Best age to seperate - Page 2

I want them learning appropriate social skills with adult dogs because it's a safety concern. How many over-zealous pups are attacked by adults because they acted improperly? I use my other dogs to teach them manners and correct them when need be without hurting them. That's where Simon is so great. He's a very confident, older (8) large, intact male with a lot of presence. They learn not to act stupid without getting themselves maimed in the learning process! 

My dogs are genetically pretty biddable and handler-oriented. I have not had issues them getting too "doggy" even when they're together for several months, like when I hold back pups to decide between. No one has had any issues with them even at 4-8 months. I don't have so many though that I don't play with them every day, though. All will follow me or my son before another dog. 

Ibrahim, as Blitzen said, APBT is American Pit Bull Terrier. 

Please read this with a open mind. 

http://rrcus.org/rhodesianridgebackhealth/Documents-PDFs/49_DAYS_REVISTED_Bailey.pdf

Koach

Yes, very interesting. I'd seen that before. I totally agree that if conditions are optimal at the breeder's, the 10 weekers or even older do phenomenally well. I kee a lot until 10 or later. So much depends on whether where they're going is a step up or down, however. 

My puppies are with me...Inside...Outside...Everywhere...Then there's a time when they need to become accustomed to my other dogs...To socialize with them and to learn to be with other dogs...I pick carefully which dogs they get to be with...So they're not overwhelmed too soon...

I've never had a puppy who would rather be with the other dogs then me...The puppies are always so bonded with me...One of the most important things I always imprint into my puppies is to follow me...I will take a whole litte outside and try my best to go and hide...Some puppies are a bit slower but will always catch up...They always find me...To me this is so important...

Now to get back to the adult dogs...I can teach a puppy everything they need to know...but it's true that the other dogs can teach them better...faster and more to the point then I can ever do...The adult dogs correct my puppies better...I always watch to make sure no adult dog gets too much for the puppies...

But I just feel it's a very important part of raising a puppy...

~Bob~

My pups also are raised with my other dogs. The lessons they learn are invaluable. 

   Mine are born and raised in my home. The mother is never locked in with them. Some females love having pups more than others. I never remove them. The mother knows when shes had enough.

    I kept one of Sophies pups, who is now 8 months old, and the two love each other. But Sophie will steal who evers puppies she can, including the yorkie puppies.

   A puppy raised in the house with the other dogs is housebroke almost completely by the time they are 8 weeks old.

"My pups also are raised with my other dogs."

The question was 'should the litter be put with the sire'? .....not should they be socialized with other dogs. Being that many sires are not residents with the breeder of the litter it is obviously of no value to the pups to be put 'with the sire'. The idea that a ' family unit' of mommy/daddy, is mandatory to raise a litter of domestic dogs is a fairy tail...these are not wolves, they can be raised successfully and turn out great (providing they have the correct genetics to be 'great') without contact, ever, with their sire or a surrogate sire. That's not to say socializing with puppy friendly dogs is not important, however.

THE most important period in a dog's life is between 6 weeks and 13 weeks. 99% of what the dog will be like as an adult is established during that time. Leaving pups with the dam beyond 5 weeks is, in my opinion, useless. Leaving pups together all day after 6 weeks will only serve to make the stronger ones bullies and the weaker ones more submissive and imprint pack behavior with other dogs, something I am really not interested in.

Unless a breeder is willing to have MY puppy out being exposed to the world, SAFELY, handling it all day, show it everything that puppy will see for the rest of its life, all day, every day, until I pick it up, I want my puppy with me at 6 weeks. I have had pups at 6 weeks and pups at 8-10 weeks and I can tell you, the difference is huge. I realize that this wont make me popular, but, that is not my intent, my end goal is a sound dog that can face the world BOLDLY and accomplish any task I am interested in without hesitation.

HD, I agree with you wholeheartedly. 

Kitkat said "my dogs are ALSO raised with my other dogs." Kitkat, do you mean "also" like you raise them with their dam and ALSO your other dogs, or are you saying "also" thinking I'm (or someone else is) saying that the pups are raised with other dogs?

To clarify, I would not say my pups are "raised" with other dogs. They get supervised, short sessions of interaction with those I deem especially beneficial (Simon, Capri, mostly). If I gave the impression it's one big happy family, I apologize. It most certainly is not- mom and young pups (under 4 weeks) are in the kitchen or living room, and at 4.5-5 weeks depending on weather and their overall temperament and vigor, they're outside as a litter, alone, with only visits from mom and the others. From the time they go outside until they leave, all get individual time in the house. 

Back to age leaving again, I got one of my best dogs at 4 weeks. Can we say that 4 weeks is the best age to get a pup? Probably not! You have to strike a balance. 

Most people haven't a clue what to do and not do with a pup from 5 weeks until they're closer to, heck, 6 damn months in many cases. It never ceases to amaze me the stupid things people do with puppies. You get ONE chance to raise them right. In the case of an experienced owner who wants their pup young, as I said in my first post, I let them take them. But in most other cases, that pup is **way** better off with me until it's less impressionable and less likely to be permanently affected by morons. I'm about to make a rule that first time working line GSD owners (meaning I don't care if you grew up with 140lb Rin Tin Tin ancestors- I consider you a newb) cannot take their pup until 10-12 weeks based on my experiences as of late. ZERO issues with the pups that I raised until 3-6months. ZERO- they fit in like they were born there, and they're ready to hit the ground running and train in any direction, but the 8 weekers are a lot more of a trial for a novice, even if I'm on the phone with them every day (which gets a little time-consuming, lol). I see more development of problem behaviors when raised by novices from an early age, as novices miss all the clues early on and don't seek help until the problem behavior is pretty well developed.

Strong bonds with the handler over other dogs is largely genetic in my opinion. Could be that my experience is limited to fairly closely related litters that all have super strong handler responsiveness, but that's my experience, take it or leave it. That plays into what some might call "biddability" in my experience. My best dogs have never cared about their siblings, ever, regardless of how much time they spent together.  I really don't buy this whole "socialization" mindset where a dog needs to see everythig under the sun in its infancy just to be able to handle it confidently.

"I really don't buy this whole "socialization" mindset where a dog needs to see everythig under the sun in its infancy just to be able to handle it confidently."

Depending onthe job the dog is being raised for would dictate the degree of earliest exposure for maximum performance. I think Hired Dog's needs in a working dog are far greater than a pet or ppdog or sport.