I am getting this great dane puppy tomorrow and he is only six weeks old she said he is weened and he eat hard dog food, and i just wanted to make sure it is a good desion she said we could wait until he is 8 weeks but i am eager to get him…
also i already have a year and half pomerian …
SIX weeks is very inappropriate –
the fact that U 'want' the pup has nothing to do with the fact that it is bad for the puppy.
in most states, the very-earliest that ANY pup can leave their
dam/mom and siblings is 49-days – which is SEVEN weeks.
however, the laws do vary, and in quite a few states, min-age is
56-days or EIGHT weeks before any pup or kitten can be taken from
their litter or the ltter separated from the mother.
if the pup is in one state, and U are in another, this is covered by USDA
regulations – which are Federal – and 56-days/8 weeks is the very
Earliest date/age that any pup or kitten can travel without Mom + all the
kids together, as a package deal.
the reason that pups need to stay with their sibs + mom for a few weeks
longer, EVEN IF they are weaned, has to do with what they are learning –
Mom is not just a milk-bottle, ya know!
pups have to learn apropos social-skills like body-language signals,
play-gestures, when to defer, and an inhibited-bite or gentle mouth.
ppl cannot teach these species-specific behaviors – only other dogs can.
that's why pups who are born solo always need special-care, or some
surrogate-siblings, in order to grow up normally.
BESIDES… if U get the pup at only 6-wks/42 days, U have to WAIT
until TWELVE-weeks to begin housetraining, anyway!
pups have no working sphincter-muscles on bladder or bowel before
3-mos/12-wks… so that means that Every Two Hours, they go out to
potty – WITH a human-being, On a Leash.
No exceptions, no shoving the pup out the door to cower + cry and then
come back in traumatized + whizz on the carpet so that U can slap'em…
bad human! (smacks rolled newspaper)
so please – do us all a favor, especially the pup –
WAIT. do it legally, do it kindly, let the puppy grow-up a bit.
let Pup be READY to leave mom + brothers + sisters.
let Pup have some time between 5-wks, when they are able to toddle,
and 8-wks, when they can engage in active-play for 10 mins or more
at a time, to enjoy their siblings, and learn from Mom.
before 5-wks, pups are still 'swimming' on their bellies.
those 21 days help shape the DOG that U will live with for a decade -
longer if U are lucky! (smile)
all dogs should be weaned from there mothers at 8 weeks
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No you need to wait at least 8 weeks….it can cause problems later in life and be unhealthy for your puppy. In some places it's actually illegal to take a puppy from its mom before 8 weeks.
Sounds like you might want to reconsider getting this dog at all, the breeder sounds very irresponsible.
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6 weeks is perfectly fine.
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it depends if hte pup still nedds the milk but if the pup can see and don't need the milik then it should be okay to take away from the mother
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8 to 12 is ideal.
The pup picks up immunities from his or her mother. If they are weaned before then, they do not get all those immunities. The vaccines your vet will give to your puppy will not be recommended until 8 weeks, which leaves a 2 week gap to develop illnesses. Introducing her to a new environment during this time will also be very stressful, further depleating her ability to fight off illness.
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You can have behavior problems , Its best to keep them with the mother until at least 8 weeks so the Mother is the first one telling them No and she is directing them about leadership and proper relationships inbetween other dogs and people.
Edit – Another thing , Puppies do not fully grow there personaltys until after 49 days , so you are not seeing what this dog could possibly grow up to be like at 6 weeks. If you take them home early you will be cutting your puppies chance to learn about being a dog ( some dogs are confused later in life and end up in the pound ) .
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German Shepherd Breeder
Yes it is bad to take a puppy, any puppy away from its dam and litter mates at 6 weeks. The 2 weeks from 6 – 8 weeks is crucial to a puppy. They need to stay with their litter to learn all kinds of things – like bite inhibition, how to play with other dogs.
Housetraining a puppy that's much too young is much, much harder. You'll be making a huge mistake that your puppy will pay for and you'll regret in the end if you don't do the mature thing and wait until he's old enough.
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No it is not bad to get a pup at 6 weeks if he is already weened. Just know that the puppy is going to be a high need dog for a bit and make sure to make him feel safe and loved. Because he is so young make sure to have something warm he can sleep with such as a Cuddle buddy you can find them at many pet stores. also if you are kennel training him (in witch i recommend) put a clock with a loud tick or a small radio to make him feel like his litter mates are with him. also put the shirt or pants that you wore that day in the kennel with him so he knows you are his pack leader and that you are the one that will be taking care of him. Get ready grate Danes are a hand full but they are very fun and loving.
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husband is a vet/dog trainer and i am a dog groomer
If you're in the US, most states it's illegal to take a dog away from its mother any younger than 8 weeks. The pup may be weaned, but there is considerable temperamental development that occurs in those last few weeks. The mama & pups all learn from each other about living in a pack.
I would RUN from a breeder that would even consider letting a dog go before 8 weeks. Illegal & unethical.
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I know you are probably eager to get him/her, but if you want him/her to be happy and healthy, you need to wait a little longer for it to be with its mum.
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you should wait until 8 weeks at least so then your pup will really love you cause he will get used to you.
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Eight weeks – Minimum – First stop @ Vets. for shots, worming, ect…
Do not put puppy on floor @ Vet's office, and only on table that has been disinfected.
Ask Vet. lots of questions.
Best one is "Can you tell me what I should know to make sure I do my part to keep puppy healthy?"
Beat of Luck.
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Hobby Breeder & Dad's a Vet.
NO NO NO! You can't do that! It is just like you and your mother getting separated when your only 6 WEEKS. It is between a mother and a child.
<3
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Those extra 2 weeks make a huge difference in a pups life! This is when they learn bite inhibition and learn limits/behavior from the mother and litter mates.
Wait to get the pup though a different breeder is strongly suggested. A good breeder wouldn't risk behavior issues due to taking a pup too young.
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as long as they got their first shots and yeah they eating puppy food they are ok to go
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There are two reasons why puppies should be separated at between 7-9 weeks of age and not earlier.
Behavior and immunity.
The most recommended age at which a puppy should be separated from its mother and litter mates ranges from 7 to 9 weeks of age. This would allow the puppy to learn ranking order and social skills and experience corrections from the mother. It is also pliable to bond to humans rather than dogs.
On of the most common mistakes that I've seen is removing a pup from its mother and littermates at too early an age. The puppy has not yet learned how to interact with other dogs and will often respond to the presence of other dogs by being extremely dog aggressive as he matures. Bite inhibition is usually taught by playing and wrestling with its litter mates and by separating the pup too early, the puppy does not learn this. In addition, the puppy will not of had time with its mother to learn to respect corrections and a lower rank. I would not be at all surprised if there are dominance aggression problems further down the road.
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It is fine for puppies to be weened from thier mothers at 6 wks. Our dogs were weened at 4 wks and they turned out just fine.
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SIX weeks is very inappropriate –
the fact that U 'want' the pup has nothing to do with the fact that it is bad for the puppy.
in most states, the very-earliest that ANY pup can leave their
dam/mom and siblings is 49-days – which is SEVEN weeks.
however, the laws do vary, and in quite a few states, min-age is
56-days or EIGHT weeks before any pup or kitten can be taken from
their litter or the ltter separated from the mother.
if the pup is in one state, and U are in another, this is covered by USDA
regulations – which are Federal – and 56-days/8 weeks is the very
Earliest date/age that any pup or kitten can travel without Mom + all the
kids together, as a package deal.
the reason that pups need to stay with their sibs + mom for a few weeks
longer, EVEN IF they are weaned, has to do with what they are learning –
Mom is not just a milk-bottle, ya know!
pups have to learn apropos social-skills like body-language signals,
play-gestures, when to defer, and an inhibited-bite or gentle mouth.
ppl cannot teach these species-specific behaviors – only other dogs can.
that's why pups who are born solo always need special-care, or some
surrogate-siblings, in order to grow up normally.
BESIDES… if U get the pup at only 6-wks/42 days, U have to WAIT
until TWELVE-weeks to begin housetraining, anyway!
pups have no working sphincter-muscles on bladder or bowel before
3-mos/12-wks… so that means that Every Two Hours, they go out to
potty – WITH a human-being, On a Leash.
No exceptions, no shoving the pup out the door to cower + cry and then
come back in traumatized + whizz on the carpet so that U can slap'em…
bad human! (smacks rolled newspaper)
so please – do us all a favor, especially the pup –
WAIT. do it legally, do it kindly, let the puppy grow-up a bit.
let Pup be READY to leave mom + brothers + sisters.
let Pup have some time between 5-wks, when they are able to toddle,
and 8-wks, when they can engage in active-play for 10 mins or more
at a time, to enjoy their siblings, and learn from Mom.
before 5-wks, pups are still 'swimming' on their bellies.
those 21 days help shape the DOG that U will live with for a decade -
longer if U are lucky! (smile)
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30 yrs educating ppl, training pets.
Hi, how exciting for you, its a lovely feeling isn't it? Theres so many conflicting issues with taking a pup too early but the breeder obviously knows that the mum of the pups is NOT going to feed them anymore and that they'll be giving mum a hard time over it, they want to suckle but mum's had enough. She's given you the option of waiting another two weeks but i can understand your enthusiasm, you want him home with you! To be honest, your pup has had all the 'immunity germs' from mum that he's going to get and all he'll benefit from staying with his mum and siblings is socialisation and 'doggy' manners! If its any consulation to you i had to home my jack russell puppy at 4 weeks ( crap breeder, terrible hom etc etc ), he was bloody hard work (still is ha ha), couldn't drink from a bowl because he hadn't been weaned, had terrible worms that almost killed him, the list is endless but with love and hard work he survived – he's six now bless him and is a wonderful little soul! The breeder has said that your dog can drink on his own, eat solids and is independant from mum so you may as well bring him home, he'll be better off to be honest! He'll cry an awful lot because he'll be missing all that he's known but he'll settle once he's had lots of love and cuddles. As he's such a large breed pup he'll need much more food than is normal – i'd make up a batch of cooked white rice mixed with shredded chicken and cooked peas, it'll make the transition from the breeders food to what you eventually give him a lot easier on his stomach! What you waiting for then? Go get him ha ha, best of luck with everything mate – can we have a photo when you've all settled down please? Thanks, take care.
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Totally understand your excitement, but I would caution you to wait until 8 weeks. Many dogs with behaviour issues were taken away from mom too early. She (and his littermates) is teaching him what he needs to know about being in a pack. Don't bite too hard during play, do this, don't do that, etc. You'll have a better dog in the long run if you wait.
Also, check your local shelter. It is illegal in some states to take a pup before 8 weeks. And even if it's legal, it's not a good idea.
Make sure you put the pup on a good quality food when you get it (or get her to put him on it now if you can). I suggest Eagle Pack Natural, Chicken Soup for Dog Lovers Soul – Adult, or Canidea.
Check out http://www.greatdanelady.com for lots more you need to know about this new pup. My dane pup was way different than any other pup I've had over the last 30 years. They're more delicate than you think.
Good luck!
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If you are in the US it is against the law to buy, sell, adopt or give away a puppy under 8 weeks of age. Also be aware NO responsible breeder will EVER send a puppy to it's new home under 8 weeks of age…the fact taht your breeder is willing ot let a puppy go at 6 weeks is a red flag.
To answer your question..NO a Dane puppy should NOT be taken away from mom and littermates at 6 weeks of age!!!
*****NO vaccinations under 8 weeks of age (no lepto..lepto can cause severe reaction in Danes),no puppy food of any kind not even large breed..look for a good quality adult food with 24% or less protein..no store brand foods, no foods that contain corn, wheat, soy*********
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Dane owner for over 25 years
In my opinion, it is not bad, because of my experience. I have 3 great danes, and 2 of them I got at 6 weeks old. The 3rd one I got at 8 weeks. They are all fine and doing well. All 3 of them sleep with me for the first 2 months, and I have a very special bond with them. This is my opinion and my experience only. Hope I could help….
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my experience
Wait till 8 wks. I noticed some people giving you great advice from on nutrition and vaccines. Please take note of these. Excellent food is a must, raw would be a great idea! Vaccines are a common mistake. Don't give combo shots (i.e. DHLP). To learn more on vaccines go to http://leansnslobbers.proboards92.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=18318
This forum can also help with Great Dane feeding advice.
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