Best age of a puppy for getting him/her?

What's the Best age of a puppy for getting him/her?

I read in a magazine that the ideal age is two to five months since is the critical periode to socialize, and if is older is hardest to socialize with other dogs and people, it is true??

I want to know since I didn't know about the hole socialize stuff until last year

If from a breeder you get larger breeds around 8 weeks and smaller breed at 10 or 12 weeks. If from a rescue then it does not matter in the least, just whatever fits your family. That is the best time to socialize, your breeder should be doing that before you get her though, so you don't have to worry about getting her earlier just so she gets socialization. Socialization will start the day you et her and never end, but the heavy load of it should be done when the dog is a puppy.

We didn't get our Kona until she was 5 months old and we had 2 dogs already (10 years old and 3 years old). The only difference I saw was that sometimes little puppies can get on older dogs' nerves because they are so full of energy. We've gotten dogs at different ages (very young and 5 months). I think it's all in how you introduce them. All 4 of mine get along great.

I see, then if I could a puppy that's older than six months I can still sociolize but only if the breeder alredy did some training?

I whant to know since Oso was poorly sociolized >-> he didn't tolarete other dogs very well.

You can socialize at ANY age, but it works quickest when they are young I'd say 4 months and under. After that it may take longer for the dog to get used to new things. That does not mean that if you get an older puppy that he would dislike other dogs and people because his breeder should have socialized him until he got an owner. If the breeder did not socialize then the dog will probably take longer to get used to people and dogs because you have to start the dog with socialization at an age where they don't socialize as fast as young puppies, but it can still be done for sure.

My dog never liked dogs much either because we didn't socialize him well, we got him at four months but even at that age we could have socialized him just fine, we just didn't know about it back then.

The window for true socialization closes at 4 months. You can socialize after that, but it is MUCH MUCH harder. I think Dr Ian Dunbar says they should have met 100 people by the time they are 8 weeks. A bit difficult is you ask me, but you get the idea.

I think that magazine article is very misleading. It all depends on where you're getting the puppy from.

If you're getting a puppy from a good rescue (or as a foster home) or a good breeder, I think age doesn't really matter. A good rescue or breeder will be socializing the puppy from a very early on, and will continue the socialization process for as long as they have the pup. Just because you're not the one socializing the puppy doesn't mean it's not getting socialization.

But a BYB, puppy mill or pet store? You'd better get that puppy by 8-10 weeks. Rather than expose the pup to a stream of new people and experiences, a BYB will often just let the pup hang out around the kennel, yard, or house until somebody purchases it. Same with a pet store or puppy mill---the pup lives in that cage until you buy it.

I agree with the above. Many people (and most BYBs) think that you should get a puppy at 6-8 weeks, but this is actually way too young. A week or two makes a huge difference in a puppy's life, I wouldn't suggest getting a puppy until about 9 weeks or more.

Unless it's a shelter/rescue dog! In that case, there are tons of adult dogs in shelters who love people and are fine with other dogs too - maybe they were socialized before they went to the shelter, maybe that's just their personality. And, with older dogs, you don't have to worry about teething, hyper "puppy fits," potty training many times, etc.

Interesting. I've brought home all of my BC puppies at 8 weeks (with the exception of Buddy who was around 11 weeks) and I noticed absolutely no difference in Buddy when compared to my other dogs that I got a couple weeks sooner. Then again, I brought all my puppies into a home with at least one or two other dogs, so they didn't miss out on the canine aspect of socialization at all.

I like having puppies at around 8 weeks of age because I want them to spend that crucial imprint period bonding with me, with my other pets and my friends. I want them to learn crucial rules early on... it's just a really cool learning/development stage that I don't want to miss out on! I completely trust a responsible breeder to give the puppy good socialization through this stage, but I suppose it's just something I enjoy doing with my dogs.

It depends on the breed. With some breeds litters SHOULD NOT be kept intact after 8 weeks. Personally I have never found it to be an advantage. And if Dekka could talk, I doubt she would thank me for leaving her with her mom and littermates for a few extra weeks. It almost cost her her life, and she carries scars, both physical and behavioural.