Many new pet parents do not know the right age to bring a puppy home. Is it OK to take a puppy at 7 weeks? Read on to know the right age.
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A new pet and that too a puppy! Joy is waiting to surround you from all corners. It is a sure-fire way to get everyone in your family excited. But there is a catch. Bringing a very young puppy can prove to be difficult for the owner.
Though many people want to get a young puppy, separating a puppy from its mother at such a young age can be very hard on the puppy. Well, this would make it difficult for the puppy to adjust in your home or around you.
Also, getting a puppy below the age of 7 weeks can adversely affect its behavior patterns. And mind you, these behavior problems can go on for many years to come, and you may not find an easy solution for them.
When Should You Get A Puppy?
It is not advisable to get a puppy that is less than seven weeks old.
Now, the question is, what is the correct age to bring a that adorable puppy into your home? Well, there are different opinions regarding the same, but as per the experts, there are many factors that may impact this answer.
However, many breeders and veterinarians believe that the best age to bring home a puppy is between 7 and 8 weeks of age. Let us walk through the reasons behind this answer in detail.
Puppy’s Behavior Before Seven weeks
Before seven weeks, puppies are immensely attached to their mothers. They are entirely dependent upon their mothers for feeding and learning all basic tasks of living. However, by the seventh week, they start growing their teeth and nails. This is a positive development as the puppy can finally start to learn the process of looking for food on its own. Secondly, it is an irritating time for the mother as she can get hurt from those tiny teeth and claws, which can be very sharp.
Feeding Time
After their claws and teeth start to come out, the mother feels reluctant to feed the puppies and often moves away during feeding time. This makes the puppies look for optional ways of feeding, and they become more independent.
Well, this is when the breeders encourage these puppies to explore different feeding ways, such as switching to solid food. Also, this is why the experts feel that seven weeks is the best time to take the puppy away from its mother and bring it home.
Anxiety
The puppies who are removed from their mother’s side before seven weeks feel more socially anxious than their counterparts. These puppies may have poor social skills and biting etiquette.
Different Physical and Behavioral Changes To Expect at Seven Weeks
Puppies witness ample physical as well as behavioral changes when they are seven weeks old. Let us have a detailed look at them as understanding these will assist you in deciding when to get a puppy home:
Mental development
Like a human, puppies also tend to sleep a lot before they reach the age of seven weeks. However, once they reach the said age, you can witness immense development in their senses, such as sound, sight, smell, and touch.
Also, they make efforts to come out of their mother’s protective shelf and become independent and curious creatures.
Bladder Activities
The bladder of the puppy at this age is tiny. Well, this implies that these puppies urinate anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour.
They will urinate during or after any activity, such as playing, sleeping, etc. It requires constant effort on the part of the human taking care of the puppy, especially since you can’t really take the puppy out of the home at that age. However, when they are sleeping, they may hold their bladder for a longer time.
Also, by this age, these puppies tend to pick a location for bladder activities that are pretty far away from the places where they sleep, eat, and play. Thus, this is also the perfect age for potty training. You just need to make sure that they are doing their pee and potty in the right place.
Training
Well, this is the ideal age for training these little puppies. For example, if you want them to come for their meals when you whistle, you can start training them at this age. The reason is that at seven weeks, puppies tend to develop their listening and other senses. Thus, this is the perfect age for you to start training your puppy to follow your commands earnestly.
Other Reasons Why You Should Bring Puppies Home At Seven Weeks
Social skills
As per animal experts, puppies enjoy a primary socialization period between 3 and 5 weeks. Now, this is the age when they become aware of their surroundings and the environment around them. Thus, by the time they reach the age of seven weeks, they have already learned primary socialization skills.
Thus, you can expect your puppy to learn things such as bite inhibitions, rudimentary impulse control, etc. Also, puppies who are removed very early from their mothers do not portray these socialization skills. They tend to get more anxious and aggressive if you separate them at an early age. Also, if you allow them to stay with their littermates for more than seven weeks, they may get submissive in behavior.
Weaning period
Another factor that plays an essential role in determining when to take a puppy home is the weaning period. As per experts, many puppies start taking more solid foods compared to mother’s milk between the weeks three and five years old.
Well, this period can be traumatizing for the puppies, another reason not to get them home before they get over with their weaning period! Puppies who do not get a proper weaning period can display awkward behaviors when they are adults.
Legal Factors
Some US states do not allow the legal purchase or selling of a puppy before they attain an age of at least eight weeks. It is a crime in around 15 US states to sell a puppy younger than this age bracket. Thus, it is advisable to know about these laws in detail before you decide to bring a puppy home.
Is It Wrong To Take a Puppy at Seven Weeks?
As per experts, it is always advisable to take a puppy home when it reaches the age of 7 weeks. Before that, the puppy may still be in its learning phase, which can cause lots of problems in later stages.
Puppies tend to be fast learners. Now, this is why they learn a lot from their mothers even when they are at a tender age. However, at the period of 6 weeks, their mothers have a lot to teach them. These lessons are necessary for the proper physical and mental development of the puppies.
At the age of 6 weeks, the mother is teaching socialization and real-world experiences to the puppy. By the age they reach seven weeks, these puppies are much more competent to deal with the world. Thus, it is advisable to get a puppy between seven and eight weeks on average.
How To Train a Puppy at Seven Weeks?
Now that you have brought the puppy home, the next step is to train them well. The training module will revolve around getting it familiar with things and locations at home, socializing with family members, and of course, being obedient to your commands. Well, here are some tips and tricks that can help you train your seven weeks old puppy:
- When bringing the puppy for the first time at home, it is advisable to carry some water from the breeder’s home. Also, make sure that the puppy does not drink ample water before the trip, as it can cause bladder issues.
- Also, if you travel by car with your puppy, carry it in your lap or a crate. It goes without saying that if you are traveling alone, have the puppy in a container where it can be safe.
- Always plan bathroom breaks after every 30 minutes. Well, this would reduce the accidents of sudden leakage on your carpets or sofa.
- When bringing the puppy for the first time at home, make sure it relieves itself outside the home first. Well, this would make it understand that the potty area is outside the home and not inside.
- When the puppy starts exploring your house, make sure that you supervise the visit. Also, this will help it to get adjusted to the new surroundings.
Tips for housetraining
Whenever you initiate the housetraining process, make sure you follow the circle of scheduling, supervising, and rewarding.
- Do not get in the habit of free-feeding times. Always make sure that you feed the puppies at a particular time every day. Now, this would help set a routine for the puppies to expect food.
- Make sure that you take the puppy outside the moment they complete their meals. Well, this would help them set a routine for potty.
- Also, it would help if you looked for signs given by the puppy to go outside for defecating. These signs may include circling, sniffing, or hunching.
- The puppy at seven weeks is neither too old nor too young. Thus, it would help if you made efforts to get friendly with the puppy and at the same time try to train it effectively.
- Also, this is when you need to make efforts to get the puppy to trust you. Giving rewards, but not too many is a good step towards the process. Also, you will have to pay more attention to the good habits performed outside and ignore the accidents inside the home.
- When you observe that the puppy is becoming trained, you can also relax the supervision process. However, do not relax the restrictions too soon. Remember, it is still a puppy and needs your constant attention.
- You can place the crate of your puppy close to your bed during the first few days. Now, this would help you reach out to the puppy when it stirs or makes some noise. You can also bring a toy or a blanket for the puppy from the breeder’s house. Also, this would soothe the puppy, and it can get the smell of its mother or littermates when it feels anxious about the new place.
- Also, when the puppy sleeps in your room, it can learn that nighttime is meant for sleeping. Also, if it needs to go out for defecating, you would know immediately.
Answers To Questions About Taking A Puppy
What happens if you take a puppy at seven weeks?
The age of seven weeks is appropriate to get a puppy home. Before that age, the puppies are more prone to behavioral issues.
Is it wrong to get a puppy before eight weeks?
Yes, as per experts, you should not take puppies away from their mothers before seven to eight weeks. The reason is that mothers have a lot to teach the puppies, and they can miss these essential lessons if you take them early.
Is it wrong to bring a puppy home at seven weeks?
No, it is not harmful to take a puppy home at seven weeks. However, the puppy is small at this age, and you need to be extra cautious while handling them.
What should a seven-week-old puppy be doing?
At seven weeks, a puppy can learn basic things, such as sitting, standing, coming down, etc.
Can I take a puppy home at seven weeks?
Yes, as per experts, this is an average age when you can take a puppy home as it is too young and you can train it effectively.
How often should you take a seven-week-old puppy out?
As per experts, you should take your seven weeks every two-to-four hours out of the house. You can also plan small game sessions with your puppy outside.
Is It OK To Take A Puppy AT 7 Weeks? The Answer Is Yes.
Bringing a puppy home is an important decision. Thus, it would help if you were extra cautious with every factor, especially the right age to bring the puppy home.
As per different vets and animal experts, the right age to get a puppy home is between seven and eight weeks.