Jan 26 2009
How Young is Too Young to Adopt a Pet?
There is a discussion amongst my Chihuahua Group about the topic of how young is too young for an adoption to take place. The majority feel that puppies shouldn’t be adopted until they are at least 12 weeks of age. They feel that a reputable breeder will want to ensure the best possible chance for the pup and to do so requires some time aging. They also feel that a reputable breeder will provide the first set of shots and worming. A person in the group had just adopted a 6 week old Chihuahua and the breeder had not given shots or worming. The member was asking when she should take in her young pup to see the vet. A resounding RIGHT NOW was heard through the group.
What are your thoughts? I know that personally, I’ve adopted puppies at 8 weeks of age and a kitten at 6 weeks. They are more difficult to care for in the beginning and require a watchful eye. What are your adoption stories? How young did you adopt your puppy or kitten?
The American Kennel Club recommends 12 weeks old as a minimum age for the pup to leave the litter. If they are younger than that the pup will have problems with pack communication. Dog fights can often occur when a young dog does not know the body language of another dog for submission or aggression. The dog learns that complex body language from it’s mother and litter mates. Also pups removed from their litter at too young an age have more trouble adjusting to new situations later in life. The real reason pups are removed from their litter at too young an age is for the breeder to make money instead of putting in time and care into socializing the pups. Greed says a lot more about a breeder than anything.
Thank you Jans. I agree that the best age is 12 weeks or older and reputable breeders will keep the puppies for that length of time or longer.