Q&A: When can my puppy come home? And why the big time range?

Red & Rocxy's litter will be ready for their new homes between July 19th and June 10th.

Why the big time range?

The answer is: Puppy social and emotional development.

Physical need for mom is over around 6 weeks. Puppies can bathroom, are eating solid food, regulating their own body temperature, and have had their first shots.

But, there are key emotional and social development milestones that are needed for your puppy to be the best dog he can be.

Week 6-8: Puppy is learning rapidly at this time. Momma and siblings teach the puppy by giving negative feedback for bad behavior (biting, excess whining, barking, etc.) in ways that puppy naturally understands.

Learning these skills will help puppy be a better behaved dog. Whether pup is the only dog in the house, or has a new pack in its new home, he will feel more secure. He will intuitively be more understanding and considerate of others, figuring out where he fits in the pack. He will be more comfortable around new people and animals.

Puppy needs to see lots of new faces and go to lots of new places during week 6. We want car rides, trips to parks (NOT dog parks), therapy visits to cheer people up, lots of family and neighbors to meet.

Around the beginning of week 8, puppy enters a fear stage. This is NOT a time to push puppy to overcome fears. Exposure to negative or traumatic experiences during this time can lead to life-long phobias. Even "new" activities that puppy has done before can be upsetting. During this time, new experiences should be avoided. Parks and car trips are a bad idea. Puppy should be home playing with mom and siblings, developing a sense of safety and security, and re-enforcing his social skills.

By week 9-11, puppy is ready to start trying new things again. At this time he needs lots of new experiences and interaction for ideal socialization. He needs lots of patience and understanding to help him be able to start sleeping on his own through the night, learning to kennel alone, consistently eliminating outdoors. He needs firm and clear boundaries. Exceptions are confusing and will set back training during this critical learning period. He is ready to start learning basics through play: sit, fetch, come. He is learning that toys are for chewing and furniture is not.

If you want to have your puppy in his new home during this time, it is essential that you are prepared for this critical period. I will do another post to support this process with more specifics.