7-8 week old puppy?

Question

I got a puppy, (shih tzu and yorkie mix) a week ago. The girl who was selling the puppy told that he is 8 weeks old. I was happy as I know it is important to get a puppy at 8 weeks. Now the vet says that the puppy might be 7-8 weeks old. I felt that girl lied to me. But still the puppy is very nice, he is potty trained, plays well. The only concern I have is when I try calling to him he sits and looks at me. He never follows me or comes to me when I call. I have a 4 month old maltese who is a sweet dog always following me and comes to me even before I call. I thought dogs like human contact a lot and loves to be with us. Why is my puppy never coming when I call him? Did this happen to anyone. Kindly help me with serious answers. I am not interested in jokes.

The puppy does not seem to have any hearing problems. When I make any sounds , he stops and turns and looks in that direction. I kept a treat in my hand and called him, still he comes sometimes while other times he does not. I think he is really smart, not once during the whole week he had an accident. My maltese still has accidents.The girl first told me that puppy was born on feb 7th when I told that's too young she changed it to jan 7th telling she told it wrong. I know he is still a puppy and it is hard for him to understand, but my curiosity is does anyone have a similar situation where the puppy was not that affectionate in the beginning but later changed?
thankyou for all your caring answers.

My new puppy is very tiny in size, the other dog is in my brother's house for a week, so that it does not intimidate the puppy. I sometimes feel like my puppy's looks are like a baby but he is like a dog in character, very independent. The first day we had our maltese at home. U should have seem them playing, they were like buddies, infact the puppy was able to play rough equal to the maltese. I felt he loved the maltese. But I had to leave the maltese in my brother's house for a week so puppy is not overwhelmed. I wish he was as playful and attached with me like he was with the maltese. You guys are all really supportive. Thankyou.

Answer 1

He's still to young to understand the concept of names. Just like an infant, they don't really care much for anything except sleeping and eating. Give him time, he'll come around. And some breeds of dogs aren't as affectionate as others. My friends dog doesn't like to be pet unless he wants to be pet, you know?

Answer 2

The dog isn't just going to automatically come to you when he calls if he's never been trained to recognise his name or the "come" command. You have to train a dog to respond to verbal commands. It takes patience (shih tzus and yorkies are not among the smartest dogs), but with training he should learn to come when called. Try sitting on one side of the room with him on the other. Call his name, while patting your leg. If he comes to you, praise him a lot and be very affectionate. You can use a small treat as an incentive, but this isn't always a good idea because then they'll expect food. You should make it so that a dog's best reward is praise from his owner. Continue to sit him on one side of the room with you on the other, calling for him, and then praising him if he does. Eventually he'll learn what it means.

As for being annoyed with the girl who said he was eight weeks....didn't the very say the dog was 7-8 weeks? That means that his estimate includes 8 weeks, so the girl wasn't wrong. Besides, she was probably just rounding his age rather than say something like, "7 weeks, 5 days, and thirteen hours."

Answer 3

Animals like people sometimes need time to adjust to their environment.. and , you did say you have another dog. That could seem intimidating to the puppy. Sort of the order of the house.. bigger dog / older dog first. And, animals don't always respond right away either to their names.. say it a lot , pick up the dog, hold it, babies need nurturing, so do puppies. I find that they like to play, and that is a great time to bond more. Having fun.. Does the puppy get along with the other dog,and visa versa? Are you away during the day at work, or home..
I have had dogs, cats you name it all my life.. each is as individual as people are.. some are shy, or outgoing..
You'll both do well, give it time...
good luck..

Answer 4

A vet can only guess an age by looking at the teeth, and it sounds like the breeder probably told you the truth. Most puppies have to go through an adjustment time when first adopted, new house, mother and siblings gone. To be "potty trained" at such a young age is amazing! They usually need a little time to become familiar with their new name, and some pups just need extra love to become attached to a new person. And be sure to give lots of praise when he comes to you, start with very small distances.

Answer 5

We are going to get a puppy next week. On that day, he will be seven weeks old - and in the state where we are buying him, puppies can be taken from the litter at 6 1/2 weeks. So I don't know if a week's growth would change your pup's personality. If he's potty trained, that's amazing. Give him some time to adjust to his new surroundings, and don't crowd or overwhelm him. In time you will find that your puppy grows into his new home and family. Good luck!

Answer 6

First of all, your vet was guessing the dog to be at 7-8 weeks old based on his teeth and weight, so the girl who told you he was 8 weeks old wasn't necessarily lying. The puppy probably is 8 weeks old.

As far as the puppy not coming when you call him--can he definitely hear? Does he respond to any noises? If he does respond to noises, then he needs to learn his name and learn that it is good for him to come to you. Like, every time he approaches you, give him a treat and pet him and say his name.

You also might want to consider contacting a dog trainer for him.

Answer 7

When I got my dog, I put her in a crate. She did the same thing, but once I put a couple stuffed animals in there and gave her treats every once in a while inside the crate, she stopped crying! About the potty training, take your dog out maybe every 3-4 hours in your backyard, and she'll sniff around and eventually find a spot she'll go in. If you want her to do her business in a specific spot, maybe place her in that spot and wait. If she goes, give her lots of praise and a treat. Once she's gone once in that spot, she'll most likely go in that spot again. When I potty trained my dog, she maybe had a couple accidents in the house which is normal. I ask my dog "Wanna go outside?" and she recognizes this; if she wants to go, she'll run to the door. While potty training ask or say a specific phrase or word that she will recognize. Sorry for the super long answer!

Answer 8

I got my puppy when she was seven weeks old. There really is no difference between an 8 week old puppy and a 7-8 week old puppy. You have to train your dog, you can't just give a demand and expect it to know what you want.

Answer 9

This is no joke. How in the heck did you potty train a 7 week old puppy? That's amazing, almost unbelievable.

Answer 10

He has to get to know you, and the puppy is trying to adjust to his new home. He will come to you in time, we experienced this with our new puppy. Our mini-dovi was the same way when we brought him home from the pet store...Very normal!
There is a Website to go into to learn more about puppies and dodgs...