At what age should you take it? At what age is it better to adopt a puppy? The dog needs your attention and care

Perhaps we should start with the very common, but nevertheless erroneous opinion that the puppy should be taken away the sooner, the better. If a puppy is separated from its mother too early, it can lead to problems for both the animal and its owners.

Is it possible to adopt a puppy if it is one month old?
The puppy is one month old. The dog no longer feeds or licks the puppies; they begin to feed on their own. This creates the illusion that they are already old enough to be in a new family. But besides the fact that they no longer feed on milk and can explore the world, puppies at one month have no other independence. They still depend on the mother and the breeder.

The most important thing that owners of a bitch often forget is that she continues to raise puppies, teaching them necessary rules behavior in a dog pack. Including maintaining cleanliness in the nest.

In addition, from three to seven weeks, the so-called period of primary socialization of puppies occurs. They learn to behave like dogs - to fight, to bark. But most importantly, they learn the body language of their relatives, postures, movements, sounds. Without this knowledge, the dog’s life will not be easy, and most likely, at some stage it will develop mental problems.

Puppies learn the laws of hierarchy and proper behavior with their pack elders. If we take into account that the dog's owner must become the leader, then a puppy that has not acquired these skills may refuse to obey the owner.

But the most important argument against the acquisition one month old puppy- this is his lack of initial vaccination. Therefore, for the owner there is a big risk that the puppy may become seriously ill.

When to get a puppy?
The optimal age for moving a puppy to a new home is considered to be when it is 50–60 days old. The first vaccinations have already been done, the puppy has been trained in dog laws along with his littermates. He is strong enough and ready to accept a new life for him. In most cases, the age from 2 to 3 months is the most optimal.

An exception may be situations when the owner for some reason cannot take such a puppy or there are small children in the house. In this case, it is better to pick up the puppy later - at 4–5 months. Children will no longer be able to harm him discomfort, and the puppy himself is able to stand up for himself or hide from them. At this age, puppies learn very quickly and are already walking. Therefore, owners are deprived of many problems at once.

For older people, it is also optimal to purchase a puppy at 3–4 months. The advantage is that you can go for walks with an already vaccinated puppy. He is accustomed to a certain diet and feeding regimen. Knows some commands and easily learns everything new. But it is much easier for an elderly person to cope with a puppy that has not yet grown up, as well as transporting it to veterinary clinic for inspection and necessary procedures.

Therefore, before you agree with the breeder on the day when you are going to come for your ward, take into account all the pros and cons, without discounting your regime or circumstances, or the interests and capabilities of the family, or your age. A good breeder will always come to the rescue and be able to hold the puppy until the required date.

All your life you have been dreaming of buying a dog, since childhood you have dreamed that one day you will receive a devoted friend for your birthday or for good behavior, but your childhood dream has remained a dream.

You have grown up, live separately or started a family, and sometimes from time to time the thought of buying a dog comes to you again. And if you also have children who also dream of getting a furry friend, then the question of buying a dog becomes very relevant, it’s time to make a decision!

Before you decide to take such a serious step as buying a dog, you need to weigh the pros and cons, understand how your desire matches your capabilities. Isn’t this a whim, because after buying a dog your life will change in many ways.

First, decide for what purpose you are buying a dog.

You need a strong and powerful protector, a faithful and devoted friend, a small and nimble pet with whom you and your children can have fun playing. Maybe you have plans to start breeding purebred puppies for sale? The purpose of buying a dog will also affect the choice of dog breed.

Assess your dog's future place of life.

If you live in a small apartment, then buying a St. Bernard is not a very reasonable decision. Large dog you need space, cramming into a small stuffy apartment is not Better conditions for the life of the animal. Of course, it is impossible to say that all large dogs are unhappy in small apartments, because a dog’s happiness lies in communication with its owner. A dog, like no other domestic animal, needs close contact with its owner, it identifies itself with him, its whole life consists of serving its owner. Therefore, lonely life on a chain in the spacious courtyard of a country house is much more unhappy for a dog than daily close contact with the owner in the space of a small apartment.

The dog needs your attention and care!


Think about who will take care of the dog during your absence, who will walk it 4-5 times a day, regardless of the weather, with whom the dog will stay during your absence.

their business trips and vacations, think through everything possible situations. After all, a dog is not a cat that can be trained to a litter tray and can live its entire life in the space of your apartment. The dog needs walks, active games, chasing the ball, it needs somewhere to put its energy! In addition, you need to be prepared for the fact that until the puppy grows up and goes through all necessary vaccinations He can’t walk outside, and he’ll have to be patient when he needs to clean up puddles and piles on the floor in the apartment; this can last up to 3-4 months. Are you ready for such troubles?

Assess your financial capabilities.

The dog needs proper nutrition and veterinary care. All vaccinations and examinations at the veterinarian are paid. For full growth and development, as well as maintenance good health You need to provide your dog good nutrition. The basis of the diet
Dogs should be fed a super-premium diet consisting of natural meat, containing the correct balance of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. A large dog weighing from 35 to 65 kg requires 400-600 g of super-premium dry food per day. Medium-sized dogs weighing from 15 to 35 kg require 200-400 g of super-premium dry food per day. Are you able to provide such care? For a family with a modest budget, such expenses may be unnecessary!

Remember, buying a dog is a very important step!

Yes, along with the joy of communicating with your beloved friend, you will receive a lot of worries, but these worries are pleasant if you love the animal.

The ability to take responsibility for our decisions, show care and care for the dog, overcoming some inconvenience, spending energy and our time, allows us to cultivate a strong character and kind heart. Caring for a creature that needs our help and attention makes us stronger, wiser, purer and brighter. Buying a dog can be a great educational lesson in a child's life.

If your child asks you to buy a dog, tell him what will be required of him when caring for the dog, what share of responsibility for the animal will lie with him. Of course, children rely on our help in caring for the animal; with the advent of a dog, you will also have to put in your efforts to care for the animal. So try borrowing your friends' dog for a couple of days. Show your child in practice what it means to be responsible and care for a living being.

I'm buying a puppy!– you made this decision despite all the conditions associated with keeping a dog, having weighed all the pros and cons, then we move on. Where to start?

And you must start by choosing a place to buy.

Have you already decided on the breed you want? Read as much information as possible about the characteristics of this breed, conditions of maintenance and care. Read what you should pay attention to when examining a puppy of this breed, what shortcomings and vulnerabilities there are in the health of this breed.

You can go to the bird market and look at representatives of the breed that interests you. However, when you pick up the puppy you like, do not rush to tell the seller: “ I'm buying a puppy! Unfortunately, on the market there is a high probability of purchasing a sick puppy, without documents or with fake documents. The advantage of buying on the market is the cheapness and speed. You can quickly buy the puppy you like, but there is no guarantee that if you hurry, you won’t “bite your elbows” later.

Another purchasing option is advertisements on the Internet and in newspapers. In this case, it is possible to come to the place and see in what conditions the puppies are kept, look at the mother dog of the puppies, evaluate her health and appearance. Be sure to ask if there are documents for the puppy and how purebred its parents are.

The advert sells puppies of different quality, so you can really choose standing puppy from the breeder, you need to have a good understanding of the breed. It will be difficult for a beginner not to get confused in this, so it is advisable to use the services of a professional dog handler and come to examine the puppies with him. The main thing in this matter is the reputation of the dog handler himself; he should be interested in choosing you really good puppy, not only to receive payment for their services, but also to preserve their good name, as good specialist. The advantages of this approach are the ability to find a good puppy for average price, disadvantage - you will have to spend a lot of time searching and traveling to examine puppies.

The most reliable place to buy truly purebred puppies is a club with a good reputation. The price in this case will be high, but the advantages are that you will receive a healthy and purebred animal with all the documents. The puppy will have good prospects for a professional career. The owner of the club will give you the necessary advice on caring for and raising your dog. It happens that at the time of your arrival there may not be puppies for sale, you will have to wait for a new litter or until the existing puppies, but still too small, grow up to move to a new home.

However, remember that the breed of an animal does not affect its ability to love its owner. Is it worth buying a puppy, because today there are many different shelters where they give away non-pedigreed, but also very cute and adorable puppies V kind hands for free. Perhaps it is there that you will find your pet, who will give you all his love and devotion, and you will save his life!

At what age to buy a puppy?

"At what age can you buy a puppy?" - also not a little important question. The most suitable age for purchasing a puppy is 2-3 months. In this case, you will share the life of your pet almost from birth. You can raise a dog according to your rules and ideas. However, be prepared that with a small puppy there is more hassle, but it is a pleasant hassle if you love the animal. You can familiarize yourself with the conditions for caring for a small puppy in the article “Care for a puppy”.

At what month should you buy a puppy? You cannot adopt puppies under 2 months, especially at 1.5 months; it has been established that separation from the mother at this age has a detrimental effect on the development of the puppy.

Another option is to adopt a grown dog up to a year old; it will have less worries than with a small puppy; you can immediately move on to walks and training. Such a dog costs more than a puppy, since the breeder spent more time and effort on its maintenance. However, here you need to be vigilant; evaluate the appearance of the animal for the presence of various defects of the breed. Perhaps no one simply wanted to take this puppy, and therefore he stayed with the breeder for a long time.

You can also purchase an adult dog over 1 year old. The dog will be fully vaccinated and educated, many problems will go away on their own. In this case, you must evaluate its behavior, how the dog reacts to you, whether contact and mutual understanding have been established between you. The advantages of an adult dog are that you can already see the result, how the animal has grown and formed. When purchasing a puppy, you never know exactly what the dog will end up like as an adult.

As you can see, each of the listed options has its pros and cons, the choice is yours, at what age is it better to buy a puppy.

One more question that should puzzle you: who should you buy, a male or a female?

If you choose a boy, the dog will be large and strong, the male will have brighter external manifestations breeds A male dog is better suited for guard duty, sports and active life. The male is more different strong character, so if you are not sure that you can raise him correctly, then it is better to choose a bitch. In addition, the male dog has a highly developed sex drive, so you only need to walk him on a leash, otherwise he may run away.

If you choose a bitch you will get an easy-going character and a calm disposition
V. Girls are very suitable for families with small children. The only thing you should know is that twice a year the dog goes into heat for 20 days. During this period, you should limit your dog’s appearance at exhibitions, skip training in groups, and walks in places where dogs gather.

In any case, it is up to you to decide whether to buy a puppy or an adult dog, a female or a male, a large or a small dog. The main thing is that you do not regret your decision to buy a dog, but enjoy your friendship with a faithful and devoted creature.

Buying a dog is an important and responsible step in the life of every person. Before you adopt or buy a puppy, you need to answer several questions for yourself, such as the purpose of the pet, the financial aspect, free time for raising a puppy, etc.

The future owner must clearly understand what he will have to face when choosing a particular breed of dog, as well as age category animal. The care and maintenance of a one-month-old and one-year-old puppy will be very different. There are several points that you should pay attention to and carefully study before purchasing a puppy.

Vaccinations and other preventive measures

When considering the best age for a puppy to go to a new family in terms of preventative procedures, you should know that a dog under 4 weeks old cannot yet be vaccinated. Therefore, if breeders claim that the puppy has already been vaccinated and provide the appropriate documents, then we can confidently say that this is a hoax. Up to 4 weeks, the baby has only colostral immunity received from mother’s milk.

The first vaccination is usually given at 6 weeks. It includes canine plague and parvovirus enteritis. This vaccine is created exclusively for these small puppies to protect them from diseases that are fatal to them. It is mandatory for nurseries or shelters where these diseases have been recorded.

It is ideal if the breeder teaches the animal from an early age to cut its nails, clean its ears, comb its fur, visit a veterinary clinic and communicate with a doctor without aggression. This will make it much easier later life future owner.

As a result, if we take into account the protection of the future pet from dangerous diseases, then best age for purchasing a dog there will be 3.5 months, since after the last vaccination you must undergo a quarantine of 2 weeks.

Feeding

Up to 35 days, babies feed exclusively on mother's milk. It contains an optimal complex of vitamins, minerals and immunoglobulins. Ready-made formulas or cow's milk will never meet the needs of a puppy's body as much as bitch's milk. Subsequently, an animal separated from its mother early will suffer from allergies to many foods and have problems with gastrointestinal tract, often suffer from infectious diseases.

If life circumstances After all, we left the baby without a mother, it is important to pay attention to his nutrition Special attention. Puppies up to a month eat every 3-4 hours, including at night. It is important to choose a bitch milk substitute that is ideal for your dog.

Pet stores offer a wide range of ready-made mixtures, but it is better to consult a veterinarian rather than a pet store employee regarding quality and composition. Sometimes veterinarians recommend adding probiotics to the formula or adding a vitamin complex containing calcium. After 35 days, food or products that the owner plans to feed the animal for the rest of its life begin to be introduced into the baby’s diet. When it comes to food, it is also important to choose the product good quality. For the first time, it is advisable to purchase soft food; it will be easier for the baby to eat it.

Based on this information, if the baby is not left without a mother, then adopting a puppy before 35 days of age is contraindicated.

Upbringing

Often, unscrupulous breeders offer to buy one-month-old puppies, citing the fact that the puppy is no longer suckling from its mother and during this period it is easiest to raise a dog for yourself. However, at this age the process of socialization of the animal is not yet completed. A dog teaches its offspring how to care for itself, relieve itself in a designated place, bite force, vocal signs and body language, hunting, etc. Babies, through play and repetition after their mother, learn skills that a person cannot fully teach.

If you plan to raise a dog to become a prize-winner of many exhibitions, a world champion and a parent of highly paid offspring, then it is better to choose a dog that is at least 8 months old. By this age, the animal usually looks like an adult. There is no need to guess what size and constitution it will grow to be. Also, by this age it is usually possible to diagnose genetically inherited diseases, for example, dysplasia hip joints. Animals with such diseases are rejected from breeding, which means all hopes and dreams of titles will disappear into oblivion. You should also study documents about the parents’ health, conclusions veterinarian about the absence of genetic diseases.

By 4 months, the dog has already developed its future character and basic habits.. Ideally, the breeder begins training with a dog handler, aimed at passing exhibitions, already at this age. It is good if the puppy knows what a leash and muzzle are and does not resist wearing them. The new owner will simply need to not neglect the acquired skills and continue training the pet. It is important to ask in what conditions the puppy lived all his life, what he ate, how he communicates with other animals and children. With this information, it will be easier to create a similar environment for your new pet to reduce the stress of the move. There will also be no surprises when children or other animals appear in the new family.

This means that to make raising a dog easier, it is ideal to take a puppy from 4 months and older.

Conclusion

Having studied all the aspects presented above, it turns out that it is best to purchase a puppy in 3,5-4 one month old when all planned preventive actions, the dog received basic skills from its parents and is accustomed to certain foods.

Such questions arise from inexperienced owners who have never dealt with four-legged friends. The age at which a young pet is purchased and weaned from its mother is very important. After all, the adaptation of a new family member in the house, the formation of character and health depend on it. So, let's look at this issue in detail.

About age criteria for acquisition

According to the rules of the Russian Cynological Federation, breeding puppies receive their documents 45 days after birth. That is, legally they are already ready to be separated from their mother and move to a permanent owner. But the documentary aspect of selling a puppy is one thing, but its physiological and psychological readiness for a new stage of life is completely different.

Physiologically, a young pet can feed independently from the age of 35 days, without depending on its mother. However, this is the extreme, minimum allowed age of his independence. And any extremes are bad. It is necessary to give the puppy time to adapt to the new food, also combining such nutrition with feeding with mother's milk. Such a transition to an “adult” diet will be softer and more reasonable. In addition, the natural development of the puppy and its socialization will not be disrupted. We are talking about the time that the baby spends at a distance from the mother, exploring the surrounding space; meeting new people who come to the house; the ability to lick oneself independently, imitating the mother. IN early age young dogs simply copy their mother’s behavior in everything. This includes lapping from the plate, and the attitude towards the owner, and even going to the litter box.

During the period of feeding puppies with mother's milk, they develop protection with antibodies entering the body. Maternal immunity acquired by puppies is very important in the first month of life, therefore it is strictly not recommended to separate them from their mother until 30 days of age. As for psychological maturity, it begins at 8 weeks, when the period of socialization ends. The main functions of this period are regulation of bite force, communication with other dogs, contacts with the owner and other people. At this time, breeders systematically pick up the offspring, check the ears, eyes, and teeth. These activities give puppies experience interacting with people and experiencing mild stress. The latter helps build resistance to emotional shocks in the future. If the puppy has gone through a period of socialization with its mother, then it will be much easier for it to adapt to a new life with its owner and will grow up to be a healthy and brave dog.

What's best for the owners?

Experts call the period of development of canine offspring up to 8 weeks imprinting, when the formation of an image of one’s own species, openness to the outside world and memorization of a person occur. That is why optimal age separation from the mother is the period after 8 weeks, and the ideal period is after 12. Then the puppy will already be vaccinated and will go through an adaptation period after vaccination. His research activity will also increase and his independence will increase. And this is good for the owner. After all, it’s difficult to raise a baby who doesn’t even know how to eat on her own.

It is also worth considering that if the owner is busy and constantly at work, you can only take a three-month-old puppy into the house. At this age, he can already be alone for a long time. A growing puppy gets used to a new environment, easily assimilates its status and sleeps a lot, which is important for the owner. True, at this age the dog needs three meals a day, but this problem can be solved.

Choosing a puppy that is not yet eight weeks old is difficult, even for a specialist. Indeed, during this period, the properties of the exterior are not yet fully formed.

Sometimes breeders offer buyers puppies aged four to five months, or maybe older. There is no need to immediately abandon such an acquisition. If you like the dog, his documents are in order, you had the opportunity to see his father and mother, everything is fine in health, then age will not be an obstacle to the purchase. And behavioral deficiencies can be easily corrected.

It is always better for the owner if the breeder answers all his questions without hesitation, gives nutritional advice, and warns about the genetic predisposition to diseases of the breed, if any. Owners should definitely give preference to purchasing a future friend from a nursery.

This question cannot be answered unequivocally and must be resolved in each specific case separately, depending on the circumstances. Let's look at the pros and cons of the different options.

Option - take little puppy at the age of one month. The only advantage of this option is that perhaps you will buy a puppy a little cheaper, because the breeder has not yet had time to spend money on feeding, and also that all the puppies are still there and you will choose from the entire litter, but this is only important if you understand in this breed or take a specialist with you. Otherwise, this option has only disadvantages: you will have to protect him from contact with the outside world until vaccinations, because the immunity that he received with his mother’s milk is no longer there. You will also have to do your puppy's vaccinations yourself. What is especially bad is that at this age it is very difficult to determine the character of a puppy. The selection process does not take much time, and the puppy, when you examine the litter, may behave completely differently from how it usually behaves. Determining the puppy's character is especially important if the dog is taken for subsequent training and work.

The second option is to adopt the puppy “on time”. Clubs examine puppies at 45 days of age and give permission to sell and documents, at the same time the majority modern vaccines also used from 45 days, and again at the age of 45 days, most bitches no longer have milk at all, and they completely stop feeding the puppies. Accordingly, the age of 45 days can be considered optimal for starting the sale and purchase of puppies. The advantages of buying a puppy at this age are that the puppies should already be vaccinated, so the risk of disease is minimal, the puppy is already fully feeding on its own. The only drawback is that it is difficult to accurately determine the character at this age future dog, you can, of course, cull clearly cowardly and unconfident puppies, but it’s still very early to talk about protective qualities at this age.

The third option is to buy a fully grown puppy at the age of 4-6 months. The option is good from all sides: and the puppy is already almost adult dog, and the external data is already visible, and the character can be checked, and the change of teeth has almost occurred. There is one “but”, the question arises: why is the puppy being sold at this age? after all, no one will specifically raise a puppy, investing a lot of money and their labor into it, despite the fact that the price of a puppy practically does not depend on age, and two-month-old puppies and six-month-old puppies cost the same. There are not many options for answering this question, either the puppy has “stayed too long” and this usually means that it is not of very good quality, or the breeder deliberately held back the puppy for some reason. When buying a puppy at this age, it is advisable for you to get an answer to this question, and if this answer satisfies you, then you can safely take such a puppy.

At what age would I recommend getting a puppy? If you are not an expert in dog breeding and are not going to attract a specialist to help, then take a puppy at the age when puppies are usually sold, that is, at 1.5-3 months, and preferably in litters where you can choose from at least 2-3 puppies. However, if you are taking a dog that you plan to use for working purposes, protection and security, hunting, etc., then the older the puppy you buy, the better for you, you can check if it has all the necessary qualities needed for the intended work.

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