder going to raise the puppy until they reach 10 months? If not, I would be somewhat cautious. Lucy went to a home at 8 weeks, then went back to the breeder at 4 months before I got her and she had some socialization issues. If the breeder is going to raise the puppy, is the puppy going to be raised in the home for 10 months or are they going to be kept in a kennel? Those first few months are vitally important to the puppy's socialization so I would be cautious of a kennel raised puppy. That doesn't mean you should get one, just means you are going to have a different set of adjustment issues to address.
On the topic of getting a Shikoku in particular, that might be a bit harder. Given that there are so few Shikoku breeders you may find it difficult to find one that is willing to work with you on the 10 months. You may be able to adopt one that is retired from breeding, but even that may prove difficult. I'm sure there are some Shikoku owners on here that can address this better than I can though.
Good luck!
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And you're new to the forum right? Welcome!
Seriously Dave? I just assumed that the breeder would WANT to take care of the puppy til they could go to their forever home. Damn, I had no idea.
And yes, Vahid. Welcome.
This might be stupid, but is there any way to have the pup shipped to a bordering/nearby country and then drive the pup over the border?
Hello Vahid. You'll love the forums, I'm new to them and I've learned so many valuable things. King was a rescue, his owners gave him up to the pound and then the Shiba rescue got a hold of him. I got him at 1 year old and I can honestly say, THANK GOD! He was potty trained. socialized with other dogs and already had some manners. If you want something bad enough then you have to go for it! You never know until you try anyway and that's pretty true with about everything in life.
Enjoy the forums, look around. Some of the posting are funny as heck!
I would have no problem adopting a 10 month old puppy. If the breeder was doing things in a way that I approve of, I'd actually appreciate not having to potty train the pup and whatnot. I've been sort of somewhat considering getting a dog from a breeder who is 10 months old and she has already been to some dog shows and is started on obedience, flyball, and agility training. That's a lot less work for me and I still get the dog for almost its entire life. I probably won't end up getting this particular dog because there's no way I could take on another dog before August (at the very soonest!) due to being pregnant and related health issues, but I'd definitely consider it in the future.
A side benefit is that most puppies go down in price as they age. Not that that's a determining factor, but it's one potential benefit. I noticed this is opposite from horses, where the price goes up the more training they have and the more "proven" they are. Really, if the breeder is doing everything right, getting an older puppy is quite a sweet deal!
Hi Vahid, welcome to the forum!
I don't think getting a puppy at 10 months is bad, but I do think it is unreasonably hard on the dog. Personally, if I was a breeder, I would be hesitant to sell my pup to someone who couldn't take him/her till they were 10 months since the pup would be so attached to it's current home. It would be like giving the dog up for adoption.
That is my feeling, and I know it is probably not very positive.
Let me ask this, does the law apply to dogs being brought in from another European country to the UK, I mean is this just an issue bringing one over from over seas?
I don't think 10 months is bad at all. There are a lot of breeders who rehome dogs at ages way over 10 months. A lot of times it is because they are keeping a dog to see if it will become a show dog or a champion, or a dog for breeding etc. Then maybe they put a championship on it, or breed with it once or twice and later rehome it. If they were to keep all the dogs they kept past 8 weeks, they could easily end up with way to many dogs for any one home.
So yeah, I think a 10 month old dog would be fine to get if you can find a breeder who wants to ship to the UK.