8,10, or 12 weeks?

I was just wondering what everyone thinks is the best age to get a cavalier puppy? I've heard eight weeks is fine, but some say def. wait until at least ten weeks. What would be best? Mine is going to be ten weeks, born 12-21 and I'm getting him this sat!

Hi!!

Speaking as a (UK) Breeder, I will not allow any of my precious babies to leave me before they are 10 weeks old. By this time they have spent a lot of time with their Mum's who have taught them many lessons on hierarchy. Also my babies by this time have been FULLY vaccinated and also heart and eye checked to ensure they are the healthiest pups you can possibly want to take home!

Basically speaking Cavalier puppies take longer to mature than many other breeds, Cavaliers as a breed are VERY STRONGLY maternal and the mum's like to spend a lot of time with their babies, I am NEVER in a hurry to sell a puppy and prefer for them to spend as much time as possible with their Momma's prior to going to their (hopefully) forever homes, they are better adjusted and certainly need those few extra weeks with their Mum's to "round & shape" them as better adults! Hope this helps??

Jake came to me at 10 weeks and Shelby at 12 weeks. Shelby was way ahead on the learning curve from that extra two weeks!! Here in the States 10 weeks is the norm.

The breeder we got Marley from wouldn't release him until he was 9weeks old, our breeder previously wouldn't release Jake until he was 12 weeks. We recommend 9-12 weeks to clients at my work and insist never before 9 weeks regardless of the breed.

Generally speaking, we don't let our puppies go until they are about 12 weeks old. We have let them go as early as 11 weeks under special circumstances. I know a lot of breeders let their pups go as early as 8 or 9 weeks, but IMHO, this is way too early. Heck, at 8 weeks a puppy is barely weened.

You would be amazed at how much a puppy learns from the adults in my house between 9 and 12 weeks! That's the period of time when my puppies are interacting with my adults and learning to be a dog. They are learning how to play without hurting so much. They are getting disciplined by the adults when they get too rough and the adults are even being occaisionally submissive to the puppies so they know how to be submissive. By 10 weeks pups are doing "All dogs out" (that's when everyone goes out at the same time to do their business) with the rest of the adults and learning the beginnings of housetraining. We even teach the puppies how to use stairs the last couple weeks.

Besides, the longer they stay here, the more fun I have

My parent's let their springers go at 12 weeks. I don't think I would feel confortable taking a puppy at 8 weeks.

We brought Sally home at 12 weeks. She learned so quickly and settled in great. I'm sure it's because she had that bit longer with her mother and other dogs

We got Beauregard at 8 weeks, Elvis at 12. I think a lot of Beau's 'needy' issues can be blamed on that... Evis is much more 'secure' and always has been. We'd always gotten 'young' puppies over the years, but the extra socialization seems to be worth it.

Kingston was about 13 weeks old when I picked him up. I couldn't have asked for a happier, more well-adjusted pup. And to top it all off, he was already potty trained! I definitely think he benefited from having more time with his mom and other dogs.

We got Ashton at 12 weeks and Rio at 13 weeks and judging by how small they were then I wouldn't have felt comfortable getting them any earlier. Plus puppies are very vunerable so the longer they stay with mum the better imo

We got Jato at 10 weeks. Normally our breeder waits until 12 weeks to let them go to their new homes, but she had a death in the family and needed to go out of town. He has adjusted very well, and his potty training is getting along great.

having read all the other answers to you, i feel a little nervous putting in my reply. but i got my puppy at just over 6 weeks!!!!! I wanted her for christmas for my two children and the breeder said that she normally wouldnt give her puppies until they were 8 weeks old. This was a very reputable breeder. She said that i seemed really like i would mind her so she gave her to me. I spoilt her rotten and dint leave her outside the door until she was about 3 months because the weather was bad. She is thriving. So i suppose its different for everyone i suppose.

Sorry, you won't want to hear this, but there is absolutely NO WAY that is a reputable breeder. That is younger than would be considered acceptable by the ISPCA or the IKC and *no reputable breeder homes early to provide a puppy for Christmas!!* Most won't even home any puppy right at Christmas because this is such a stressful, active, overwhelming time for a small puppy to go to a new home -- the ISPCA recommends to never take a dog home at Christmas. That is just shockingly young -- a puppy is barely weaned at that age!!

I am so ashamed at how poor the quality of Irish cavalier breeding is generally. I hear story after story like this and of these crap breeders convincing unwary buyers that they are actually reputable. If this was a show breeder I would send a formal letter of complaint to the club secretary.

Also: a cavalier shouldn't be left outside the door at all! They are indoor dogs, not outdoor garden or kennel dogs. Ad your pup is still way, way too young to be left outside for long periods at all, even when with people (as she always should be) . They are also a major target for thieves in Ireland and a dog alone in a garden is a prime target.

I have lots of info on why they need to be *indoors* here -- please reconsider if you are turning her out into the garden alone:
http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=10890

ruby2 said:

I spoilt her rotten and dint leave her outside the door until she was about 3 months because the weather was bad. She is thriving. So i suppose its different for everyone i suppose.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, please tell me I have misunderstood what you wrote! Cavaliers must be kept indoors; they are not meant to be left outside.

Gotta pick my jaw up off the floor.....I've never heard of any dog, much less a Cavalier, being released to a new home at only 6 weeks. That's really really awful.

This was a very reputable breeder

Click to expand...

I'm so sorry but this just isn't possible. I'm afraid you've been duped. Please don't take this the wrong way (I don't mean to offend you, really I don't) but there is no way this was a reputable breeder.

Please please don't leave your puppy outside. Mine are 4 and 5 years old and I would never allow them to be left outside.

I echo that. The only time I ever put them out and shut the door is for five minutes for toilet breaks if it's a bit wet. I've learned that allowing them free run in and out in the situation leads to puddles on the floor - but mine are nearly 2 and nearly 5. I would never have DREAMED of putting a tiny little 12 week Cav pup (note, some people aren't getting their pups til then!) outside by itself. They're just too little.

I'd also go for the later homing, although it's the quality of socialisation that matters as well. Holly was around 13 weeks when I got her, but she'd had no socialisation with other pups, and only some with the other dogs at the breeders due to her circumstances (she'd been very frail until 8 weeks or so). Amber, on the other hand, was raised with two litters and I got her at 10 weeks. From day one she was a much more confident and outgoing pup.

We got Babette at 12 weeks, the sky hasn't fallen in yet

I got Dante at 8½ weeks, simply because in my country there are no breeders I have found (and I researched cav breeders extensively for almost a year) that wait until they are 10-12 weeks before releasing them to new homes. He's still been an amazing dog, very confident, outgoing and very quick to learn right from the first day home, so I do have quite a hard time imagining what difference 2-4 more weeks would have made.

We got Bailey when he was 13 weeks (he was ready to go at 8 weeks but we were on holidays) this meant he was the last pup with his mother for 5 weeks :O so he was an awful whiner at night but alot quicker to train and he didnt nip at all, we got Holly when she was 8 weeks she never once cried at night time but she had her big brother minding her! she nipped for about two weeks. Now they are both two (there is a 5 month gap between them) and you really wouldnt know the difference, they are both equally well behaved and I love them both the same!

We got Bailey when he was 13 weeks (he was ready to go at 8 weeks but we were on holidays) this meant he was the last pup with his mother for 5 weeks :O so he was an awful whiner at night but alot quicker to train and he didnt nip at all, we got Holly when she was 8 weeks she never once cried at night time but she had her big brother minding her! she nipped for about two weeks. Now they are both two (there is a 5 month gap between them) and you really wouldnt know the difference, they are both equally well behaved and I love them both the same!