# Puppy age



## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

After some extensive searching, I've narrowed the breeders down to a few. One currently has 3 females remaining(which was a surprise), and one has really caught my eye. But at 16 weeks old, I have to wonder why he still has them. I'm waiting to find out more. I think it was a litter of 7, but haven't confirmed that yet.



With that age, what are your thoughts? Would it be enough to pass and keep looking? I would prefer another 8 week old but there's something about this girl that's hard to explain...and whatever it is, it clicked when I first saw her. 



**I'm only asking for comments about the 16 week age as I am fully aware of everything else involved  It just seems odd that a reputable breeder would still have 3 at 16 weeks old.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I can think of a few reasons to have pups left and I understand you being a bit gun-shy right now. 
So, if you want to pm me the breeder I can take a look and see what my gut says but really if she is the one then go for it. 
Remember though I'm just an idiot that likes dogs:smile2:


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## Colorado (Nov 25, 2007)

MrGSD said:


> But at 16 weeks old, I have to wonder why he still has them. I'm waiting to find out more. I think it was a litter of 7, but haven't confirmed that yet.


I'm sure the breeders here will have detailed opinions but a few things to think about.

(1) Sometimes a breeder will take a reasonable number of reservations--say 3 male and 3 female. Then the litter comes all female, for example. Now the breeder has to find the right 4 people to match to the remaining females. That could take some time.

(2) Matches are done by sex, drive, and temperament. If all/most of the reservations were for lower drive companion dogs and the litter was mostly super high drive puppies more suitable for working homes the breeder may (and a good breeder should) not give the pups out that are going to be a bad match. Again, this leaves the breeder looking for matches instead of just people with reservations picking up puppies at 8 weeks.

(3) You said the pup caught your eye which is cool but like I just said matches (after sex) are done by matching the drive assessment of the puppy to what the perspective owner's plans are for the dog long term. If you are looking for a family dog and the one that caught your eye is a hyper drive puppy then you (and the puppy) would be in for a bad time. I know it is hard, but try not to get attached based on a photo alone. I'm going through this right now with a reservation on a litter. It will be a week or so before the drive and temperament evaluations are done. The breeder has her suspicions but things could change. It is really hard not to look at pictures from the litter and pick but I have to trust that she well help match me to the right puppy.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

So at a glance there is nothing not good about the breeder except an almost complete lack of info on the site or their FB page. But what there is says the dogs are titled and health tested, although it looks like they may have purchased them that way. Because the one thing that did stand out is that most of the pictures are of overweight or soft dogs. 
It does look like it may be their practice to hold the pups until 12 weeks, which makes the 16 weeks easily explainable. If you can meet the dogs and see for yourself then I see no reason not to take her. But if this is one of those meet you in a parking lot deals I would pass. The info pages attached on the website seem a bit dated but I have found some great breeders who don't seem real tech savy so that's probably not a big deal. 
In all honesty, if it was me, unless someone here knows something about them the only way I would be comfortable buying a puppy from them would be if I could have some face to face time and meet the dogs (not the puppies) myself.


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

Thank you so much @Sabis mom!! Great info!! I don't have FB and didn't notice the soft overweight. I'll be extra observant if/when I go to visit. The overweight part is a negative in so many ways, its not worth listing the reasons. The pups don't appear overweight though...they're 25# right now which seems about right for the age. Same goes for them holding for 12 weeks. Wonder why? I did see the posted info was lacking, but the breeder did say all his dogs were West German working line. But I also now know that in itself, doesn't mean a lot. I have tentative plans to visit Wednesday, depending on the weather. I figure if all the health and pedigree papers are available, it would be worth the trip to NY. It's a 2 1/2 hr ride for me and I intended on being prepared to purchase if I went. I definitely want to interact with the 3 pups and play it by ear. Especially how the pup I have an interest in reacts to me..


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

@Colorado Great info some of which I didn't consider, thanks! As for the hi drive, I would love to have another...my Maggie was one. Great memories raising her, but it wasn't a walk in the park either lol. Being realistic though...while I loved the end results, just not sure I want to go through that experience again. Med to med-hi drive is more my speed now.



Thanks again.


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

I have a pic of the pups that I'd like to post. But they're what the breeder sent me and not on his website. Would it be appropriate to post them without his permission? 



I'm thinking probably not


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

If the pic was sent to you I don't see why it would be inappropriate. If it's a litter, or puppy that you are considering.
Anyway, as I said I would definitely ask some questions and see the dogs. I don't know of this breeder and I could be way off base, it's just my thoughts. On the other hand if the breeder is leaving the choice of pups up to you I would walk away. If they are saying any of these 2 or 3 would suite that's different but if they have no opinion that's a problem.


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

Interesting...other breeders have said they do the picking and would consider my specific selection, but they have the final say. 

This breeder...not so much. I asked if the center pic was female as it got my attention and he said "yes she is, you're really going to like them, super litter" But I should add that he knows my background with the breed and knows what I'm looking for. As with the other breeders, it appears that he is giving my selection consideration, but no comment about he having final say. 

I did reach out to the breeder that referred me to him, just haven't heard back from her yet. I trust her, but he is a friend of hers, so there is that.


Here's a pic of the 3 pups...


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

Some flags are starting to set in my mind. So glad I put this out here for comments!


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## techinstructor (Nov 15, 2014)

Three out of 4 of my GSDs have been in the 14-16 weeks age range when I got them. As stated earlier, there are many reasons why a breeder may still have a pup at that age and it most likely does not indicate a problem with the dog. The one caveat that I would look for with an older pup is whether or not the pup has been socialized. The critical age for puppy socialization is from 8-16 weeks, so if nothing has been done toward this, it could be a problem for you later on depending on the temperament of the pup. Of the three older pups I've had, one was not socialized and was in a situation at the breeder's where there were about a dozen pups his age, plus a bunch of yappy little dogs. Food was available in common bowls and I suspect there was a good bit of competition for it. My pup was a very high drive male, who had a lot of fear aggression when he got older. He would bite for real! We worked through it, but in retrospect, I think had I gotten him at 8 weeks instead of 14, and socialized him, things could have been much different. The other two older pups were from reputable breeders who had introduced the pups to many other people and animals. They also started some basic obedience and crate training with the pups. Both of these dogs were great puppies and are fantastic adults. (You can see them in my profile pic.)


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The breeder is in NY? Can you please PM me the info?


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

@techinstructor...again great info, thanks! That 8-16 week period is something I am very much looking forward to again as I agree its the most critical time to correct bad habits before they become ingrained.


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## MrGSD (Dec 7, 2018)

Well a big kudos and thanks to @*Sabis mom* and her comments which triggered my thinking, I have decided to pass on this breeder now. A little detective work goes a long ways. I'll just leave it at that.


Thank you everyone for the comments as I will be sure to keep every last one in the front of my mind during my search



Best to let this thread die off now.


Cheers!!


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