[Jerry Beil]

Any suggestions? I've heard 49 days to 12 weeks.

Thanks!

 

[Bryan Detwiler]

49 days and not a second later.

 

[freefall319]

In my experience most pup's are spoken for or gone by 12 weeks. Here in Cali I know you can't pick up your pup until it is 8 weeks old. When I was in the market I was trying to find them around the 5-6 week age range. At that point they are moving around and you can start to see thier personality coming out. That's just my .02

 

[mjh345]

7 to 8 weeks. Definitely NOT before 7 weeks
You can't fly a puppy before 8 weeks

 

[Doc E]

You can't fly a puppy before 8 weeks

Find a Lawyer and Vet who are in cahoots and you can.



.

 

[Ironwood]

Depends on the breeder. Some like to see the pups exposed to a lot of different elements. Pup trust mom more than anyone. They will follow where she goes. The second aspect is the limitations are set by the mother as she has had enough of them nursing with their sharp little teeth well established. Pup learn the auditory and physical posture from mother. A third point is some vets and all airlines will need to see a health certificate for the pup to fly at eight weeks.
Talk to your breeder or do some research trough your local vet.

 

[RaeganW]

49 days and not a second later.

Myth: http://www.calibertollers.com/49daymyth.htm

If your breeder is doing their job, that is handling the pups daily, not doing anything to overtly crush hunting instincts, and in general doing anything more than sticking them in a run and putting down food twice a day, your puppy will benefit more from the extra week of litter socialisation than an extra week of individual socialization. From a really good breeder doing lots of litter enrichment, I'll let them keep the pup as long as they want. I hate doing socialization though, I'd just as rather leave it up to someone else.

Of course, if you have a stick-em-in-a-run-and-forget-about-em breeder, earlier is better. But I wouldn't count on getting a good hunting dog from them in the first place.

 

[Bryan Detwiler]

If your breeder is doing their job, that is handling the pups daily, not doing anything to overtly crush hunting instincts, and in general doing anything more than sticking them in a run and putting down food twice a day

Seems like a big if. Although, if you did your research beforehand, maybe not so much. 'Ole Wolters made quite the impression on me back when I first read Water Dog.

 

[Labs a mundo]

I can only speak for Labs, but.......49 days.

I'll say it again.
49 days

 

[Eric Johnson]

Richard Wolters was a much better writer and sporting goods salesman than he was a dog trainer. In fact, after training his first dog, when he tried to train his second dog he was force to turn the dog over to a pro.

The claim of the 49th day is based upon a terrible mis-interpretation of the work of Clarence Pfaffenberger. The article is quite good and to the point.

I won't let a dog go any earlier than 8 weeks.

Eric

 

[Leddyman]

I started getting mine on the 49th day back in the Wolters heyday. There may be nothing to it, I couldn't say, but it has worked for me. All 49 dayers have been good dogs. The only washout I had was a dog I took at about 12 weeks and he came with bad habits. And personality trouble...something happened to him in those 12 weeks.

49 days may be nothing, but I'll bet by 49 days they don't have bad habits.

 

[windycanyon]

8 wks here. The extra week does a lot of good from what I've seen over the years and I don't do it just to spend a bunch of extra time and $$$ either. I feel better about the vaccination status of the pups, and my ACVO feels better about waiting til 7.5 wks to do CERFs too. Works for Guide Dogs too apparently. Illegal in some states to sell younger than 8 wks too.

 

[John Lash]

I like 49 days too.

 

[Joe Dutro]

Day 49 for me also.
Joe

 

[Doc E]

49 days to 56 days



.

 

[john fallon]

The early socialization period which is done by the mother and by interaction with the other puppies in the litter, takes place during the period from the 3rd to the 12th week, separation from the mother and the siblings at shall we say 49 days cuts this period by 30%. when viewing the normal shipping window

With this in mind I would opt for 56 days .

john

 

[Dave Flint]

Richard Wolters was a much better writer and sporting goods salesman than he was a dog trainer. In fact, after training his first dog, when he tried to train his second dog he was force to turn the dog over to a pro.

The claim of the 49th day is based upon a terrible mis-interpretation of the work of Clarence Pfaffenberger. The article is quite good and to the point.

I won't let a dog go any earlier than 8 weeks.

Eric

I can't believe how many people still buy into that. My ideal would be around 10 wks to make my pick but I don't know any breeder that would want keep them that long.

 

[Laura McCaw]

Just from my experience on buying our pups, we got one at the 49 day mark, BEST in my opinion. One at 8 weeks because she had to be flown here, bad with biting, barking, jumping, but I guess that is a puppy thing? I would have thought different after our 49 dayer.

Then our other at 12 weeks, wow, what a disaster. I am trying to teach better habits than what she has. I mean, all pups from different litters, so this all could have been just coincident (sp?) with when I took them, but the boy I got at 7 weeks learned sit on day one, he has the most birdiness, has learned his OB quickly and he is very respectful, also he would rather focus on me since I have worked with him starting at 7 weeks also... unlike the other 2. I still love them all though. Oh and they are much older now.. this was just an example of my experience at getting them at different ages.

 

[GLFLYER]

7-8 weeks,,,,,8 weeks only if flying.

 

[2tall]

I started getting mine on the 49th day back in the Wolters heyday. There may be nothing to it, I couldn't say, but it has worked for me. All 49 dayers have been good dogs. The only washout I had was a dog I took at about 12 weeks and he came with bad habits. And personality trouble...something happened to him in those 12 weeks.

49 days may be nothing, but I'll bet by 49 days they don't have bad habits.

Ya know, I sure hope 8 weeks is ok, because thats how old mine will be win I fly out to get him Tuesday