Pick him up or wait?

[TylerS]

Alright, we picked out this little guy last week at six weeks old. The breeder said he'd be ready the weekend after the 4th of July. Only problem was we have a vacation planned July 18-24 and the resort doesn't allow pets.

So here's the situation: do we pick him up this weekend so he can bond for a week and then drop him off at a kennel, or do we wait and let him stay at the breeders? We already offered to leave the vacation early on the 22nd and get him. I figured that way we have four days off with the little dude before work starts.

If I wait to pick him up, will it effect bonding time because he is older? Or would it be even worse to have him for a week and then drop him off?

I'm leaning toward waiting until the 22nd, but I'm torn. Advice?

[jeffreyd]

i got my first lab when he was 8 wks old. the second lab was 11 weeks and was far more mature and better off then the first lab. if i could have left the first lab with mom for that extra couple weeks i think he would be a different dog. just my thought but i would not pick up a new pup only to put it in kennel while you are gone. good luck, i say leave it with mom for a few more days. you could always take a bath towel and wipe yourselves down with it and give to the pup so it knows your scent. that was the suggestion when we did the first meeting of our two labs. we wiped down the older dog so the new dog could smell it etc. then did introduction in a neutral place so they could get to know each other. kind of like dating online.

[gr8icefishinmind]

WAIT......picking him up for a week only to bring him to a kennel for a week almost seems inhumane! I personally would leave it at the breeders.

[nofishfisherman]

Yep, leave it with the breeder.

Bringing a young pup to a kennel for a week doesn't sounds like a good idea to me at all for several reasons. First, imagine how scared the pup will be. He'll still be trying to get over being away from mom and his siblings and then he gets sent of to yet another strange place with nothing to bond to. Second, you probably don't want to be exposing the pup to all the possible illnesses that can be picked up at a kennel while he still hasn't had time to work through all of his vaccinations.

There is only one choice in my mind.

[TylerS]

Thanks for all the replies. They pretty much reinforced what I already was planning.

Looks like more time to read through the "Green Bible" at least twice more.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Also........even though it is a young pup, it will pick up lots of bad habits from other dogs at the kennel!!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Definitely leave him! We picked up our boy at 11 weeks. That extra time with mom and littermates is good for them socially.

[brittman]

Dog needs to socialize with his human family not his littermates. Get him when you are ready.

Puppy is not totally immune to many bad diseases (often fatal for really young dogs) until they have had several rounds of vacinations.

I would not board a young dog until they are fully immunized. Then I would try not to board them for more than a long weekend.