Buying Puppy at 16 weeks General Chat

Hello,

I have found a puppy that our family loves but the puppy is now 16 weeks old... is that to old to buy and would he have developed bad habits? Obviously I know frenchies do suffer from separation anxiety but with him being with mum for so long already do you think this may cause issues?

Thank you in advance.

Laura xx

Hello Laura, welcome to Breedia from Tikva and from me.

I do not know anything about Frenchies but when I bred Griffons many years ago, I did, on the advice of my mentor, kept a couple back [from different litters] to see how they developed and whether they were show quality. But that was only until they were about three months old.

Do you know why the breeder has kept the puppy you want until he is 16 weeks old? Was he being held back to see how he developed show-wise or maybe some other reason?

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I regarding Frenchies will be able to give you better advice.

Much depends on the breeder. For example, what socialisation they have carried out? Have they started housetraining? Does the puppy live within the home or in a kennel?

I just bought my first French Bulldog last Friday. He was also 16 weeks old. So far I can’t imagine not owning one the rest of my life.

Welcome to the forum Jeff. I am sure there are other Frenchie owners on here who will agree with you. What have you called your puppy? Sweet photos.

Thanks glad to be here. I look forward to learning from you guys. His name is Miles.

Do most of you guys recommend getting the pups chipped?

I love the name Miles - I am a Miles Davis fan.
In the UK, by law the breeder has to chip all puppies before they leave.
I must admit that I wasn't too keen on the compulsory nature of the law when it was introduced, but I have completely changed my mind. We have a lot of dog theft in this country, and the chips are proving so useful in reuniting dogs with their legal owners. The dogs that are picked up without a microchip are at a huge disadvantage of ever finding their way home due to their being sold miles away from where they are stolen from.

Thanks for your help

He’s named after Les Miles the university of Kansas’s new football coach

Apologies for the delay in responding - but I definitely recommend having dogs microchipped. Here the chip number is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture under the ID number of the owner, and vets always check any new dog that is taken to them for the first time.