[jillianbr]

I have found a puppy that I've fallen in love with. The breeder told me that I can take him home when he is 8 weeks old. I have read that you should not take the puppy before he is at least 12 weeks old. Is there any truth to that? Also, both my boyfriend and I are at work all day, although I will have a person come to play with and feed the puppy for 45min in the middle of the day, will it be hard to housebreak a puppy when we are not there with him during the day? On weekends I will spend every sec with my new puppy!! One last question, my puppy is a mix between a maltese, poodle, and a yorkie. I have been doing a lot of research and have not found any dogs breeded from 3 different breeds, does this pose any known health risks??
-Concerned new puppy owner

[Cheetah]

Personally, I would not support a breeder who is deliberately mixing breeds together. That likely means they don't show the parents, and they also don't get them health tested for common problems in the breed (and when mixed together, you could likely get all the problems of EACH breed). I would suggest that if you want a mixed puppy, to try going to your local shelter or rescue. Otherwise, I'd pick a breed you like most and find a reputable breeder (a lot of good ones can be found on the breed club's website... if you are in America, you can find the breed clubs at American Kennel Club - akc.org). Most responsible breeders don't let their pups go until 10-12 weeks. It gives the pup more time to socialize with its littermates and mother.

If you have a person who can come take care of your pup in the middle of the day, that is ideal. You can crate train your pup and it will keep her out of trouble and/or danger while you are not there.

[OwnedBySix]

Yes, I would be concerned too because the person with these puppies is not a breeder. He/she is an irresponsible dog owner who doesn't understand the concept of spaying and neutering, and are now adding to the pet overpopulation problem.

Unless you go to a shelter or rescue group, please do not encourage these people to continue breeding by purchasing a puppy from them. These people also do not protect you, the puppy owner, by doing genetic testing on their dogs or by offering a health guarantee.

Please reconsider.

[Emma82]

i wouldn't get that puppy. but if you do get one i got both my dogs at 8 weeks and they where fine and i asked my vet if that was the right age he said over 8 weeks is ok.
as for the training i would think it is harder to train the pup if no one is home i was lucky i work from home so i could train all day. but losts of people work and have trained dogs so it must still work.
But think hard before you deside puppies are hard work and is a job in its self.

[Alpha]

I agree with the above post. It sounds like a backyard breeder, breeding for profit obviously not for love of the breed... because there really isn't a breed.

On topic, if you still decide to get this puppy, 8 weeks is totally reasonable.

Although beware, toy/miniature dogs are much harder to housetrain than larger breeds, especially if your not around much.

As the others mentioned though, if you want a pup, there are plenty of mixes at your local shelter I bet!

[tiffsdoggiedelights]

I have to agree with the posts above. I did get my oldest pup when she was 12 weeks old, the second when he was 8 weeks old. It depends on how well socialized the pup is. You also have to remember that a small dog has a small bladder. They shouldn't be left without being takin out an hour for each month of age. If you get them at 12 weeks, you shouldn't leave them for more than 3 hours at a time without taking them out. It can cause bladder problems further down the line.

[Sister]

The above poster was correct in that tiny dogs have tiny bladders and therefore need to urinate more often. If you do get this puppy you may want to consider penning him in the bathroom with "piddle pads" so that he can relieve himself while you are gone. I used these when my pug was a puppy.

[TinyStar]

Why don't you go to the shelter and look for a nice dog in need of a home before paying money for one?