[BabyNala]

Hello! Meet Nala... I purchased her on July 5th through this couple who says the parents are full bred shepherd's but they are not papered. The dad is an all black gs and the mom looks like your average tan and black gs. When I first got Nala, my first thought was how small she was! I asked the seller how old she was and she said she was 5 weeks old. I was a bit concerned considering she was still so tiny and young to be taken away from her mother so soon... the gal said that it is okay due to her breed- they will do good. I purchased her for $350- after bargaining with the seller- her original price was $500, but I told her that since she's no papered and I was on a budget- I only wanted to spend $350 at the time. She finally ended up selling Nala to us. I just feel that she's too small to be 5 weeks when we picked her up and unfortunately, I did not meet the parent's since she lived a bit of a distance from me, however, she did show me pictures of both the parent's and they looked good. Nala is growing and her ears are already starting to perk up, but I do not know how old she is and cannot reach the seller now. Can anyone help us with some of your knowledge?? I love the breed, but am not looking to breed- just keeping as a family pet. She has been teething and her teeth are pretty sharp and long. It's just kind of bugs me that I do not know her age and she just seems so small! Thanks for the help!

 

[Shade]

She should have never left the parents until she was 8 weeks, and dogs that aren't registered can never be considered purebred even if they actually are as there's no proof there has been no mixing of the genes even 4 generations back. Seeing a photo of two dogs doesn't mean that those were the parents, anyone can print a photo off the internet.

Make sure she goes to a vet and gets dewormed and a full checkup and a vaccination schedule set up once she's gotten a clean bill of health. A good quality kibble or well researched raw diet and hopefully get registered for a session of puppy classes and you'll be off to a good start.

 

[boomer11]

pups shouldnt leave their mom before 8 weeks due to development/socialization but health wise you should be fine. a 5 week pup really is that small. they should only weigh a couple of pounds and sleep a whole lot. they grow very fast though. your pup will probably add 1-3 pounds a week

anyone who sells a pup at 5 weeks and negoiates on price is just trying to make money. they dont care about the health or temperment of the dogs. but you live and you learn. hopefully your pup grows up healthy!

 

[Courtney]

She looks like a GSD pup but it's really hard to tell at this young age.

You have her now and her care is your responsibility (not that you said it wasn't).

Has she been to the vet yet for a check up? Stool sample checked? Puppies need to be dewormed.

All puppies are different even within the same breed. My boy was 10 pounds at 8 weeks.

The vet can tell you if she's a healthy weight.

With fast growing GSD puppies we want them to grow slow and steady.

AND, she's a real cutie

 

[1sttimeforgsd]

Cute puppy.

 

[Ares God Of War]

Awe she is really cute!! I also got my pupoy at 5 wks as the mom didnt want to feed them anymore and he was just going to give her to someone else so I took her!! She is now 20 weeks old and she is a sweet girl!! I love her to death!

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[vomlittlehaus]

I guess at this point, being purebred is a mute point. Five weeks is too young to be separated from mom and siblings. Get puppy dewormed, and only give distemper/parvo vaccine at this time. Your vet will want to do several at once, do not let them. Look up Dr. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol. Get a couple stuffed animals to put with the puppy also in its crate. Look for a good place for puppy socialization classes. Try to find a local dog training club (AKC has some listed on their website I believe). Or just do a google search. Your puppy is too young to take to them right now, but you need to do your research before you pick one. Go and observe a puppy class. If you dont feel comfortable and welcomed, keep looking. Also if you let us know your geographical area, we might be able to recommend a trainer. Socialization is the key to a well rounded adult dog. If you miss the opportunity to socialize at a young age (starting @ 8wks and up) you dont get that back. Take the time to raise this puppy right. What are you planning to feed? The puppy will go through a phase from now to 16 weeks of biting EVERYTHING. You need to redirect that biting to toys and teach inhibition. Lots of info on here for training as well. Keep us posted and good luck with your cute puppy.

 

[BabyNala]

Thank you all for the feedback!! I do understand she should have not left her parent's at such a young age and that was one of the first questions I asked the lady- her other response was due to the lack of feeding the mom did, they felt it was okay for her to be let go. Is there anyway I would be able to tell what her age is? I have taken her to the vet and the seller informed me that the pup was given her first shot and dewormed before we purchased her. I was just worried that I spent my money on a mixed puppy, and now it's too late, but our family has invested time and money on her already so we would never let her go now, we love her! I just wanted to get other expert opinions and views on how our pup looks. She's very smart and already knows how to sit within the 2 days I taught her! I'm still wondering if she looks like a gsd or not, but I guess we will find out as she age.... thanks again guys!

 

[BabyNala]

I guess at this point, being purebred is a mute point. Five weeks is too young to be separated from mom and siblings. Get puppy dewormed, and only give distemper/parvo vaccine at this time. Your vet will want to do several at once, do not let them. Look up Dr. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol. Get a couple stuffed animals to put with the puppy also in its crate. Look for a good place for puppy socialization classes. Try to find a local dog training club (AKC has some listed on their website I believe). Or just do a google search. Your puppy is too young to take to them right now, but you need to do your research before you pick one. Go and observe a puppy class. If you dont feel comfortable and welcomed, keep looking. Also if you let us know your geographical area, we might be able to recommend a trainer. Socialization is the key to a well rounded adult dog. If you miss the opportunity to socialize at a young age (starting @ 8wks and up) you dont get that back. Take the time to raise this puppy right. What are you planning to feed? The puppy will go through a phase from now to 16 weeks of biting EVERYTHING. You need to redirect that biting to toys and teach inhibition. Lots of info on here for training as well. Keep us posted and good luck with your cute puppy.

Hi! Thank you for your feedback, I very much appreciate it! Right now, I own a two year old pit bull mix- we've had him since he was 8 wks old- he's very friendly and loves to kiss anyone lol... I do believe that raising your pup and socializing them around people is very important. Since we've had Nala, I've been feeding her Diamond pet foods- for large breed puppies- it's a lamb and rice formula. I mix the hard food with a soft food called Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's soul (recommended by my pet shop). So far, she has enjoyed it and her stool hasn't been questionable. The reason I'm feeding her hard food is because the seller told me that they have exposed hard food to her already and that she was eating it. She has grown since we got her and it's great to see her ears start to perk up, I just wish there was a sure way I could find her age and know if she's a mixed pup or not.

 

[huntergreen]

imho, the best thing you can do is have the pup checked by your vet and let him tell you what the pup needs. i m sure others will be along wiyh more advice, i will just say congrats and will look forward to updates and more pictures.

 

[LeoRose]

Thank you all for the feedback!! I do understand she should have not left her parent's at such a young age and that was one of the first questions I asked the lady- her other response was due to the lack of feeding the mom did, they felt it was okay for her to be let go. Is there anyway I would be able to tell what her age is? I have taken her to the vet and the seller informed me that the pup was given her first shot and dewormed before we purchased her. I was just worried that I spent my money on a mixed puppy, and now it's too late, but our family has invested time and money on her already so we would never let her go now, we love her! I just wanted to get other expert opinions and views on how our pup looks. She's very smart and already knows how to sit within the 2 days I taught her! I'm still wondering if she looks like a gsd or not, but I guess we will find out as she age.... thanks again guys!

Yes, mom starts weaning the puppies off the teat at about that age, but just because they are eating regular food doesn't mean they are ready to leave the litter. There are important doggy social skills that are learned between five and eight weeks, that your pup will miss out on. Breeders like this one sell puppies too early through either ignorance (not knowing that puppies need to stay with mom and siblings longer) or greed (don't want the expense of feeding half a dozen or so extra mouths).

I think worrying about whether your pup is purebred or not will be the least of your worries.

 

[BabyNala]

Yes, mom starts weaning the puppies off the teat at about that age, but just because they are eating regular food doesn't mean they are ready to leave the litter. There are important doggy social skills that are learned between five and eight weeks, that your pup will miss out on. Breeders like this one sell puppies too early through either ignorance (not knowing that puppies need to stay with mom and siblings longer) or greed (don't want the expense of feeding half a dozen or so extra mouths).

I think worrying about whether your pup is purebred or not will be the least of your worries.

Thanks for your input
Yeah, she seems to be doing much better now- I have a dog that she plays with a lot and I have two younger kid's who is always handling her. I am not too worried about socialization at this time since she is always around people. We have been letting her out in our neighborhood throughout the day as we take mini walks and she seems to be exploring and enjoying herself. I plan to take her to the dog park when she gets older and all up to date with her shots. She has been to the vet and so far she is where she needs to be- health wise. She's such a good puppy! Small one, but I'm hoping she gets bigger with time. :happyboogie:

 

[selzer]

What's done is done. Arwen was just under six weeks when I got her, maybe I have a photo.



And


She weighed 6 pounds.

The best bet is to take your puppy to the vet and they should be able to tell you pretty close by looking at the development of the teeth, and size, whether your puppy is a good size for her age, and how old she is. They will need to worm her and give her parvo and distemper shots as these are killers.

Good luck.

 

[BabyNala]

What's done is done. Arwen was just under six weeks when I got her, maybe I have a photo.



And


She weighed 6 pounds.

The best bet is to take your puppy to the vet and they should be able to tell you pretty close by looking at the development of the teeth, and size, whether your puppy is a good size for her age, and how old she is. They will need to worm her and give her parvo and distemper shots as these are killers.

Good luck.

Aww, what a cute pup she was! Thanks for sharing and the useful information!