# I cannot believe it!



## Edwinna (Apr 21, 2006)

I was in Louisville last weekend and picked up the Sunday paper. Out of curiousity I always read the pet classifieds. Well...there was an ad for AKC registered Maltese, 6 weeks old, ready to go... I could not believe it so I called the number to see if it were for real. The breeder told me the puppies were 6 weeks old that day and were nearly weaned. So, I said but they won't be ready to go for awhile, right? He replied that they were okay to go now and he had already let 2 go. He had 4. I probably overstepped the boundaries but I told him what I thought. He said that the 12 week guideline was just a way to increase the price and he has been doing this for 8 years. He gives a health guarantee but did not go into details. The price for his puppies is $850 or best offer. The "or best offer" really got me. I was stunned. If I had the money I would take his 2 puppies just to protect them. Oh I forgot the other thing, he says that you best bond with a puppy at six weeks! I am furious!!!!


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

I read the paper for the same reasons every weekend and it just breaks my heart to see some of those babies advertised at such a young age. I got Tanner at 7 weeks (this was before I knew about SM!!) and the poor little thing could barely walk. Never again...


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

I have found that almost all in the newspaper let them go at 6-8 weeks. I did what you did one time, too and called and tried to explain why to keep them longer.. but got the same "years of experience" response. It is soooo frustrating!!! I thought it was even against the law to sell a puppy younger than 8 weeks. If it isn't, it should be. How very, very sad....


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I got Boo at 10 weeks & he was fine & healthy.He didn't have any problems but I definitely wouldn't want to bring home a tiny 6 or 7 week old puppy who was barely weaned.I think it's very irresponsible & only shows that the breeder is in a hurry to get the money & isn't really concerned about the puppies wellfare.I met a lady in Petsmart last year who had a tiny 7 week old Maltese with her.She had gotten him just 3 days before.I was foolish enough to try to tell her that the puppy was too young to be away from it's mother & really shouldn't be out in the public yet.She got really rude & hostile.She said the breeder told her it was perfectly fine & she is sure the breeder is more knowledgable about Maltese than me.I left the store so mad my face was on fire.I still wonder if that little tiny puppy survived at all because it wasn't looking very well at all.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

These people are the "back-yard" breeders who care nothing about the ultimate welfare of the pups. They just want to line their pockets and they do this by abusing their little breeder dogs. Their fluffs are "DOGS" not pets. Very sad!


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

In Ohio you cannot sell a puppy unless it is 8 weeks old. I too have run into this same situation. I feel so bad for the puppy and owner. The owner doesn't know any better. Usually these puppies aren't the "best quality" either. No body shot me for that one. I love ALL puppies regardless of who breed them, just wish all breeders had the best interest at heart.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

I read the ads too, and although rarely see Maltese in this area, there are lots of Yorkie, Chi, and Shih Tzu ads like that one. Makes me feel sick, not only for the puppies, but also because I feel helpless to "fix" it. It is kind of like reading war reports, ------what can we do!









Almost 15 yrs. ago now, and being totally uninformed, I brought Frosty home at 7 wks. We were 300 miles from his "breeder" and she would not communicate with me after we got home. I had many sleepless nights trying to keep him fed and healthy for the first few months (I didn't know about Nutri-Cal either). However, I now believe that his health didn't suffer as much as his abilities in the socialization department. He has continued all his life to despise other dogs. He didn't learn any of the "dog" stuff from his mother and siblings that he needed to function socially as a dog. It didn't help that we protected him too much, and tried to make him "human"!









Finding the fine line between having our darling babies be our "babies" and share our love, and letting them be dogs can be a problem. Next time I will know the dangers of not having proper socialization. Particularly the dangers of taking a pup away from mother and siblings before they have a chance to learn about pack order and the psychological lessons their mom will teach them.







We can bottle feed and use Nutri-Cal, but we aren't mother dogs!


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## Julie718 (Feb 17, 2006)

I just read all of your stories and my heart just breaks for this innocent, helpless puppies!!!







I wish that something could be done to prevent these people from selling these puppies before they are 12 weeks!


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## thelittlepet (Apr 18, 2006)

I hear you Dee. What they learned they learned from the moma dog. The level of socialization that Lily and Bentley have is far supierior to Gidget who came home at 10 weeks and Ivory who came home at 11 weeks. The pups came home at 16 weeks. They were from a big litter and the breeeder wanted them together a little longer, tough to wait, but in the long run, they are better for it. Ultimatly we are supposed to be able as humans to look out for their best interest. They don't bark at other dogs, can plya with other dogs and really don't have issues, other than Lily is a bit of a snob. But that is her personality, not an issue and because she was the only girl in the litter, such a diva. hee hee 
Aimee


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## suTQ (Jul 13, 2006)

6 weeks sounds so young. At what age should puppies be weaned?


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## Jacki (Jul 13, 2006)

Coming in late on this one...this weekend we were at the beach w/some friends who have a Maltese. They got her a couple years ago from a byb nearby, and while she is adorable (aren't all Malts?







) it's obvious that she does not come from careful breeding. I asked my friend, how old was your baby when you got her, and she replied "6 weeks!"







...I tried to think of something tactful but educational to say but it was difficult!!! Anyway this week I was reading the pet classifieds in Uncle Henry's, which is basically a weekly classifieds magazine up here, and there were LOTS of ads for malts, shih tzus, and crosses of the 2 "ready to go" at 6 weeks. GRRR.


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

> I hear you Dee. What they learned they learned from the moma dog. The level of socialization that Lily and Bentley have is far supierior to Gidget who came home at 10 weeks and Ivory who came home at 11 weeks. The pups came home at 16 weeks. They were from a big litter and the breeeder wanted them together a little longer, tough to wait, but in the long run, they are better for it. Ultimatly we are supposed to be able as humans to look out for their best interest. They don't bark at other dogs, can plya with other dogs and really don't have issues, other than Lily is a bit of a snob. But that is her personality, not an issue and because she was the only girl in the litter, such a diva. hee hee
> Aimee[/B]


 Aimee your dogs were great to all of us.

I got ripped apart on MalteseTalk because I said something about the 12 week guideline and even a member HERE that is there gave me grief about it. A MalteseTalk member had said she got two new puppies and they are X weeks old (under 12, I can't recall how young now) and so in my post to her, I told her shame on the breeder for letting them go so young, but good luck with them. She ripped into me then a SM member did. I restated what I had said and then she calmed down some. I was mostly surprised to have a SM member give me grief, since I thought anyone that has been here for more then a month would know the very sound reasons for a small breed to stay with their Mother's until they are at least 12 weeks old. I was very surprised at that SM member.

Yes, I would bet that better then 95% of us here made some mistake with our first dogs. Getting them too young or getting them from the wrong place. Live and learn, but by all means LEARN!

enJOY!
Melanie


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## josymir (Aug 23, 2006)

> 6 weeks sounds so young. At what age should puppies be weaned?[/B]


Puppies are weaned around 6 weeks of age BUT they start the socialization process around that time too. This is the time when mom teaches them what is good and what is not. Six weeks is way too young and you have a harder time training them and so on. The older they are the easier they are to train.

Josy


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## Sunshine (Aug 20, 2004)

I agree on puppies staying with their parents until at least 10 weeks - but here in Aus, it's pretty much the norm to let them go at 7 weeks. I haven't found any place (other than Abby's breeder) who will keep them longer. My first puppy, Abigail came to me at 7 weeks (although, to cut a long story short, she was meant to stay there longer but circumstances didn't allow it). She was HARD WORK. I worried the whole time until she was about 14 weeks old I wouldn't leave her alone.

Sadly the same breeder hasn't had a litter again recently. My parents found Bella and got her - she was being happily released at 7 weeks! I'm going through the same thing again - constant worry about her. Now these puppies are purebred with papers but cheap, so I don't think they're in for the money (my parents paid $350AU for Bella), and you could really tell that both of my puppies had a lot of love and care from where they've come from. It's just the concensus around here that 7 weeks is okay.

I've been lucky that Abigail was fine, and Bella is doing well (although, I think she is less 'adjusted' than Abigail was), but I stay in close contact with vets and keep a careful eye on them.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

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Hahaha..with the exception of Cosy. She doesn't learn anything and was with her breeder til almost
5 months of age. She does as she pleases and spits in me eye. LOL!


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## thelittlepet (Apr 18, 2006)

Cosy and Lily could be cousins. She puts her head up and takes off as if to say, "whatever". She does as she pleases, when she pleases. She is such a riot, but she is an amzing little muppet.
Aimee


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

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 *Cosy darling, you BETTER listen to your loving Mommy!

Why? Coz I said so or Mr Wookie will come get ya!

enJOY!
Melanie
*


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