Here I will try to address the questions that are most misunderstood.
When is the best time to get a puppy?
The short answer is there is no wrong time as long as you are aware of what is in front of you.
And... when should I let my breeder know I'm looking for a puppy.
Information is based on MY experience from working with families for over 20 years. The questions and misconceptions people have, so here I will try and shed light on these issues.
Most common misconceptions that will be addressed.
I don't what a puppy to train in winter....
I'm a teacher so I'll have plenty of time to train my puppy in the Summer.
I am now working at home so I will be able to train my puppy and spend lots of time
When should I contact my breeder for a Summer puppy
All of the above are the main things I hear which raise red flags on my end. I hope this blog is helpful in understanding the best time for you to bring a new pup into your home.
JANUARY
If you want a puppy in January then you need to remember that puppy was likely born in November so you need to contact your breeder a few months before in case there is a waiting list.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving January will not complete shots until March so training begins in SPRING
FEBRUARY
If you want a puppy in February then you need contact your breeder a few months prior as they will be born in December.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving Feb will not complete shots until April so training begins SPRING
MARCH
If you want a puppy in March then that would be a puppy whelped in January and so you need to contact your breeder a couple of months before that.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving in March will not complete shots until May so training begins SPRING
APRIL
April puppies are whelped in February and conceived in December. So be sure to contact your breeder early.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving in April will not complete shots until June so training beings SPRING/SUMMER
MAY
May puppies are whelped in March so you need to contact your breeder a couple of months before that.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving May will not complete shots until July so training starts SUMMER
JUNE
June puppies are whelped April so you need contact breeder around February.
PUPPY TRAINING - pups leaving June wil not complete shots until August and so training is SUMMER
NOTE: Teachers (for example) that believe summer to be best for training must understand that spending days training your puppy is good and will yield fast success however when you return to teaching in September you could have inadvertently created a puppy with severe separation anxiety. Your must keep to your work schedule a few days per week so your puppy understands that it is okay to be alone. This is a very important lesson for you to teach your puppy.
JULY
July puppies are finished with shots in September so training is now late Summer/early Fall.
SEE NOTE ABOVE
AUGUST
July puppies are finished with the shots in October and so training on these puppies begins in FALL
SEE ABOVE JUNE NOTE
SEPTEMBER
September puppies complete puppy shots November and training begins late Fall.
NOTE: Many people believe that as colder weather approaches this would be least ideal time to get puppy for training. Once your puppy understands the idea of Outside Potty, on the colder days your puppy is not going to want to be outside for long periods of time and therefore cold weather training can work to your advantage!
OCTOBER
October pups complete puppy shots by December for training in WINTER. See NOTE above for winter training info.
NOVEMBER
November puppies will complete shots by January, the heart of winter. Refer to note above for details on Winter training. For me personally, I don't mind as pups don't like cold and they usually learn to potty quickly in order to get back to warmth. However when it shows there is a good chance your puppy will be fascinated by snow and romp and play before needing to return to warm home.
DECEMBER
December pups are ready to go out after shots in late Winter, February. February being the coldest month of the year here in the Northeast it can be a challenge but it's a short time til Spring when hopefully your puppy will get the idea of potty business in time for early Spring.
SUMMARY OF SEASONS AND PUPS
SUMMER
Pups that have completed their shots and are ready now for training can spend much time outside. Some puppies will take their time to potty if you take out to business and then return right home. These are lessons you need to be careful of. Ideally you take out to potty and then the fun walk begins after business. Just be careful of extreme heat and humidity.
SPRING
This time of year gives you the most fair weather for training. Pups love to be outside so occasionally they will take their time doing business in order to stay out as long as possible.
FALL
Wonderful time of year to train and get a jump on enjoying the mild weather and hopefully have your pup trained for the extreme weather of winter.
WINTER
Winter is my personal best time of year to train. I don't like the cold and my pup doesn't get much outside time. It's in and out quick until potty is done and then free time in house. I find they tend to train quicker as they too don't want to be out in the cold. Snow is another story... pups love the snow, as long as not to deep, and this is the cutest thing to watch.
SUMMARY
According to me, puppy/dog lover- extrordinaire, there is never a wrong time to get a puppy as long as you understand what is expected.
And if you are getting a dog from a breeder, consider there might be a waiting list and therefore a few months before you want the puppy in your home is when you need to make that first contact.