Hello, I am new to this forum and am expecting my baby to come home next week. He will be 8 weeks old. I have been all over the forums for the last 2 weeks reading to prepare myself and I am concern since there are so many negative comments about brining him home before 12 weeks. What should I do? should I be concern and wait? are there any signs that its ok for me to bring him home early. He come from great breaders and he is the smaller one in the litter. Does this mean that he is the rut?
Expecting Mother
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Congratulations on expecting your new pup!
You will probably get much more knowledgeable advice than mine, but I would say that a reputable breeder that cared about her pups would not send them home at eight weeks, expecially if it is the smallest of the litter! I had a breeder I talked to tell me that she didn't keep them after 8 weeks because the mother dog stopped cleaning up after them then, and she didn't want to clean up all that poop!
So, the moral of that...is to ASK QUESTIONS! I am sure if she is worth anything (the breeder) she will understand your wanting to wait until 12 weeks.
I would run away right now! I know you want this puppy so bad but this is not a reputable breeder. Even if she did keep just your pup till 12 weeks that doesn't make her a good breeder. If it's not her policy to keep them till 12 weeks then she's not worth giving your money to. This one thing tells a lot about this breeder. If they aren’t concerned enough to give their pups the best care (leaving them with their mother till 12 weeks old) then what else don’t they care about? Did she get genetic testing on the mother and father dogs? Does she get the pups up to date with their vaccinations? Have the mother and father dogs been shown? Or is she just breeding two puppy mill dogs that she got from a pet store? Sounds to me like this “breeder” is a back yard breeder and you would be better off leaving. You should keep looking for a better breeder. You will be happier in the long run when your new pup doesn’t have health problems when it gets older like this one probably will. Also it will save you a lot of heart ache.
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I didn't bring Lacey home until she was 14 weeks old. She could have come when she was 12 weeks but I had some traveling for work. My breeder had no problem keeping Lacey until then. I would really check this breeder out. There are many people who have taken their little ones home before the 12 week guideline and had no problems but many who have. If it was me I would not. These little ones are so small and delicate and a breeder who cares about the well being of her puppies would keep them and not release when they are so young. From what I have read the mommy dogs teach these little ones lots. There are many on this forum who are VERY knowledge, I am not one, and I do hope they answer. Good Luck and please check everything out very carefully. Talk to the breeder and explain to her your concerns.
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I brought Brinkley home at almost 16 weeks...because of vacation...my breeder had no problem keeping him the extra time for me either...
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I think a "great" breeder would wait to at least 12 weeks but there may be reason to only wait 8 weeks, i just suggest ask questions, smaller of the litter doesnt really mean there is/will be a problem, Sampson is the only one to survive his litter, have you visited the pup?
btw, welcome to SM
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Hi again, I just wanted to wish you luck with your decision. I know how hard it is to find these little ones and when you do you just want to bring home one. It took me almost a year to find a great breeder and believe me I have no patience when I want something. Instant gratification is not fast enough for me! Once I found a breeder I then had to wait for Lacey to be born and then wait until she was 8 weeks old before I could see her. So please think very carefully before getting this puppy. Maybe you can post the breeders name and someone here will know something about the breeder. There are some VERY knowledgeable people here. I saw that you posted this question on that "other forum" and I see that you live in Puerto Rico...I just love to go there. Read everything that you can, these little ones are very high maintence and just want lots and lots of attention.
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Welcome!!! My first dog, Peanut, didn't come home until he was 12 weeks. I am currently waiting for my second maltese to come home too. I still have a lot of time to wait because the breeder wants to wait until he is 12 weeks also. I don't really have any useful info about the 'right' age to bring a pup home, but good luck with your decision, and I'm so excited for you!!
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Gosh, I know you're so excited to get him and even though he isn't even there yet you probably love him already. I think we are giving you this advice because we don't want to see you have a unhappy experience. If I were you, I'd want the dog tested for liver shunt since it seems like it is often the very tiny ones who have liver problems... at least from the posts I have read here and elsewhere.
Also, up until 12 weeks they can be especially prone to hypoglycemia, which can be life threatening.
It is one thing for a larger malt to go home early... not necessarily a good thing but possibly not as critical as with a very small malt. It is especially important that such a tiny one wait until 12 weeks. You say he is the runt of the litter. How much does he weigh?
Also, up until 12 weeks they can be especially prone to hypoglycemia, which can be life threatening.
It is one thing for a larger malt to go home early... not necessarily a good thing but possibly not as critical as with a very small malt. It is especially important that such a tiny one wait until 12 weeks. You say he is the runt of the litter. How much does he weigh?
Thank you soooo much. I went to see my puppy 2 weeks ago he was 5 weeks then. He was walking around and playing with his brothers. He is just adorable. I am going to call tomorrow to check up on him and am going to tell the breader my concerns and feel her out. I was just reorganizing the room he will be in and puppy proofing making sure he doesn't get in to trouble. I love him already and don't want anything to happen to him. Anyways thank you so much guys and I will keep you posted as to what I decide to do after I talk to her tomorrow.
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Hi, one pound is very tiny. Back in 1990 when I got my first Maltese, Rosebud, I got her at 8 weeks because I didn't know any better back then and I bought her from a family who bred their two pets and they didn't know any better either
We brought Izzy home at around 10 weeks, due to circumstances. She weighed 1.4 at that age. We haven't had any problems and I think sometimes it's okay to bring them home early. Izzy had been weaned for several weeks and was eating on her own. She has flourished and continues to get a clean bill of health from her vet. I kept Nutra-cal on hand and I'd give her tiny licks of that every so often to make sure she was getting calories.
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There is a huge difference between 8 weeks and 10 weeks. I brought Rosebud and Kallie home at 8 and Catcher at 10. (Normally, my breeder let's them go at 12 but like 20202, due to circumstances, he was able to come home at 10). 8 weeks is just too young, IMHO and especially with one that weighs only a pound. If this dog were going to an experienced Maltese owner that had another Maltese also, that would be one thing. But a first-time Malt owner is another.
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Congratulations! You are going to love being a Maltese Mom. I know you will make the right decision because you love the puppy already.
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Warm Welcomes to you and your new baby! I hope all goes well.
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WELCOME TO SM
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welcome to SM
your heart is set on that little puppy, if u decide to bring your pup home at 8 weeks, i'd make sure i took time off work so i could love and look after that little one and make it feel safe. use your common sense and ring your breeder if u have any concerns what so ever or post on here for some great advice
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your heart is set on that little puppy, if u decide to bring your pup home at 8 weeks, i'd make sure i took time off work so i could love and look after that little one and make it feel safe. use your common sense and ring your breeder if u have any concerns what so ever or post on here for some great advice
Just because a puppy isn't drinking its mothers milk anymore and it's eating on it's own isn't a reason to sell it at that age. Dogs learn so much from their mother and liter mates. Some dogs taken from their mother too soon have aggression problems because the mother didn't teach them not to bite and be aggressive. The mother teaches them so many things that are valuable, that a human just can’t teach them. Another huge thing for these little guys is the hypoglycemia. If your puppy went into shock you wouldn't know what to do and they could die. Rushing it off to the vet might not be soon enough and you wouldn't want to live with that. Staying away from this breeder and this puppy will save you alot of grief later. Please reconsider.
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Please do yourself a favor and go to the American Maltese Association's webpage and read what they have to say regarding the proper age to bring home a pup. I think they also have information on questions to ask breeders. Take the time now to do the homework, before you bring home your puppy. Also, take the time to read some of the older posts on this forum especially those regarding puppy mills and disreputable breeders.
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