# Only puppy in the litter?



## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Raising singleton pups is different from puppies with litter mates. The puppy who doesn't grow up with siblings will miss out on some important life lesson like bite inhibition and dog/dog communication. He will be way more humanized than most puppies and may be prone to seperation anxiety where his people are concerned. Only puppies, a lot like only children (that me LOL), also tend to be pushy and bossy towards people. They didnt ever have any compeition for food, or toys or anything in those first few weeks of life and so they don't understand when something is denied to them. It's more work to raise an only puppy and they aren't for everybody. 

All that said, it ISN'T difficult to have such a puppy, just more work. You have to do double time with things like socialization, seperations, communication. Have younger children will make teaching bite inhibition all the more important. Really, like I said, it isn't all that difficult  You just have a couple of extra steps to take and there are no short cuts really. On the bright side the puppy will already wat to be part of a human family because other than it's mother people may be all he/she knows. Thats always a plus so long as the human family teaches the puppy very early on that it is also OK and Normal to be left on their own for short periods of time. 

I've raised several single puppies, made a bit of a specialty out of it. Mr. Wonderful is the third such puppy to grow up in my home in the last. It's pretty common for tibetan spaniels to only have one puppy or one surviving puppy. Howie was the first and he is almost 9... so far so good. Wonder had brothers so maybe she doesn't count. She was to sick as a baby to spend much time with the litter, she was pretty much hand raised. YES she has seperation issues because I was a bad mommy and didn't do my job right. We've also had two others including Mr. Wonderful now.


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## pagan-poodle (Sep 30, 2008)

Thank you well daisys breeder is very nice her teenage girls always play with the pups and Daisys mum is there too as well as the pups mum so there is another dog there.Do you think its wise for me to have this pup,im a bit nervous after what has recently happended to me


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## Sivaro (Sep 19, 2008)

I agree with what wonderpup said about singleton litters. However if its being raised around some adults it will learn some things off them. They play rough with pups and dont let them get away with too much. They let them know when enough is enough. I think you will be fine. 

The only thing you can go by is your gut reaction. If it doesnt seem right then dont get it. Dont just say yes when its new born, you want to see what its like in nature at 8 weeks old. If it hides in the corner or puts its tail down I wouldnt touch it.


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## pagan-poodle (Sep 30, 2008)

Ok thanks guys,
i know the pup will stay with its mum until it goes thats at 8 weeks  i shall have to go and have a look


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

Did I miss something - has something happened to Bobby?


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

just scrolled back and read your posts about Bobby - I have been sick - I am so sorry that you went through that and the poor dog or shoudl I say dogs! People can be so cruel! I hope you have success this time - poor you, you have been through the mill.


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## pagan-poodle (Sep 30, 2008)

Thank you pamela  i dont seem to have much luck do i,im a bit worried about getting this pup too now incase it goes wrong again


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

I'd say go for it, You just have to understand what your getting so you can be repared to head off certain behaviors and habits that singleton pups are prone to


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## Mandycasey'smom (Jan 3, 2009)

so you don't want a standard anymore though this pup is a mix correct?
Can't remember now but thought that is what it was.
I was thinking of doing that as I so want a parti boy and almost settled for a parti doodle but thought nope I will wait and get what I want as it will be my last for sometime as M and C are both only 1 as well


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## pagan-poodle (Sep 30, 2008)

Mandycasey'smom said:


> so you don't want a standard anymore though this pup is a mix correct?
> Can't remember now but thought that is what it was.
> I was thinking of doing that as I so want a parti boy and almost settled for a parti doodle but thought nope I will wait and get what I want as it will be my last for sometime as M and C are both only 1 as well


I like standards dont get me wrong but after that bad experience iv decided against so this one is a minature poodle crossed with a toy poodle,the mum is a minature toy poodle cross too,she was mated with a minature so the pup will be more minature size than toy,the mum looks like a small minature


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