# 16-20 week old puppy



## EBHamilton (Oct 30, 2013)

Me and my husband are looking to get our very first GSD soon! We want a purebred regardless to whether they are registered or not, and we want one relatively young. My question is 16-20 weeks too old? We have found a woman who is giving hers up because she can no longer afford her and doesn't have enough time to spend with her... I have heard this is the age where the puppy is forming bad habits if not trained and socialized correctly. We are going today to look at the female puppy. Any advice?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

If the dog is sound, genetically speaking, it should not be a problem. Lots of people get dogs 6, 12, 18+ months old. Hope it works out!


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

:welcome:

If you're concerned about the certainty the dog is a purebred then find a reputable breeder that only breeds and sells registered dogs so that you're certain you're getting what they promised. The registry should only be AKC (American Kennel Club) or CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) if you're in North America. It will cost you more but the peace of mind is worth it, and you're not only buying the dog but a lifetime partnership with a breeder who can give you training and health advice and will honor warranties towards health issues like HD which is common in the breed.

Now as to age, the odds are stacked in your favour if the breeder and current owner have socialized, trained, and spent time preparing the puppy for the outside world. You can't expect a well behaved pup that knows all obedience plans at such a young age but basics can be laid and built upon. If the puppy is raised right it doesn't matter if the dog is 8 weeks, 8 months, or even 8 years old - they should adapt and adjust well to a new family.

I hope that helps


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Go and meet her. If you like her then you've got alot of the 'hard' puppy stuff out of the way and she's still young!


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## Redrider469 (Jul 19, 2013)

I got my dog at 16 weeks and things have been great so far. With a 3 year old kid at home, it was nice to miss on the little puppy stage. We met with her before we brought her home and knew it would be a great fit. She has been great so far. I definitely think you should meet the pup first and see how it goes. Good luck!


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## EBHamilton (Oct 30, 2013)

Thank you all so much for you replies! Unfortunately the puppy we were looking into did not work out. But we have decided a 4 month old+ will be a better fit for us!  We are currently talking to another woman who has a five month old AKC Reg. female and she is SO adorable. We are hoping she is the one!


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

with all the success stories from people i have met and read about who adopt older gsd, i would not hesitate to take in a 16 + week old gsd.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

i prefer a 16+ week pup. with an 8 week pup you get loads of cuteness but potty/crate training sucks! i'd hate to have to take a pup out every 30 minutes especially with winter coming. plus 8 week sleeps alot and are fragile. 16 weeks they still have that puppy look but are ready to really play.


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## N∆NDO (Oct 31, 2013)

Im planning on meeting a 4 month old female GSD tomorrow for a possible adoption. My issue is that she doesn't have her shots or deworming and she's been an outside dog since they adopted her. The pup is most likely a BYB pup but I don't mind. What Im iffy about is if it might turn out to be a bad idea in the end. I feel that street, BYB, rescue, and breeder pups all deserve a fare chance and I know the pup will be happy in my home. I just don't want issues with temperament down the road. I would like to be able to do some advance training with her in the future if I adopt her... 
Do you think Ill be able to?  

I would like some opinions. 
I know I can go to a Reputable breeder but I don't want to. My GSD I have now came from a "BYB" and she is amazing, insanely smart and I somewhat trained her myself with no behavioral or temperament problems but I got her at 7 weeks old. I socialized her with kids, loud noises, my cats and was able to break her hand bitting habit along with crate train and basic training real quick and so young. I just feel like I'm not going to have it easy doing all of this as it was with Porsche my current GSD.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

N∆NDO;4519194 said:


> I would like to be able to do some advance training with her in the future if I adopt her...
> Do you think Ill be able to?
> 
> I just feel like I'm not going to have it easy doing all of this as it was with Porsche my current GSD.


There's absolutely no reason you can't do advanced training with a dog that's four months or four years old when you get it. I've done both. Frankly I think the older dogs learn _much_ faster than the very young puppies -- were it up to me, I'd never deal with a dog younger than 4 months again. 

But no, it won't feel as easy as it does with your current dog. Not because it'll actually be harder, but because human memory is a strange and fickle thing.

Every time I get a new foster, I think some version of "holy *(&#$# why is this so HARD and ANNOYING, all my other dogs were _so much easier._"

Which is of course totally untrue. And usually it's been a month or less since my last foster. But that's all the time it takes to start forgetting just how bumpy those first few weeks and months can be.


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## N∆NDO (Oct 31, 2013)

Thanks I appreciate the reply Merciel  
Well Ill be on my way to meet her in a few. Im really hoping it works out.


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## Oisin's Aoire (Jun 17, 2013)

I met my current GSD at 14 weeks , took him home at 16 weeks. He was housebroken in a week and is doing great at obedience. My other 2 dogs were adopted at 10 months old and 5 or years old. Zero issues related to not having them right from 8 weeks  Good luck!


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

My breeder actually offers a puppy training package for buyers. She will keep pups at an additional cost for 2 additional months and start the potty, crate, obedience training, They also get to stay socialized with littermates (if others are still there) and exposed to young adult to adult dogs, other club members and their dogs. It is great for the family that doesnt have the option of being home all day to care for a young pup.


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

Dawn, I've looked into a breeder like that! I wonder if its the same breeder I think it is? If so I love her dogs!


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## N∆NDO (Oct 31, 2013)

It didn't work out after all with the adoption. I do understand how its better to to wait though.


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## fredh (Sep 10, 2013)

We got our Jake from the Breeder when he was 16 weeks old. House broken, basic commands already taken care of. I would highly recommend getting one at that age.


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