Best Age to Obtain an new puppy

Best Age to get Papillon or Phalene Puppies
Buyers have a lot of questions when they are looking for Papillon or Phalene puppies for sale. When is the best age to get Papillon or Phalene puppies is one of the questions.
There is a lot of controversy between breeders and other dog professionals--trainers, pet counselors and even owners--over the best age to place or sell a puppy. Some Papillon and Phalene Breeders claim that they need to keep Papillon puppies or Phalene Puppies longer than the larger breed dogs and they offer several reasons for this, some contradictory. They say Papillons or Phalenes must stay with it's dam and littermates longer than a large breed for "socialization", or they want to decide if Papillon or Phalene Puppies are show or pet quality, or that it is too fragile to leave earlier, or even that the new owners cannot take care of such a small puppy.
Many non-breeding animal professionals seriously dispute the need for a puppy to stay with its dam and littermates to "learn how to be a dog". In fact, a dog is born with the natural instinct to be what it is. A puppy raised with a litter of kittens will still be a dog--still bark not meow, and still dig in the yard and chase things that run or retrieve or chew--it will not lose it's natural instinct to act like a dog. The actual facts are--humans do not want a dog that has 'stayed with it's dam and littermates to learn to be a dog"!! Humans do not want a pet, especially Papillon or Phalenes, that barks excessively, chews furniture and clothes, goes "potty" anywhere in the house and ignores the human voice and commands.
Instead, most pet-loving people want a Papillon or Phalene puppy that will bond to them, easy to teach to obey basic commands, likes to be with people and is relatively easy to housetrain (we never believe in house breaking) and does not bark for no reason at all. So when does this bonding start?
Nature itself starts breaking the mother-puppy bond when the puppy is fully weaned. Puppies look to those who bring food and safety to establish a new bond. This is when the human--puppy bond begins. When papillon and phalene puppies have a full set of baby teeth and can eat on their own, the dam usually will move away from the puppies more often, to avoid the sharp little teeth. This is the time a wild dog would begin to hunt for her puppies and this is when the papillon or phalene breeder becomes the primary food source for the puppy. And this age is usually around 6 weeks. Pet professionals and many who also train their own dogs, have agreed that the younger puppies train more easily and bond to new owners more closely when placed between 6 and 10 weeks of age. (there are certain legal restrictions in selling or shipping before 8 weeks in some states) After this age, Papillon or Phalene puppies slowly becomes more set in their ways and these ways become more difficult to change later in life.
Some papillon and phalene breeders claim they need to keep papillon or phalene puppies longer to determine if they are show quality-this often means they are hoping for a fault to disappear or are hoping that an expected fault does not crop up. However, there is evidence that the structure of a papillon or phalene puppy at 8 weeks old is the same structure the papillon or phalene dog will have as an adult, AND there is no way to be sure of coat and show worthiness until papillons and phalenes are 2 years old--so keeping Papillon or Phalene puppies 4 to 6 months serves no purpose for either a pet or show.
Some papillon and phalene dog breeders say that the new owners have no ability to care for so young a puppy. Yet, they will say that they love to play with new papillon or phalene puppies and see the personality emerge. We at Pixiedust feel that the new owner CAN care for a papillon or phalene puppy the same as any breeder and the new owner DESERVES to enjoy and help shape the puppy personality to fit the owner and his life schedules. Some papillon and phalene breeders have gone to the extreme of saying there is no bonding process--that Papillon or Phalene Puppies will love all people equally. There is just too much evidence from research and owners alike that completely disprove this false statement. While older Papillons or Phalenes may become "generalized" and like any owner who treats it kindly, this is NOT the same as that special bond developed between young puppies and a devoted owner. Older Papillons and Phalenes can and do become special pets, but again, this is not exactly the same as the bonding for young puppies.
There are cases where Papillon or Phalene puppies may be too tiny to place at an early age, For good breeders of Papillons and Phalenes, this should be the exception, not the rule. Any good breeder of Papillons and Phalenes should be breeding healthy, sturdy Papillon and Phalene puppies, no matter that they are a toy breed. At Pixiedust, we breed Papillons and Phalenes that can compete in agility and obedience, and still be small lap dogs. And we want all of our papillon and phalene puppies and their owners, to develop that special connection that makes for a life-long companionship between dog and owner. Written by pixiedustpapillons.com Include links when using this article.

About the Author

Pixiedust is a premier breeder of quality papillon and phalene dogs for pet and show. pixiedustpapillons.com

Related Information of Interest:

A Funny True Life Dog Story
This is the story of my dog called Shandy. He was my favourite pet and he was very lively, lots of fun and very obedient. His main passion in life was to be taken for a long walk, culminating with a big run out in his favourite park.

I would try to take him on this walk everyday, weather permitting. The park itself was about three miles away from our house. To reach the park we had to cross a number of busy roads, however he would never pull or misbehave. He knew where we were heading and seemingly did not want to rock the boat and risk been taken home before he reached his dream destination.

At the park itself I would throw a ball and he would chase it and fetch it back to me.

At this stage I was living at home with my parents, however aged twenty two, I decided to rent my own bungalow near the coast in Devon. This was nearly two hundred miles away from my parents in home in Birmingham. This obviously meant I was no longer in the position to take Shandy on his walk.

I spoke to my parent, who reassured me that they would continue to take him on the walks.

Two weeks after I had left, I had a phone call from my mother. She was panicking, stating that Shandy had managed to escape from the back garden and that she could not find him. She insisted that she had been looking for hours but that there had been no sign of him.

I was quite worried and thought about where he may have gone to. "Have you been taking him on his walks to the park everyday?" I asked. She replied: "Most days" I asked her to try at the park, telling her that he loves that park etc. "He would not be there, its miles away." She said. I again asked her to try there. Luckily he was there quite happily sniffing around, unaware of the panic he had caused.

About the Author

Stephen Hill has a couple of websites at www.lasik-laser-surgery.co.uk and at www.stutter-stuttering.com.

A Good Tip For Dogs With Itchy Skin
Now that summer is in full swing, many dogs are experiencing dry skin and excessive itchiness. I know that my dog, "Forbes," certainly has been! Of course, the first thing you'll want to rule out is fleas. But barring fleas, I've found that the best way to alleviate itching is to:

Splash approximately 2 Tablespoons of either vegetable oil or canola oil in your dog's food.
The additional fat will give your dog's coat a soft, shiny look and will help alleviate dry skin and itching.
You can also try an over-the-counter product you can get at most pet stores called, "Lipiderm," which works pretty much the same, but costs a bit more.
Something else you might try: One of my newsletter subscribers writes, "Best thing for itchy skin is lemons. Slice a couple of lemons in a litre of water and boil it. Let it cool down for a day then you can spray it on. Works wonders and is cheap."

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq

Body Language Before Dog Bites
Dear Adam:

After catching up on doggy email, I've noticed your reference to submissive posture. Your book helped more than a professional trainer I hired for my adopted Golden. We went through biting and dominance issues. The problem I am having now is I still do not trust him 100%. When he bit there really wasn't any sign it was coming (that I noticed). Even now, the only sign that he doesn't like something is a lowered head and sometimes a low growl (the groomer told me this). This dog growls sometimes when he is happy. It is almost like someone taught him not to make any other noise in doors. Outside he will bark. I guess the big question is how do you read a dog's face, body, etc.?

Thanks,
Mark.

Dear Mark:

It's a tough situation you've got. You've really got to just pay close attention to the dog at any time you suspect she may display the aggression. The most common indicators that I used when working with clients who had aggressive dogs was to watch:

1. The mouth. A dog will always pull has mouth closed tight just before he bites.

2. Body language. The dog's body language will get stiff and still just before he bites. Especially watch the stillness. It's very subtle, but at the same time very noticeable once you train your eye to look for it.

There are other things that you could look for depending on the dog and the type of aggression. However, you need to recognize that there are ALWAYS cues... it's just a matter of whether we are quick enough (or aware enough) to catch them.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq