Friend bought puppy under 6 weeks...

EmptyPockets

Caroline_a wrote: »

Also, I do not agree with buying puppies for children as young as 7. A puppy is a huge responsibility, what happens when the child gets bored?

I don't agree with puppies, kittens, or any other animal, being bought for children full-stop, regardless of the child's age. If an animal enters a family, it should be brought in by the adults, and the adults should be the ones taking responsibility for it, not the kids. How many times do we hear it? Only last week I asked a neighbour where his rabbits had disappeared to (I'd seen the cage standing on end) and was told "took them to the RSPCA 'cos the kids had lost interest and I was sick of being the one who had to clean them out and feed them"...

Well hello, YOU were the one who brought them into the family, did you really not think two children under eight-years-old would lose interest..?

JulieGeorgiana

EmptyPockets wrote: »

I don't agree with puppies, kittens, or any other animal, being bought for children full-stop, regardless of the child's age. If an animal enters a family, it should be brought in by the adults, and the adults should be the ones taking responsibility for it, not the kids. How many times do we hear it? Only last week I asked a neighbour where his rabbits had disappeared to (I'd seen the cage standing on end) and was told "took them to the RSPCA 'cos the kids had lost interest and I was sick of being the one who had to clean them out and feed them"...

Well hello, YOU were the one who brought them into the family, did you really not think two children under eight-years-old would lose interest..?

100% agree with you. I have 4 pets, each one was bought by me because I wanted them! We may have told my son the Rabbits were his... but that was to encourage him to help out with their care.

My husband and I feed, clean and care for all 4 pets... my son helps from time to time when he has time. Letting him think they are his, and ACTUALLY buying animals for a child are two different things. My Husband and I know that we will be the ones cleaning the Rabbits for the rest of their lives! They live 12 years!!

It's so sad that people would buy pets for their children and expect the children to actually look after them!!!

Caroline_a

Totally agree. How often are dogs in particular ruined by people letting their children run them ragged! Dogs in particular need lots of socialisation and calmness in early days to ensure that they grow into calm obedient adult dogs. I do despair when I see small pups dragged around on their leads by children while parents chat obliviously!

365days

JG82 wrote: »

I also think that 9/10 times the breeders are the ones to blame. Whether it is accidental pregnancies; mother's not attaching or just wanting the money I am hearing more and more about puppies being sold early.

I do recognise though that there are plenty of responsible breeders and that is who we should be recommending.

I've seen both sides of this recently. I was at the vet collecting Mum cat from being neutered and there was a couple with 2 very young pups. Transpired they were breeders and the conversation they were having with another customer was along the lines of 'Yes we have to keep them longer now, wish it was still 6 weeks, they make such a mess as they get older' !!!!! I just thought what a selfish attitude. You are making money from this venture and you complain about having to keep them an extra 2 weeks.


I have just homed a litter of kittens. (hence the cat now being neutered) one lady came to see them when they were 3 weeks old. She wanted one there and then!! I explained that they would not be ready to go until they were 8 weeks. She said she thought it was 6 and if I wasn't prepared to let them go then she would go elsewhere....what is so hard about waiting for 2 weeks?? She didn't come back needless to say.

MadDogWoman_2

I have a 3 year old, and we live with 3 cats and a dog, she little job 2x a day is to feed the cats.

She loves rabbits and guinea pigs but no way would I get her one until she is a lot older and can help in their care, plus as I have never owned either of these animals I want to research and learn about them first. She is quite content atm to go and visit them at the pet shop.

shegirl

Well,so far the pup is going to bed with her daughter every night and is brought down a few hours later when friend feels like it.He also won't go to sleep on his own when they are around...he has to be cuddled to fall asleep although apparently he falls asleep when he's on his own in the house while they're out (after god knows how long crying it's hardly surprising he falls asleep so easily then ). Another friend of ours posted on facebook last night that her dog had chewed her pjs..friend with the pup replied 'oh god,our puppy likes chewing,he better not try chewing anything of ours'....


says it all really!!!!

Caroline_a

Sad... you can see the final result with a young dog waiting in a rescue centre to be rehomed.

MrsE_2

Why are pedigree cats not sold till 13 weeks but moggies & dogs are sold much earlier?

925dancer

MrsE wrote: »

Why are pedigree cats not sold till 13 weeks but moggies & dogs are sold much earlier?

Dogs are sold earlier because there is such a thing as being with their littermates and mum too long (or something along those lines, a very good doggy person enlightened several people I know to this after being questioned about the differences between dogs and cats).

Cats however should stay with mum till they are 12 weeks, regardless of breed. Good breeders know this and they will also generally fully vaccinate the kittens before they go to their new home. Moggies sadly are generally bred by idiot back street breeders who are killing their female cats by breeding them to death to make a few quid. You'll be lucky if that 6-8 week old kitten has seen a vet or vet prescribed worm and flea treatments.

It's a subject that infuriates me to my core, seeing the work that rescues have to do to pick up the pieces of these irresponsible idiots, selling kittens too young, who can often end up with behavioural problems who are then shunted onto a someone else to pick up the pieces.

One of my cats came to me far too young, I'd say about 6 weeks and to this day she will still occassionally lick my hands. When she was tiny she would try to nuzzle my ears, hands, neck, anything because she was missing her mum. I got off lightly, some kittens have other problems.

Really no-one should be buying anything off a free ad site, it only encourages the irresponsible breeders (don't get started on all the so called exotic crosses that appear!). Go to a rescue, they are full to bursting and your donation will go a long way to help raise awareness and pay their never ending bills.

amibovvered

A few years ago when I had a boxer I noticed a young woman with the most beautiful red and white boxer puppy. Couple of weeks later I was chatting to another boxer owner while on a walk and happened to mention this puppy. He said, oh, I know who you mean. She's got rid of it now, it wasn't house-trained. :mad: