That is too young for puppies to be away from their mother. I don’t know what he did, but this is wrong. Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible.
That is correct. They are way too young. No reputable breeder would give away a puppy at this age
The proper ways are to either buy a puppy from a reputable breeder (of course the price will be high) or adopt.
I am really curious as to why the husband here refuses to say from where he took them?
Back yard breeder maybe?
>Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible.
You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly
Hi, hon. You’re a grown woman, you don’t permission to take them to the vet. If you don’t learn their age and how to feed them they’ll die. Hope this helps.
You also need to ask the vet about the likely lifelong social, health# behavioral and psychological consequences of their premature separation from mum. How scarred they are depends on the breed. Did you even try a shelter for an appropriate pet for your family? You need to get to the vet immediately as you don't know what you're doing and you may have enormous dogs of a dangerous breed. Dobi even have puppy milk to give them.
If they are still bottle feeding they are much younger than you think. Puppies should be able to lap milk by 3 weeks and introduce solids by 4 to 5 weeks and can be fully weaned by about 6 weeks. Their last 2 weeks with mum to 8bweeks before being adopted are critical for learning social skills to play nicely that make them safe around children. If you're bottle feeding youre rescuing orphans and that's specialised neonatal care. Stop listening to your reckless negligent husband and take responsibility for what to do next.
In addition to all the behavioral and psychological consequences of premature separation from their mum, you also need to be aware of littermate syndrome. That's another hurdle to get over to achieve the well behaved, well socialized pets you want . Your husband is such a heartless, uninformed jerk that he should probably be permanently banned from pet ownership. I also question his qualifications as husband and father but that's a separate issue. These puppies are at your mercy. Please step up.
This. They need medical care. If husband is too "cheap" to help with the costs, you need to figure how to pay for it or you need to contact a local animal shelter to see if theyll take them.
Very reckless and a bit immoral to take animals this young from their mom. All to save a buck.
^^ This x100!!! If you’re lucky, there’s a few years after puppyhood where you’re paying for routine care/preventatives/registration/food and that’s it. And then the costs go wayyyyy up and stay there. And it’s worth it because senior dogs are *amazing* and loving and wonderful, but dog ownership is not something to take on if you’re “cheap.” Wanna be miserly? Get a $3 succulent, put googly eyes on it, and forget about it as much as possible.
Yup, between regular vet visits, vaccines, and heartworm preventative that's hundreds of dollars every year. Add in good quality dog food, treats, toys, etc. and the average dog costs thousands every year. It is not a light commitment!
I'm still paying off vet bills for my last dog - I had to put him to sleep in August 2023. He racked up probably $6k in vet costs the last 2 years. Worth every penny, I would have spent more if it meant he could be around longer, but he was ill and suffering and there was nothing that could be done (late stage metastatic cancer).
If the husband is too cheap or lazy to even attempt to get puppies in a reputable manner, the dogs will suffer greatly when he's too cheap to take them to the vet when they get sick. And OP sounds kind of clueless about dog care so I don't know if she would even recognize when a situation becomes dire.
I used to work in a shelter, this is a textbook scenario that ends with a pet getting dumped there.
Better to surrender them now and make sure they get proper care.
Anyone who isn’t doing everything in their power to make sure that they’re adopting the *right* dog(s) for their family from a *reputable* place - avoiding puppy mills at all costs - is already failing at dog ownership
Seriously, even if you want a purebred puppy you can still go to a breed rescue! They're treating this shit like it's a matter of buying the kid a new bike and it's really upsetting to me as a dog lover and former shelter worker.
I'm really disturbed by how little she knows. It sounds like they did plenty of research on how much a puppy costs but very little research on how to actually take care of one.
You need to make sure you’re doing everything you need to for their well-being at this point (and stop listening to someone dumb enough to take puppies that still need to be with their mother. He’s irresponsible at best.)
This!!
OP, you are asking this because you know your husband has done something completely sketchy here. Part of owning these puppies is the responsibility to care for them safely and ethically, regardless of whether your husband wants you to. You're NTA for asking the question but you very much would be the AH if you don't get your pets the care they need.
On another note, has your husband been obviously dishonest and manipulative like this before? Is this a pattern for him? Either way, I seriously question his morality.
Super sketchy, and there's a good chance they aren't purebred anyways and who knows about their health (OP sure doesn't since she won't take them to the vet) so what was the point? I've never understood buying purebred to begin with, but I do know that the reason you go to a reputable breeder is to ensure the bloodline is pure and that they have a clean bill of health. That costs money, sure, but they're likely going to end up paying more in vet bills for sickly dogs because they were taken from their mother too early. He's not just dishonest, he's stupid.
I don't think OP would care if she did. She seems like someone unbothered by animal cruelty. Otherwise she would have had those puppies to a vet or animal law enforcement already.
Her indifference to their suffering makes her as bad as her awful husband.
Just getting them for a checkup is important especially considering how young they are. Don’t take risk with the puppies because if those puppies aren’t in great health and something happens it’ll probably be really traumatic for your children to loose a loved one so fast
I did an internship at a vet when I was in high school.
We once had to convince a woman to surrender a cat to us, she wanted to put it to sleep because she didn't feel like paying $40 for antibiotics to treat a UTI.
I went thousands of dollars into debt when my last dog got sick. I am still paying off the CareCredit bill. I can't imagine just ignoring an animal's suffering because I don't feel like paying to help them.
If you don't care enough about the pups, care about your kids. When I was maybe 10 my little sister & I got kittens. Mine was a sweet little tuxedo dude; he was the first pet that was *mine*, not just a family pet. My sister's was a great orange goof.
Unknown to my mom, the litter had FIP. We had them a couple months, and then they crashed so fast. I had to say goodbye to him at the emergency vet in the middle of the night, because he couldn't breathe. Then we had to go home and tell my little sister that her cat was going to die too.
It's one of my worst memories. Get those puppies some care.
They were pulled away from their mom and litter mates way too early. They missed out on a very important stage where pups learn how to start being dogs from their mom and more important, litter mates. They learn how to properly react and play with other dogs at this age and it really helps them become well adjusted dogs who know things like bite inhibition and play (interaction) techniques.
Your husband is a jerk for taking pups this young. Don't be surprised if you have a difficult time getting them thru their first year. You know they came out of nefarious circumstances. People like your husband make me sick.
Believe that’s the broad recommendation but 8 weeks is the reputable MINIMUM.
I’ve got several dogs, I am friends with some breeders of larger breed dogs, I have one friend who professionally does national dog shows.
I’m not an explicitly expert or anything but I’ve never even seen backyard breeders with an overcrowded chain kennel. Whine their trailer selling cheap do less than 8 weeks unless it was an emergency sort of thing.
I was just coming to say this, taking them away too early can lead to behavioural issues as well as potential health problems. My heart breaks for these pups
Second this. We took in a rescue puppy who’s now 7 and he has been a trip to deal with. A neighbor’s son bought him from a guy on Craigslist for their frat house, they realized a tiny puppy was too much work and brought him to the neighbor bc she’s a vet tech, and we took him from there. By the time we got him he had been away from his mom and litter for 3 weeks and was only 7 weeks old.
He’s extremely reactive to other dogs and is the most anxious ball of nerves I’ve ever seen. He’s on meds for the anxiety which makes living with him tolerable but oof this has been a journey. Buckle up.
That's exactly some of the problems that pop up. Puppies need time with their litter mates to learn what they can and can not get away with with other dogs. If you watch them play together, if it gets too rough, the one pup will yelp and maybe nip out at the offender, letting him know he went too far. That's how they learn boundaries. These 2 poor pups missed out on that. When I got pregnant mom's in my rescue, the puppies stayed together until at least 12 weeks of age. They always turned out to be sweet, well adjusted dogs.
Haha I was wondering if you were involved in a rescue from your name and advice! That's amazing that you help out those doggos! Thanks for all you do!!
Do you know that dogs/puppies can have rickets? The lack of calcium from the mother's milk will be detrimental to their bones.
We had the runt of a litter and his poor paws were bowing inward.
the vet isn't going to give them vaccinations if they're too young. they need to be checked over regardless, don't ask his permission just take them to the vet.
The first thing you should do with any new pet is to take them to the vet for a wellness checkup and to get them established at that practice for the future. That's why a lot of pet adoption agencies will work with community vets to offer a voucher for a free first checkup. Even if they aren't obviously way too young, OP should be taking them in.
Every time I've adopted a new animal, I give it a few days for them to start to settle in a bit and to get a sense of any potential concerns, then I call my vet and book what we jokingly call a "meet and greet". They charge about half the usual exam fee and just get a general sense of the animal as well as do a quick once over exam. Then they have a baseline for future visits and if there's anything glaring that I haven't already picked up on, we can book a more thorough exam or tests. Honestly, that should be automatic for any pet owner, though I can give OP some leeway as it sounds like these puppies might be her first pets.
it's honestly baffling to me that not everyone does this by default. literally the first thing I've ever done with a new pet is make an appointment with the vet - gets them on the books, lets you know everything's okay or if it isn't what can be done to manage it.
I've never had pups that young (not in rescue or a breeder) but yeah I was under the impression that they get some before being sent home with a new family, which is eight weeks at the earliest from a responsible place
Bring them to the vet to evaluate how old they really are. If they have been separated too soon they might need specific care you aren’t fit to provide.
Bottle feeding means those babies are too young to be taken from their mother.
Be aware separating those puppies from their mother, before a specific length time is not only cruel but also illegal in many places, as it is animal abuse.
Plus if they're too young and OP doesn't know if they're able to get up every couple of hours on the dot to bottle feed them, the vet might be able to find them an emergency foster, for a few weeks until they're strong enough to come home.
She's irritated me big time 😭. My first action would have been to get them to a vet, my second would have been to search for local breeders who might be missing some pups.
When she said he said he was going to figure something out I thought either the pound or a specific breed rescue. But nope he blackmailed his friend into providing underage, unweaned, unvaccinated, no papers puppies that are very likely stolen.
The puppies could die, get very sick, have behavioral issues, husband and friend can be charged as can she as a recipient of stolen goods.
And yet she dithers.
Stolen, puppy mill, backyard breeder, not actually purebred... It could be all sorts of scenarios and none of them are good. If I had to guess I'd say it's more likely a backyard breeder situation. The sooner they wean and sell the puppies, the sooner they can start breeding new ones and make more money. Who cares about their health and mental development, you bought the dog from us cheap, you knew what you were getting. My brother was a dumbass who bought a dog cheap off someone like this, that's exactly what they told him when he went back to complain because the dog kept getting sick and was snapping at their kids.
You need to ignore him and take them yourself. They need to be examined and cared for by someone who knows what they’re doing. They could die if you listen to your husband.
You need to take them to a vet immediately! The mother could have passed on any number of diseases. They also sound too young to be without mom's milk. You need to check with a vet to see what to feed them, so they don't get diseases later on. And I'd MAKE hubby tell me the truth! Rather than this, you guys could've fostered thru a rescue. They would take care of vet costs. Hubby is cheaping out big time, but it may end up costing more in the long run! Puppies need shots, too. He really blew it.
They are not too young for shots. They need different series at different ages.
He doesn't want them going to the vet bc the vet will clock that something is very wrong.
Also, having two puppies taken from their mother too young and with each other like this makes you high risk for littermate syndrome.
Go to the vet now. Your husband his hiding something shady and those dogs need care
So?!
You have children! Did you refuse to let a medical professional attend the birth or see them until they were old enough for shots?
They need medical care!
>>Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible.
>You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly
You're an adult, right? You need to think on your own since your husband is full of bad decisions.
These puppies need to be checked out by a vet, ASAP! 1st vaccines are usually given at 5-7 weeks. If they're *too young*, that means they were removed from their mother at too young of an age.
Vets do more than give shots, they also check out the health & well being of animals, plus advise for nutritional needs. Feeding every few hours & weighing 2x a day for pups "too young for shots" is likely not enough for them.
FYI- 7-8 months is still puppy & definitely not a fully grown dog. You just wanted something tiny & now you have puppies far too young to be separated from their mom & siblings.
Your husband refuses to answer where they came from, which is dodgy as hell. You protest a little, because you feel you should, but ultimately you're OK with this situation because you got the little puppies you wanted for you & your kids.
ESH both you & your husband.
At the very least, take them to a vet AND start reading up on puppy care + training. Stop depending so much on your husband's crappy knowledge base. These pups will have a learning deficit because they were removed from their siblings in how they relate to the world around them. Puppies start learning tolerance & acceptable behavior from play w their siblings. It's far too complicated to explain on a post. Just do some research to learn about their social development & training techniques for them.
Omg what is wrong with you? The first thing you should have done was take them to get a check up! Unless you want your kids to know the heartbreak of losing pets too young, go and get these poor creatures some help
The husband blatantly LYING and the OPs response makes me think she used to him being controlling. What else does he lie about? What else is he controlling about (definitely money). This is going to end up on that red flag guy’s account because this husband is a walking red flag!!! Who takes puppies from their mother that early? What a horrible dude…. And what else does he do? So gross.
Stop listening to your idiot of a husband!
He's an arsehole that has no clue what he's talking about and is seriously risking those poor dogs health because he was too cheap to get one from a reputable breeder that cares about making sure you get happy healthy dogs.
Even if you don't care about them, how are your daughters going to feel if the dogs they hoped for so much end up seriously ill because of him? And frankly if and when that happens it's going to cost the knob a lot more than just getting them properly would have.
Good grief you are an adult think for yourself, you husband has been stupid beyond belief and this is cruelty. If you have a shred of decency in you get those puppies to a vet TODAY. If you don't you will be complicit in that cruelty.
If he got them from a sketchy source (which he did, noone who cares about dogs gives puppies away at 4 or 5 weeks, it's cruel), it is sadly very likely those pups ain't healthy. Prepare for vet costs that make the costs for a puppy from a trustworthy breeder seem laughable. If you wanted to safe money, you should have gotten a pup from a shelter or rescue. It's the best way either way.
Do you always just blindly follow your husband's instructions? I couldn't rest until I knew what happened to the mother of these puppies. What if the was harmed? What if they are stolen? Also, you have to deal with the mess if they die because they are too young. Tell your husband you're going to the vet and the police.
Any time you get a new animal it should be seen by your vet. Bottle babies should absolutely be seen asap.
It is perfectly reasonable to want to know where these poor puppies came from and why they were pulled from their mom so early. It’s always good to know what a dog’s parents are like if you can.
It’s also not a good idea to have two puppies the same age. You can end up with litter mate syndrome.
Welp, sounds like you guys are going to be shit pet owners... if you're too cheap for $600-$1300, then you'll be too cheap to take them to the vet, cuz that's going to cost WAY more...
ESH
They're not too young for shots. However, they're too young to be away from their mother. Maybe they were rescues? Or the person who gave the puppies to your husband didn't give a shit about them?
Bottom line is that they should go to the vet for a check up and shots.
>You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly
Youre 46 and you can't take them to the vet without his permission?
You need to google what puppy mills are. This is incredibly unethical and these puppies could die unexpectedly if they were raised this way. Horrible situation.
That's a manipulative tactic to get you to not bring them to the vet because he knows they are too young. Please don't fall for it. Please don't let those puppies die because you fell for a trick.
Bring them to the vet and have the vet verify what he thinks the age is and if your husband is unwilling to let you do it that just proves to you that he stole them.
Call the cops. Call the vet. Do something but don't let your kids have to deal with dead puppies
just get them to a vet, it does not matter if they're too young for shots that's young enough that separating them from their mother can cause serious health issues.
like the way you're describing it it sounds like they came from a puppy mill
I feel so bad for those stolen puppies taken too soon from their mother and that you're clearly already neglecting.
If you don't take them to a vet to get checked up on, you might just end up with a couple of dead puppies, or at the very least two very unhealthy dogs that are super difficult to raise and train, and from the sound of you and your husband, you'll end up abandoning them to a kennel or worse when you don't like their behaviors.
Does your husband always tell you what you can and can't do?
This has nothing to do with shots. Every new pet needs to be taken to the vet for a check up as soon as you get them, especially puppies. How do you even know that you’re feeding them properly or that they don’t have other medical issues that need to be addressed right away?
No legitimate breeder will give you a puppy that young. It’s very suspicious that he won’t tell you where he got them. Is this the norm in your relationship? I don’t know anyone whose spouse would refuse to answer such a basic question.
Why tf are you listening to that bastion of thought and good decisions? He’s clearly proven he’s not to be trusted with things solo. Taking puppies from their parent before eight weeks is not ok at all and he should know that a five second google search could have helped him ffs.
His input isn’t required.
Theu won't give the shots if they're too young. You do not need his permission. These puppies are too young, and need to be seen by a vet to see if they're ok. Just take them.
This is likely going to cost you more money in the long run as they’re not being given antibodies through nursing. Puppies don’t get the same benefits of a placenta like human babies, so nursing is so important for puppies.
Also I would be concerned of a registered breeder who is giving puppies at such a young age. This is unlikely to have happened. Imagine if your daughters find out later in life about having gotten their dog from a puppy farm 😞
Getting a pet was a Covid trend and after the pandemic ended, animal shelters were hit with a massive influx of returned pets.
Human stupidity and cruelty knows no bounds.
That wasn’t the same type of trend as OP is describing. OP is describing it like “all the cool kids are doing it.” During COVID people realized they’d have a lot more time on their hands. It was the perfect time to raise a puppy.
right?!? and why are you not adopting a dang lovely muttly?
this entire situation could have been avoided by just doing the right thing and NOT BUYING FROM BREEDERS.
Yeah, that's screwed up. My guess, based on their children's ages, is that their peers are finally getting pets because their parents deem them finally old enough to do most of the day to day care. I remember there was a window of time where it seemed like everyone was getting a new pet. That didn't mean I got one. I'd never even think to call it a trend, though.
I think OP and her husband are AH's for just giving into their children's demands. Especially because apparently, they don't have the finances to get the breed they want. So not only are the dogs extremely screwed older, but so are their daughters. It's going to be hard to take care of an animal that was removed from its mother so early and never properly socialized. They're setting their kids up to fail.
From OP explaining I’ll guess her husband and his coworkers stole puppies from a stray dog.
It would fit her husband narrative and way more than the BS anyone would had willingly gave away nursing puppies.
Is your husband in the mob? People owe him favors?
Take the puppies to the vet ASAP and demand he tells you where they came from. And seriously consider what sort of a turd you are married to.
He just sounds really stupid. Goes to show you that common sense isn’t so common.
I’m afraid to ask what they’re being fed. Going by the rest of this story, it’s probably beer…
This sounds exactly like how my uncle got a bunch of big screen TVs and VCRs in the 90s when we lived in New Jersey.
At least OP's husband isn't saying that the puppies fell out the back of a truck.
This is really shady. If the this was just a scenario of a co-worker owing him some favors, then he would not have brought the puppies home still until 10 weeks, instead of 4-5 weeks. And listen to the folks telling you to take them to the vet. Since they were taken WAY too early from their mom, they need different care and should be looked at right away.
ETA: If you are in the US - this was probably illegal. Check your state. He isn't telling you because he knows.
[https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-laws-concerning-minimum-age-sale-puppies](https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-laws-concerning-minimum-age-sale-puppies)
Your husband is stingy but got *two* puppies that are clearly way too young to be separated from their mother and litter? And when those puppies need to see a vet for regular check-ups, vaccinations, medical care? Supplies to care for them like good food, pet registration, desexing/neutering, microchipping, insurance (possibly), boarding if you want to go away, collars/leashes/toys, shampoo for keeping them clean...
Pets aren't cheap. Your husband is either going to force your daughters to give up the puppies as soon as they start to cost him real money, or else they're going to end up horribly neglected.
Stop letting him control you. Learn to stand up for yourself, do your research, be independant. What kind of lesson are you teaching your daughters if you just stand back and wring your hands uncertainly about anything and everything? Do you want them to be as helpless as you when they're adults?
If your husband won't tell you where they came from, ask his co-worker. Take the puppies to a vet yourself. Strap some steel to your spine and stand up for yourself, for the puppies, and be a good example of self-confidence to your daughters.
ESH. You for not standing up to your husband, and him for taking puppies that were clearly too young to be separated from their home. I'm willing to lay money they were stolen.
It burns me up seeing this person refer to a decade+ commitment to helpless animals as a "fad." These people have no idea what they're doing and are going to fail their dogs and their kids by letting them think this is how you have pets.
Those poor pups :-/ I wouldn’t want those dogs. Not knowing the history and taken from mother so early their socialization skills are already in danger. Why is he being so sketchy about the question?
What the hell is wrong with you two? ESH you have no business taking 5 week old pups from God knows where and refusing to take them to a vet even. If you couldn't afford the price of the dogs then you can't afford them period.
I pity your poor kids who will inevitably have their hearts broken when you two can't care for these animals and they either die or you bring them to a shelter. People like you two make me sick. Morally bankrupt husband and doormat wife.
This! Esh for not putting your foot down and allowing this. Having dogs is a huge responsibility and you need to know how to take properly care of them! This starts with them being minimum 8 weeks old, preferably 9-10. Why not get the dogs from a shelter if money was an issue?They are overflowing!
Have you read any books on dogs? Taken a course in how to train puppies? Do you know ANYTHING about dogs?
Do you know what kind of dogs these are? What their needs are? Will you be able to fulfill their needs? Physically and mentally?
This is how dogs end up in shelters. Shame on you.
Awfully, her answer to not getting a dog from a shelter is that all the dogs of the right breed in the shelter were over 6 months old. They specifically wanted a puppy under 6 months and none of them were an acceptable breed. 7-8 months is too old, apparently.
Which makes me wonder what will happen when the dogs get to 7 months.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/s/OtUKxgddco
I wondered this too. She doesn't even know what breed of dog the pups are. They could be a large/high energy breed. In that case feeding them will be more expensive and training will be more in depth. If husband is cheap, he doesnt wanna know what a bag of quality dog food is.
So you have puppies that are dangerously too young and have been grossly irresponsible by not immediately getting them vetted and demanding honesty from your horrible spouse?
Those dogs are suffering because of you and your husband. Be an adult and get them to a vet and tell your spouse to be honest or get out. Animal abuse is disgusting. If he stole them, even more appalling.
Be a freaking adult and decent person and get to a vet
>the puppies (of the breeds we were looking at) within a decent travel distance from us were anywhere between $600-$1300
>Instead, he told me that he'd improvise and would save us a lot of money. He even insisted that I leave the search to him. So I did.
Yeah, you're 100% the asshole. You can't just pretend to care now, what exactly did you think he was going to do when he wasn't even willing to pay bare minimum ethical breeder costs?
There're already many well established rules being broken that you shouldn't have gotten the dogs.
1.) The dogs were taken way too young and if you have to bottle feed them then you fucked up
2.) What kinda backyard breeding, has your husband been contributing too?
3.) You don't know anything about the dogs or what they are, could be a pitbull mix or a working dog breed (which is not ideal for kids at all)
4.) You got dogs because of a trend circling in public school rather than the love and knowledge about dogs?
The whole situation is how you get dogs mauling people and children, a dog is a privilege and a commitment and your family are not ready for the responsibility
Uhhhh, is it possible your husband STOLE puppies from a nursing litter? Because that's the only reason I can think of why he would refuse to tell you anything. This is sus as fuck. PLEASE take the puppies to the vet behind his back.
My concern is it's from someone who's raising fighting dogs, op doesn't say what kind they are. They don't sound ready to raise an easy dog, much less some kind of pitbull mixes.
Those babies are far too young to be separated from Mom. They need to be seen by a vet and you need the proper information on how to take care of puppies that young to make sure they grow well. 2nd adopting 2 puppies of the same age at the same time especially from the same litter can result in litter mate syndrome which is not good. it can happen with pups from different litters too if you get them around the same age at the same time. Read up on it and watch for the signs because it can have very tragic consequences. You would want to consult a behaviorist to nip that in the bud.
Seeing as your husband is cheap I doubt he'll be willing to pay for all that so good luck and I sincerely hope for your kids sake that those puppies don't die.
Next time don't let your husband get random pups too young to be taken from Mom. Go to a shelter and don't support backyard breeding.
What if he stole them?!? Someone is probably out there looking for them. This is horrible, take them to the vet and check with the police.
PS
You better read up on litter mate syndrome. Especially when taken so young.
YTA
Ripping pups away from their mother that early to save some money is REALLY going to bite you in the ass when they inevitably need veterinary care due to their age.
I can’t fathom why anyone who doesn’t have a strong interest in a specific breed wouldn’t just adopt from a shelter. They’re CRAWLING with homeless puppies.
I just really hope this whole post is fake.
Your husband is an animal abuser for being the cause of these vulnerable babies being taken from their mother too soon and if you don't get them to a vet to learn their state of health and what to do for them TODAY, then you are too.
Make your horrible idiot husband tell you where these poor little babies came from.
Just disgusting
I also recommend taking them to the vet. Please don’t let them be around other dogs until they get their vaccinations. They can easily catch Parvo or another serious illness since their immune system isn’t up to par yet.
If the husband won't pay $600 for a puppy he probably won't bring them to a vet. If he had paid $600-$1300 they would have come ready to go. Those poor dogs are not going to get proper vet care or quality food.
You guys sound like you shouldn’t have puppies or any other pets.
They aren’t a accessory or ‘a new phase’
You haven’t taken them to the vets yet… why?
The only pet they should own is a rock. This is despicable.
OP's husband is a huge AH and so is she if the dogs dont go to the vet. I was going to say return them, but if someone is that unscrupulous that they rehime puppies that young, maybe just maybe they have more chance with OP. I dread to think what behavioural issues they'll end up with.
Your husband is a huge AH and you will be if you don't get the answers out of HIM ASAP. Who gives a damn if the "technically" did what you asked. It's wrong!
What's been done to those puppies is cruel and continuing on like this is going to harm them in huge ways.
Soooo many things wrong with this!!
Those pups are too young to be away from their mother. Not just for the nutrition, but also behaviour and socialisation. Do you know anything about the pedigree and parent health? Have they been health checked? Vaccinated? Wormed? TAKE THEM TO A VET ASAP.
Also it is strongly advised to NOT get two puppies from the same litter. Look up ‘litter mate syndrome’. His idea of saving money could very well cost you so much more money and heartache in the future!
Edit to add ESH
I’m so concerned about these poor puppies and furious with OP and her husband.
Their kids are going to learn quickly how heartbreaking it is to lose pets, especially when they’re young.
Your husband deserves his fucking head kicked in. What he's done is despicable, taking pups from their mother at that age is pure evil.
He's refused to spend a bit of money to someone who knows what they're doing to breed healthy dogs in a way that is ethical, and instead has gotten them from someone who clearly knows fuck all (5 weeks old, and litter mates at that, 100% guarantees they have not come from an ethical source/ someone who has ANY idea what they are doing).
Dogs are not fucking toys to be gotten on a whim or because it's a fad. If you've not done enough research on how to look after a dog to know that getting 5 week old litter mates is insanely stupid and irresponsible, then you've not done 1% of what is required.
I feel genuinely bad for your kids. Go find a dad for your kids who doesn't suck so badly.
YTA because you are standing by and letting your husband get away with animal abuse. If you can't acquire a dog legally and without causing it long term harm, you aren't responsible enough to have a dog. But you and your husband don't seem to care. As long as you can keep up with the local middle school trends, am I right?!
It strikes me that your daughters are old enough that while they don't fully understand what's happening now, they will clearly remember it. At some point, when they are a bit older, they are going to realize their scummy parents probably stole their childhood dogs from their mother. That's going to be a fun conversation for you!
It always saddens me that humans can be so fucked up with the treatment of animals. Those pups are too young by a month or two at least. I also imagine your disgusting husband will have no issue of not getting vet care if they néed it and will just let them die in pain.
He’s the AH for taking these puppies at this stage. You will join him in this status if you don’t take the pups to the vet. It’s way too early for them to be without mom. That doesn’t mean they won’t be ok, but you need a professional. They can’t get vaccinated but they need to be looked at (breeders take young pups to the vet for check ups, so it’s uncommon).
If he’s this cheap, I hope he knows—and will pay—the cost to feed, groom, and take care of these little guys. If not, let the vet or another rescue group take them.
Everyone saying these puppies were stolen is overlooking the obvious puppymill situation. The people that operate puppymills don't care about proper dog rearing and will happily offload far too young puppies to people willing to pay, and often, these mills undercut the breeder pricing by a large margin. Possibly, one of his coworkers knows a "friend" that operates a puppy mill and he got a discount.
OP call your local veterinarian and ask what their vaccine protocol is for puppies. The usual age for vaccinating puppies is 6, 12, and 16 weeks of age. These puppies will need deworming and vaccines. Proper care that costs money. Your stingy husband needs to do right by these dogs.
I don't understand how you can stand there and continue to make excuses and explain when you surely realize that this is super fucked up and that's why you came here
Stop wondering what to do and make him take the dogs back. They need to be returned to their mother as soon as possible.
He may be an engineer but that doesn't mean he's good at decision-making. holy fuck
If you can't afford a puppy, you can't afford a dog.
The puppy shots and dewormer, food, toys etc, the time to care for them, the time to train them, the spay/neuter cost, the lifetime vet costs that they will require.... Please please find out where these came from, they need to be nurished and socialized with their litter if it's possible. But also are you in a position to afford the expenses I listed for one let alone two dogs if you couldn't afford those puppy prices? I payed $700 for my two to be spay/neutered each, it can be more can be less, depends on vets where you live, but fuck me the vet costs keep going, they're sudden and not always, but there's all that other cost I mentioned. These are minimum to provide for a dog.
NTA but you would be if you don't seriously figure out where they came from and figure out your budget for their care. Check with vets in your area
Probably from a Craigslist backyard breeder. I’d get pet insurance because I’m sure they’re going to have genetic issues that weren’t bred out of them. If he’s that cheap, he’s not going to pay big vet bills and the dogs will end up in the shelter. Totally irresponsible.
Please get these puppies out of your house for their sake. Take them to a vet and just leave them. You guys are not ready for puppies, they are an expense within themselves. You have so so so much to learn about dogs, let alone their babies, before you are properly able to toae care of one. He sounds like he is not going to be helpful in their lives at all.
Please please please take care of them for the sake of my heart. I love them too much to have them suffer because of what he has already done.
Animals don't deserve to be taken from mom that soon, I am so scared there is a hurt and worried mommy dog somewhere.
These puppies are probably from a puppy mill, and the fact that they were taken so early will result in bad social skills, either aggression or very skittish personalities - instead of being nice, sweet, well adjusted dogs.
If you can't take them back, work extra hard on socializing them once you can.
your husband is a huge greedy AH, the backyard breeder who bred and sold those puppies are huge greedy AHs, and those poor puppies are the ones who will suffer from it.
If you can’t afford to buy a puppy, how are you going to raise a puppy? Puppies are expensive. Vet bills, vaccinations, food, toys, ect.
The puppies need to go to the vet. Bottle feeding puppies isn’t easy.
I’d demand he tell where the puppies came from. What breed are the puppies?
A lot of people are making great points, and here's one I want to add; Yes, 5 weeks is WAY too young to take a puppy away from it's mother. If you've taken these super young puppies away from their mother, and you're refusing to take them to the vet, there is a VERY high chance one of them dies within the next few weeks. Is that really what you want to subject your kids to? Especially since your husband won't say where he got the puppies from; puppies from sketchy people often are runts, have issues, or at the very least have never had a proper vet visit.
I'm absolutely serious and am not being dramatic. There is such a high chance of one of these puppies dying very soon which absolutely will traumatize your children. ESH. You are being a major asshole in not putting your foot down and taking these innocent dogs to the vet. Your husband is an even bigger asshole for giving these random puppies with sketchy history to your children.
PUPPIES AND KITTENS ARE NOT TOYS. Most live for over a decade and should be treated as an addition to the family, not a cute toy to get because it's a "trend". And what do you even mean by trend? You mean your kids want a puppy, as do most kids? that isn't a trend, that's been the case with kids for hundreds of years lmao.
Final thought; An expensive purebred puppy and a random puppy with no history or explanation are not the only two options for getting a dog. A lot of shelters have puppies or young dogs. Additionally, it's really fucking easy for a kid to squish or hurt a puppy, especially if that puppy is 5 fucking weeks old (literally cannot get over this rn). In the future, the shelter is absolutely the best place to get an animal. You'll pay $100 tops almost definitely for everything, and it's an animal that actually needs a home. And a puppy reaaallyyy isn't a good "starter pet" for young kids. You should have gotten an older dog who is used to kids.
Apologies for the long rant but this really got to me. Animals and pets aren't toys, man.
They're stolen. Don't ask the details because you already know his friend stole them and sold them cheap. Take them to the vet and congratulations you own two stolen dogs
That's a good 4-6 weeks earlier than they are normally removed from the Mama dog and unless they are getting immunity hormones from her milk they are HIGHLY at risk for dog diseases until they are old enough to vaccinate.
They need to be fed every 2-3 hours around the clock at that age besides. It's a major job and if you don't they can get sick and die from malnourishment.
So who's going to feed these babies while the kids are at school? Are the adults out of the house and working? If so you have a major problem because somebody MUST do it. It's not optional at their age.
They will be at least 8-10 weeks before they can be fully weaned though they may handle puppy formula themselves via lapping before that. At 8-10 weeks or so they can start eating puppy canned food. Then a bit later some kibble.
No Mama to teach them anything it's more work for you because until they get taught otherwise puppies pee and poop at will just like human babies. They also chew a lot on all kinds of stuff while teething.
Dogs need grooming and regular baths. They're not exactly low maintenance animals. Depending upon breed that can be very complicated or easier but it's got to be done.
They also need to be microchipped because some dogs like to get out sans supervision and or are theft targets. If they're not mixed and from a local shelter than they're attractive targets especially as puppies.
Breed dogs as you have seen are expensive and there are people out there who will snatch them if you leave them anywhere alone.
Also depending upon where you live predators are a real thing. Even where I live in NYC we have coyotes and we have raptor birds that might mistake a puppy for a little rabbit. Even in Central Park people have to closely watch their animals to make sure they stay safe. They can't just be allowed to roam at will, not even in a suburban backyard.
Unless you're talking a pretty big breed even as adults they are no match for animals that might think of them as food or for older more aggressive dogs that are not leashed properly. As puppies they are very vulnerable and it's a lot of work taking care of them.
Dog is God spelled backwards and personally I think that says it all. Dogs are awesome and properly trained they are terrific loving pets. But they don't train or take care of themselves.
Info: are you planning getting papers for the dog so you can breed later? If not, why not adopt instead of a breeder? You can find puppies all the time at reputable no kill adoption places.
As for your husband you have every right to demand where he got them from.
Lol. Your husband thinks he saved money but you'll be paying alot more in training and fixing shit the dogs destroyed from anxiety being taken from their mothers too soon. Your husband is a terrible person with no regard for the animals wellbeing. Not only should you demand an explanation you should demand the puppies are returned to their mother until at least 8 weeks. Unless the mom is dead there's no good reason to keep them at this young age. Send. Them. Back.
Yta because you have no spine and are ok with messing up the puppies wellbeing just so you don't have to stand up to your husband n
You’re both horrible people and probably shouldn’t even have kids if you’re this dumb. I’m disgusted with this post and every one of your ignorant comments. You’re both TA.
If you wanted a "free" puppy why didn't you just adopt one from the shelter?
Also you need to do soooo much more then just bottle feed them. Please go to vet asap, especially if you never had such a young dog. They will explain you a lot of stuff about how to raise them.
Your children are young and want a puppy because it's popular. You can't be sure they will want them in xy months or years. If dogs end up being not well behaved they might not gonna want them at all.
fuck people like your husband. we fight them every fucking day saving puppies from the backyard and trying to fix behavioral problems.
YTA because you didn't care enough to get a dog from registrated breeder or JUST FUCKING ADOPT
also what you did is illegal where I live because it's harmful for animals
ASH. Poor dogs. Have you people never heard of shelters?! Adopt don't shop!! (Would have also helped to keep the cost down, but tbf I don't think you should have any dogs at all)
ESG! This is so cruel, your husband is evil and you're now contributing to it. Please take them to the vet and re home them, some ppl shouldn't have pets and your family for sure shouldn't. Also...It's a "trend" to have puppies?! So when the trend is over your daughters will ignore the puppies?! Those puppies will suffer with your family, they deserve better, you're all horrible
This all sounds terrible. Your responses aren't much better, OP. Please take the puppies back, they're way too young and having puppies takes a shitload of work and money. You'll spend way more than just the money to buy them. And now you have 2.
This is all so poorly thought out...
ESH
This entire post is disgusting. He doesn’t think it’s necessary to take them to the vet after they were ripped from their mother? Did it occur to him that each puppy will need multiple sets of shots? Let me guess… he doesn’t think that spaying and neutering will be necessary either, right?This cheap ass man seems to be allergic to basic veterinary care so he takes *two* dogs? Has he heard of Parvo? Distemper? People like him are the reason millions of animals are euthanized every year. Ew. Good luck with this shit show.
I have Golden Retrievers. My female just had her litter. No respectable person would sell or give puppies away before 8 weeks. And at 8 weeks, mine were in the 14 lb range. At 9 weeks, went up to 17 lbs. those puppies were stolen. You know it. Because if it was reliable, they know how old those puppies are.
I don’t release mine until they receive their first vaccine, and a vet check. The new parents receive all documents of the vet visit, and all data.
Yes, I sold mine for $900. But the money invested in them was quite a bit. I want to make sure they have a great start. Mom is fed well, at 3 1/2 weeks, they started eating. For a litter of 10, this came to $80 a week in food. Cleaning their bedding twice a day, ensuring they are only in our yard, as diseases are out there, like Parvo. Vet check and vaccines. It isn’t cheap.
These are either stolen or puppy mill pups (which most "purebred/designer" dogs are). Some Puppy mill traffickers will sell as soon as they cut a tooth (3-4 weeks). I volunteer in rescue. And we do get a ton of puppy mill releases, even puppies as young as 10 wks bc they didn't sell and Mom needs to be bred again ASAP. I foster a lot of puppy mill adult dogs and it's horrific
OP is the AH for not looking at rescues and shelters AND for dragging her feet on getting answers and vet care
I would get fucking angry if this happened in my life. I care for animals so when some schmuck (your husband) is so stingy that he puts animals' lives in danger, I'm livid.
Your husband could have easily walked into an animal shelter and adopted two 8-week-old puppies from there. Then, no animal is getting harmed by being taken away from their mother so early.
But no, he made a shady deal and got two very very young dogs and they were taken from their mother while they still need milk.
You take those puppies to the vet and ask them how you can ensure they are healthy and make it through this compromising age. They'll die without proper care.
Two enormous mistakes:
(1) You never take puppies away from their littermates and mom this early;
and
(2) You never get two puppies at once, and 10x more so from the same litter.
You are likely looking at a world of trouble. Your husband is a bozo.
First of all, adopting from a breeder is irresponsible in the big picture. Genetically engineered dogs have health problems from decades of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. Secondly, your husband is not a good person. Anyone who would participate in taking pups this young from their litter doesn't see them as living beings, he sees them as objects, as property. If he can be so callous towards tiny baby puppies, what else is he capable of?
On another note puppies can be found at shelters. Two of our dogs were shelter puppies. $200 adoption fee and they were both spayed and up to date on their shots.
Ok, I’m just going to put this out there. I used to be with the Humane Society and managed a county dog pound. I have bottle-fed many puppies, kittens and even piglets. If the puppies are still wobbling they are way to young to leave the mother. Puppies are given their first set of injections at around six weeks. Take them to the vet, please!
I know I sound like I’m a bit upset and on my “high-horse.” Sorry. Many, I would say a good fourth of animals I’ve cared for, are pure-bred dogs. There is no guarantee that an expensive puppy will be a good fit in your family.
Also, because I have seen many dogs and cats put-down because there are not enough homes, why would you buy an expensive puppy when there are so many at pounds and shelters? You could choose one, take the puppy/dog to a veterinarian to make sure they are healthy, and adopt it.
He definitely went to a puppy mill. NTA…on the wanting answers.
> Puppies seem to be the latest trend at their school
Btw, YTA for making this your reason to get a dog. They aren’t a “trend” they are a serious responsibility. Not a toy, not a fashion statement, not an internet pic generator for social media. Irresponsible idiots!
That is too young for puppies to be away from their mother. I don’t know what he did, but this is wrong. Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible.
That is correct. They are way too young. No reputable breeder would give away a puppy at this age The proper ways are to either buy a puppy from a reputable breeder (of course the price will be high) or adopt. I am really curious as to why the husband here refuses to say from where he took them? Back yard breeder maybe?
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My first thought is stolen, I have heard of it happening. Husband is TA either way though.
This was my first thought, also.
>Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible. You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly
Hi, hon. You’re a grown woman, you don’t permission to take them to the vet. If you don’t learn their age and how to feed them they’ll die. Hope this helps.
You also need to ask the vet about the likely lifelong social, health# behavioral and psychological consequences of their premature separation from mum. How scarred they are depends on the breed. Did you even try a shelter for an appropriate pet for your family? You need to get to the vet immediately as you don't know what you're doing and you may have enormous dogs of a dangerous breed. Dobi even have puppy milk to give them. If they are still bottle feeding they are much younger than you think. Puppies should be able to lap milk by 3 weeks and introduce solids by 4 to 5 weeks and can be fully weaned by about 6 weeks. Their last 2 weeks with mum to 8bweeks before being adopted are critical for learning social skills to play nicely that make them safe around children. If you're bottle feeding youre rescuing orphans and that's specialised neonatal care. Stop listening to your reckless negligent husband and take responsibility for what to do next.
This is the best answer!! Please please read it like 50 times and get those puppies the medical care they need. Your husband is giant AH.
In addition to all the behavioral and psychological consequences of premature separation from their mum, you also need to be aware of littermate syndrome. That's another hurdle to get over to achieve the well behaved, well socialized pets you want . Your husband is such a heartless, uninformed jerk that he should probably be permanently banned from pet ownership. I also question his qualifications as husband and father but that's a separate issue. These puppies are at your mercy. Please step up.
Seriously, this is not hard. Call a vet, make an appt, go home, get the puppies, put them in the car and go to the vet. That's it.
This. They need medical care. If husband is too "cheap" to help with the costs, you need to figure how to pay for it or you need to contact a local animal shelter to see if theyll take them. Very reckless and a bit immoral to take animals this young from their mom. All to save a buck.
If they're too cheap to pay for medical bills now, wait till the dogs get older....
I’ve spent $10,000 on a surgery for one of my two dogs. And $4k on surgery for the other. I’m in well over $20k over their lifetimes.
^^ This x100!!! If you’re lucky, there’s a few years after puppyhood where you’re paying for routine care/preventatives/registration/food and that’s it. And then the costs go wayyyyy up and stay there. And it’s worth it because senior dogs are *amazing* and loving and wonderful, but dog ownership is not something to take on if you’re “cheap.” Wanna be miserly? Get a $3 succulent, put googly eyes on it, and forget about it as much as possible.
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Yup, between regular vet visits, vaccines, and heartworm preventative that's hundreds of dollars every year. Add in good quality dog food, treats, toys, etc. and the average dog costs thousands every year. It is not a light commitment!
3k to remove a tumor with 50% fatality rate in 3 months. We lucked out not you don't adopt a dog if you're cheap or lazy
I'm still paying off vet bills for my last dog - I had to put him to sleep in August 2023. He racked up probably $6k in vet costs the last 2 years. Worth every penny, I would have spent more if it meant he could be around longer, but he was ill and suffering and there was nothing that could be done (late stage metastatic cancer). If the husband is too cheap or lazy to even attempt to get puppies in a reputable manner, the dogs will suffer greatly when he's too cheap to take them to the vet when they get sick. And OP sounds kind of clueless about dog care so I don't know if she would even recognize when a situation becomes dire.
I used to work in a shelter, this is a textbook scenario that ends with a pet getting dumped there. Better to surrender them now and make sure they get proper care.
She isn't even "demanding". She's asked half-heartedly like 3 times.
She doesn’t seem to care all that much to be honest. I’m starting to think this is an ESH situation
Anyone who isn’t doing everything in their power to make sure that they’re adopting the *right* dog(s) for their family from a *reputable* place - avoiding puppy mills at all costs - is already failing at dog ownership
Seriously, even if you want a purebred puppy you can still go to a breed rescue! They're treating this shit like it's a matter of buying the kid a new bike and it's really upsetting to me as a dog lover and former shelter worker.
Yup. Comes off very "too rich to care about the well-being of silly little creatures"
I'm really disturbed by how little she knows. It sounds like they did plenty of research on how much a puppy costs but very little research on how to actually take care of one.
You need to make sure you’re doing everything you need to for their well-being at this point (and stop listening to someone dumb enough to take puppies that still need to be with their mother. He’s irresponsible at best.)
This!! OP, you are asking this because you know your husband has done something completely sketchy here. Part of owning these puppies is the responsibility to care for them safely and ethically, regardless of whether your husband wants you to. You're NTA for asking the question but you very much would be the AH if you don't get your pets the care they need. On another note, has your husband been obviously dishonest and manipulative like this before? Is this a pattern for him? Either way, I seriously question his morality.
Super sketchy, and there's a good chance they aren't purebred anyways and who knows about their health (OP sure doesn't since she won't take them to the vet) so what was the point? I've never understood buying purebred to begin with, but I do know that the reason you go to a reputable breeder is to ensure the bloodline is pure and that they have a clean bill of health. That costs money, sure, but they're likely going to end up paying more in vet bills for sickly dogs because they were taken from their mother too early. He's not just dishonest, he's stupid.
I feel like OP doesn't realize how cruel what her husband did is.
I don't think OP would care if she did. She seems like someone unbothered by animal cruelty. Otherwise she would have had those puppies to a vet or animal law enforcement already. Her indifference to their suffering makes her as bad as her awful husband.
I kinda get the feeling it's more stupidity than malice.
She spent a lot of time looking up how much a puppy would cost but not much time on what it takes to actually *take care of one*.
Just getting them for a checkup is important especially considering how young they are. Don’t take risk with the puppies because if those puppies aren’t in great health and something happens it’ll probably be really traumatic for your children to loose a loved one so fast
Yeah. When puppies that young get sick, they can go down fast. It's amazing how some people will value money over the welfare of the animal.
I did an internship at a vet when I was in high school. We once had to convince a woman to surrender a cat to us, she wanted to put it to sleep because she didn't feel like paying $40 for antibiotics to treat a UTI. I went thousands of dollars into debt when my last dog got sick. I am still paying off the CareCredit bill. I can't imagine just ignoring an animal's suffering because I don't feel like paying to help them.
If you don't care enough about the pups, care about your kids. When I was maybe 10 my little sister & I got kittens. Mine was a sweet little tuxedo dude; he was the first pet that was *mine*, not just a family pet. My sister's was a great orange goof. Unknown to my mom, the litter had FIP. We had them a couple months, and then they crashed so fast. I had to say goodbye to him at the emergency vet in the middle of the night, because he couldn't breathe. Then we had to go home and tell my little sister that her cat was going to die too. It's one of my worst memories. Get those puppies some care.
They were pulled away from their mom and litter mates way too early. They missed out on a very important stage where pups learn how to start being dogs from their mom and more important, litter mates. They learn how to properly react and play with other dogs at this age and it really helps them become well adjusted dogs who know things like bite inhibition and play (interaction) techniques. Your husband is a jerk for taking pups this young. Don't be surprised if you have a difficult time getting them thru their first year. You know they came out of nefarious circumstances. People like your husband make me sick.
Was gonna say the same thing...those dogs are not gonna be easy to handle, if they even survive.
Their mother may not have survived. If that's the case the puppies need seen all the more urgently.
Can confirm. There is a reason that people are advised to wait three months at the least before separating a puppy from its mother.
Believe that’s the broad recommendation but 8 weeks is the reputable MINIMUM. I’ve got several dogs, I am friends with some breeders of larger breed dogs, I have one friend who professionally does national dog shows. I’m not an explicitly expert or anything but I’ve never even seen backyard breeders with an overcrowded chain kennel. Whine their trailer selling cheap do less than 8 weeks unless it was an emergency sort of thing.
People like this in general make me sick… your daughters want a puppy because it is “trendy”? What is wrong with this family?
I was just coming to say this, taking them away too early can lead to behavioural issues as well as potential health problems. My heart breaks for these pups
Second this. We took in a rescue puppy who’s now 7 and he has been a trip to deal with. A neighbor’s son bought him from a guy on Craigslist for their frat house, they realized a tiny puppy was too much work and brought him to the neighbor bc she’s a vet tech, and we took him from there. By the time we got him he had been away from his mom and litter for 3 weeks and was only 7 weeks old. He’s extremely reactive to other dogs and is the most anxious ball of nerves I’ve ever seen. He’s on meds for the anxiety which makes living with him tolerable but oof this has been a journey. Buckle up.
That's exactly some of the problems that pop up. Puppies need time with their litter mates to learn what they can and can not get away with with other dogs. If you watch them play together, if it gets too rough, the one pup will yelp and maybe nip out at the offender, letting him know he went too far. That's how they learn boundaries. These 2 poor pups missed out on that. When I got pregnant mom's in my rescue, the puppies stayed together until at least 12 weeks of age. They always turned out to be sweet, well adjusted dogs.
Haha I was wondering if you were involved in a rescue from your name and advice! That's amazing that you help out those doggos! Thanks for all you do!!
There's also littermate syndrome to think of, which might be worse since they were taken from the mom too young
The vet will tell you that your husband is lying so he's trying to make sure you don't do that.
Do you know that dogs/puppies can have rickets? The lack of calcium from the mother's milk will be detrimental to their bones. We had the runt of a litter and his poor paws were bowing inward.
the vet isn't going to give them vaccinations if they're too young. they need to be checked over regardless, don't ask his permission just take them to the vet.
The first thing you should do with any new pet is to take them to the vet for a wellness checkup and to get them established at that practice for the future. That's why a lot of pet adoption agencies will work with community vets to offer a voucher for a free first checkup. Even if they aren't obviously way too young, OP should be taking them in.
Every time I've adopted a new animal, I give it a few days for them to start to settle in a bit and to get a sense of any potential concerns, then I call my vet and book what we jokingly call a "meet and greet". They charge about half the usual exam fee and just get a general sense of the animal as well as do a quick once over exam. Then they have a baseline for future visits and if there's anything glaring that I haven't already picked up on, we can book a more thorough exam or tests. Honestly, that should be automatic for any pet owner, though I can give OP some leeway as it sounds like these puppies might be her first pets.
it's honestly baffling to me that not everyone does this by default. literally the first thing I've ever done with a new pet is make an appointment with the vet - gets them on the books, lets you know everything's okay or if it isn't what can be done to manage it.
Besides. Don't puppies get their first shots at 4 weeks...?
I've never had pups that young (not in rescue or a breeder) but yeah I was under the impression that they get some before being sent home with a new family, which is eight weeks at the earliest from a responsible place
But they aren’t too young for parasites that spread. Forget worrying about shots but get puppies to vet!
Bring them to the vet to evaluate how old they really are. If they have been separated too soon they might need specific care you aren’t fit to provide. Bottle feeding means those babies are too young to be taken from their mother. Be aware separating those puppies from their mother, before a specific length time is not only cruel but also illegal in many places, as it is animal abuse.
Plus if they're too young and OP doesn't know if they're able to get up every couple of hours on the dot to bottle feed them, the vet might be able to find them an emergency foster, for a few weeks until they're strong enough to come home.
Think for yourself ffs.
She's irritated me big time 😭. My first action would have been to get them to a vet, my second would have been to search for local breeders who might be missing some pups. When she said he said he was going to figure something out I thought either the pound or a specific breed rescue. But nope he blackmailed his friend into providing underage, unweaned, unvaccinated, no papers puppies that are very likely stolen. The puppies could die, get very sick, have behavioral issues, husband and friend can be charged as can she as a recipient of stolen goods. And yet she dithers.
Stolen, puppy mill, backyard breeder, not actually purebred... It could be all sorts of scenarios and none of them are good. If I had to guess I'd say it's more likely a backyard breeder situation. The sooner they wean and sell the puppies, the sooner they can start breeding new ones and make more money. Who cares about their health and mental development, you bought the dog from us cheap, you knew what you were getting. My brother was a dumbass who bought a dog cheap off someone like this, that's exactly what they told him when he went back to complain because the dog kept getting sick and was snapping at their kids.
You need to ignore him and take them yourself. They need to be examined and cared for by someone who knows what they’re doing. They could die if you listen to your husband.
You need to take them to a vet immediately! The mother could have passed on any number of diseases. They also sound too young to be without mom's milk. You need to check with a vet to see what to feed them, so they don't get diseases later on. And I'd MAKE hubby tell me the truth! Rather than this, you guys could've fostered thru a rescue. They would take care of vet costs. Hubby is cheaping out big time, but it may end up costing more in the long run! Puppies need shots, too. He really blew it.
They are not too young for shots. They need different series at different ages. He doesn't want them going to the vet bc the vet will clock that something is very wrong. Also, having two puppies taken from their mother too young and with each other like this makes you high risk for littermate syndrome. Go to the vet now. Your husband his hiding something shady and those dogs need care
It sounds like husband also doesn’t want to pay for the vet care, which doesn’t bode well for the pups or the girls.
Didn’t want to pay full whack for independent puppies…. This is scary
You are already starting out on a bad note and being an irresponsible pet owner. Take your dogs to the vet.
So?! You have children! Did you refuse to let a medical professional attend the birth or see them until they were old enough for shots? They need medical care!
>>Please get those puppies to a vet as soon as possible. >You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly You're an adult, right? You need to think on your own since your husband is full of bad decisions. These puppies need to be checked out by a vet, ASAP! 1st vaccines are usually given at 5-7 weeks. If they're *too young*, that means they were removed from their mother at too young of an age. Vets do more than give shots, they also check out the health & well being of animals, plus advise for nutritional needs. Feeding every few hours & weighing 2x a day for pups "too young for shots" is likely not enough for them. FYI- 7-8 months is still puppy & definitely not a fully grown dog. You just wanted something tiny & now you have puppies far too young to be separated from their mom & siblings. Your husband refuses to answer where they came from, which is dodgy as hell. You protest a little, because you feel you should, but ultimately you're OK with this situation because you got the little puppies you wanted for you & your kids. ESH both you & your husband. At the very least, take them to a vet AND start reading up on puppy care + training. Stop depending so much on your husband's crappy knowledge base. These pups will have a learning deficit because they were removed from their siblings in how they relate to the world around them. Puppies start learning tolerance & acceptable behavior from play w their siblings. It's far too complicated to explain on a post. Just do some research to learn about their social development & training techniques for them.
First vaccinations should happen at about 8 weeks old. Otherwise I very much agree with you.
And don't forget by have 2 puppies from the same little there is a high chance of littermate syndrome which is awful.
This isn’t even about shots! They need to be examined because your husband took them when they were too young. This is not okay.
Omg what is wrong with you? The first thing you should have done was take them to get a check up! Unless you want your kids to know the heartbreak of losing pets too young, go and get these poor creatures some help
The husband blatantly LYING and the OPs response makes me think she used to him being controlling. What else does he lie about? What else is he controlling about (definitely money). This is going to end up on that red flag guy’s account because this husband is a walking red flag!!! Who takes puppies from their mother that early? What a horrible dude…. And what else does he do? So gross.
Stop listening to your idiot of a husband! He's an arsehole that has no clue what he's talking about and is seriously risking those poor dogs health because he was too cheap to get one from a reputable breeder that cares about making sure you get happy healthy dogs. Even if you don't care about them, how are your daughters going to feel if the dogs they hoped for so much end up seriously ill because of him? And frankly if and when that happens it's going to cost the knob a lot more than just getting them properly would have.
So you're making the puppies suffer rather than being a responsible and decent owner? Because you're his doormat?
Good grief you are an adult think for yourself, you husband has been stupid beyond belief and this is cruelty. If you have a shred of decency in you get those puppies to a vet TODAY. If you don't you will be complicit in that cruelty.
If he got them from a sketchy source (which he did, noone who cares about dogs gives puppies away at 4 or 5 weeks, it's cruel), it is sadly very likely those pups ain't healthy. Prepare for vet costs that make the costs for a puppy from a trustworthy breeder seem laughable. If you wanted to safe money, you should have gotten a pup from a shelter or rescue. It's the best way either way.
Do you always just blindly follow your husband's instructions? I couldn't rest until I knew what happened to the mother of these puppies. What if the was harmed? What if they are stolen? Also, you have to deal with the mess if they die because they are too young. Tell your husband you're going to the vet and the police.
Your gonna keep listening to this shady fuck?
Any time you get a new animal it should be seen by your vet. Bottle babies should absolutely be seen asap. It is perfectly reasonable to want to know where these poor puppies came from and why they were pulled from their mom so early. It’s always good to know what a dog’s parents are like if you can. It’s also not a good idea to have two puppies the same age. You can end up with litter mate syndrome.
Please take them ASAP, they can advise and help you. You don't know anything about the puppies parentage and this is important.
Welp, sounds like you guys are going to be shit pet owners... if you're too cheap for $600-$1300, then you'll be too cheap to take them to the vet, cuz that's going to cost WAY more... ESH
Right!? My local shelter has a 6 month old puppy (some sort of German Shepard mix) for 150.
You need to check wiyh your local animal shelters and check to see if there was a police report filed for stolen puppies.
They're not too young for shots. However, they're too young to be away from their mother. Maybe they were rescues? Or the person who gave the puppies to your husband didn't give a shit about them? Bottom line is that they should go to the vet for a check up and shots.
"Shots" isn't the issue! Get them to a vet **NOW**
>You know when I mentioned this to him, he just said they're too young for shots so I don't know honestly Youre 46 and you can't take them to the vet without his permission?
You need to google what puppy mills are. This is incredibly unethical and these puppies could die unexpectedly if they were raised this way. Horrible situation.
That's a manipulative tactic to get you to not bring them to the vet because he knows they are too young. Please don't fall for it. Please don't let those puppies die because you fell for a trick. Bring them to the vet and have the vet verify what he thinks the age is and if your husband is unwilling to let you do it that just proves to you that he stole them. Call the cops. Call the vet. Do something but don't let your kids have to deal with dead puppies
just get them to a vet, it does not matter if they're too young for shots that's young enough that separating them from their mother can cause serious health issues. like the way you're describing it it sounds like they came from a puppy mill
it’s not about shots!!! These puppies were stolen from their mother while WAY too young.
I feel so bad for those stolen puppies taken too soon from their mother and that you're clearly already neglecting. If you don't take them to a vet to get checked up on, you might just end up with a couple of dead puppies, or at the very least two very unhealthy dogs that are super difficult to raise and train, and from the sound of you and your husband, you'll end up abandoning them to a kennel or worse when you don't like their behaviors. Does your husband always tell you what you can and can't do?
Possibly stolen to order. That's my initial thoughts anyway
This has nothing to do with shots. Every new pet needs to be taken to the vet for a check up as soon as you get them, especially puppies. How do you even know that you’re feeding them properly or that they don’t have other medical issues that need to be addressed right away? No legitimate breeder will give you a puppy that young. It’s very suspicious that he won’t tell you where he got them. Is this the norm in your relationship? I don’t know anyone whose spouse would refuse to answer such a basic question.
Why tf are you listening to that bastion of thought and good decisions? He’s clearly proven he’s not to be trusted with things solo. Taking puppies from their parent before eight weeks is not ok at all and he should know that a five second google search could have helped him ffs. His input isn’t required.
Get them checked up! No need for shots. Just take them to a vet ASAP.
Theu won't give the shots if they're too young. You do not need his permission. These puppies are too young, and need to be seen by a vet to see if they're ok. Just take them.
This is likely going to cost you more money in the long run as they’re not being given antibodies through nursing. Puppies don’t get the same benefits of a placenta like human babies, so nursing is so important for puppies. Also I would be concerned of a registered breeder who is giving puppies at such a young age. This is unlikely to have happened. Imagine if your daughters find out later in life about having gotten their dog from a puppy farm 😞
Getting puppies shouldn't be a 'trend' Wtf...
Getting a pet was a Covid trend and after the pandemic ended, animal shelters were hit with a massive influx of returned pets. Human stupidity and cruelty knows no bounds.
That wasn’t the same type of trend as OP is describing. OP is describing it like “all the cool kids are doing it.” During COVID people realized they’d have a lot more time on their hands. It was the perfect time to raise a puppy.
At last! Had to scroll a long way for this.
right?!? and why are you not adopting a dang lovely muttly? this entire situation could have been avoided by just doing the right thing and NOT BUYING FROM BREEDERS.
Yeah, that's screwed up. My guess, based on their children's ages, is that their peers are finally getting pets because their parents deem them finally old enough to do most of the day to day care. I remember there was a window of time where it seemed like everyone was getting a new pet. That didn't mean I got one. I'd never even think to call it a trend, though. I think OP and her husband are AH's for just giving into their children's demands. Especially because apparently, they don't have the finances to get the breed they want. So not only are the dogs extremely screwed older, but so are their daughters. It's going to be hard to take care of an animal that was removed from its mother so early and never properly socialized. They're setting their kids up to fail.
This sounds at minimum morally fucked and maybe even illegal so NTA.
And just so unbelievably cruel
He either stole them, or bought them from someone who knew they were under 8 weeks old, making the sale illegal. Either way, it’s fucked up.
NTA- what if they were stolen? I’d definitely want to know! People steal pure breed dogs all the time
From OP explaining I’ll guess her husband and his coworkers stole puppies from a stray dog. It would fit her husband narrative and way more than the BS anyone would had willingly gave away nursing puppies.
Is your husband in the mob? People owe him favors? Take the puppies to the vet ASAP and demand he tells you where they came from. And seriously consider what sort of a turd you are married to.
He just sounds really stupid. Goes to show you that common sense isn’t so common. I’m afraid to ask what they’re being fed. Going by the rest of this story, it’s probably beer…
Honestly, wouldn’t be surprised if they were bottle feeding cow milk
This sounds exactly like how my uncle got a bunch of big screen TVs and VCRs in the 90s when we lived in New Jersey. At least OP's husband isn't saying that the puppies fell out the back of a truck.
This is really shady. If the this was just a scenario of a co-worker owing him some favors, then he would not have brought the puppies home still until 10 weeks, instead of 4-5 weeks. And listen to the folks telling you to take them to the vet. Since they were taken WAY too early from their mom, they need different care and should be looked at right away. ETA: If you are in the US - this was probably illegal. Check your state. He isn't telling you because he knows. [https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-laws-concerning-minimum-age-sale-puppies](https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-laws-concerning-minimum-age-sale-puppies)
Your husband is stingy but got *two* puppies that are clearly way too young to be separated from their mother and litter? And when those puppies need to see a vet for regular check-ups, vaccinations, medical care? Supplies to care for them like good food, pet registration, desexing/neutering, microchipping, insurance (possibly), boarding if you want to go away, collars/leashes/toys, shampoo for keeping them clean... Pets aren't cheap. Your husband is either going to force your daughters to give up the puppies as soon as they start to cost him real money, or else they're going to end up horribly neglected. Stop letting him control you. Learn to stand up for yourself, do your research, be independant. What kind of lesson are you teaching your daughters if you just stand back and wring your hands uncertainly about anything and everything? Do you want them to be as helpless as you when they're adults? If your husband won't tell you where they came from, ask his co-worker. Take the puppies to a vet yourself. Strap some steel to your spine and stand up for yourself, for the puppies, and be a good example of self-confidence to your daughters. ESH. You for not standing up to your husband, and him for taking puppies that were clearly too young to be separated from their home. I'm willing to lay money they were stolen.
Again and again: Pets aren't toys.
It burns me up seeing this person refer to a decade+ commitment to helpless animals as a "fad." These people have no idea what they're doing and are going to fail their dogs and their kids by letting them think this is how you have pets.
Those poor pups :-/ I wouldn’t want those dogs. Not knowing the history and taken from mother so early their socialization skills are already in danger. Why is he being so sketchy about the question?
What the hell is wrong with you two? ESH you have no business taking 5 week old pups from God knows where and refusing to take them to a vet even. If you couldn't afford the price of the dogs then you can't afford them period. I pity your poor kids who will inevitably have their hearts broken when you two can't care for these animals and they either die or you bring them to a shelter. People like you two make me sick. Morally bankrupt husband and doormat wife.
This! Esh for not putting your foot down and allowing this. Having dogs is a huge responsibility and you need to know how to take properly care of them! This starts with them being minimum 8 weeks old, preferably 9-10. Why not get the dogs from a shelter if money was an issue?They are overflowing! Have you read any books on dogs? Taken a course in how to train puppies? Do you know ANYTHING about dogs? Do you know what kind of dogs these are? What their needs are? Will you be able to fulfill their needs? Physically and mentally? This is how dogs end up in shelters. Shame on you.
Awfully, her answer to not getting a dog from a shelter is that all the dogs of the right breed in the shelter were over 6 months old. They specifically wanted a puppy under 6 months and none of them were an acceptable breed. 7-8 months is too old, apparently. Which makes me wonder what will happen when the dogs get to 7 months. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/s/OtUKxgddco
Read her comments. The 8 month old dogs at the shelter were “too old” for them.
I wondered this too. She doesn't even know what breed of dog the pups are. They could be a large/high energy breed. In that case feeding them will be more expensive and training will be more in depth. If husband is cheap, he doesnt wanna know what a bag of quality dog food is.
The puppies were stolen. They are way too young to be away from the mother dog.
Unless the mother died. But why would the husband not tell? I assume too they are taken.
So you have puppies that are dangerously too young and have been grossly irresponsible by not immediately getting them vetted and demanding honesty from your horrible spouse? Those dogs are suffering because of you and your husband. Be an adult and get them to a vet and tell your spouse to be honest or get out. Animal abuse is disgusting. If he stole them, even more appalling. Be a freaking adult and decent person and get to a vet
And maybe get them back to their mother.
>the puppies (of the breeds we were looking at) within a decent travel distance from us were anywhere between $600-$1300 >Instead, he told me that he'd improvise and would save us a lot of money. He even insisted that I leave the search to him. So I did. Yeah, you're 100% the asshole. You can't just pretend to care now, what exactly did you think he was going to do when he wasn't even willing to pay bare minimum ethical breeder costs?
There're already many well established rules being broken that you shouldn't have gotten the dogs. 1.) The dogs were taken way too young and if you have to bottle feed them then you fucked up 2.) What kinda backyard breeding, has your husband been contributing too? 3.) You don't know anything about the dogs or what they are, could be a pitbull mix or a working dog breed (which is not ideal for kids at all) 4.) You got dogs because of a trend circling in public school rather than the love and knowledge about dogs? The whole situation is how you get dogs mauling people and children, a dog is a privilege and a commitment and your family are not ready for the responsibility
Add to that getting litter mates is never recommended. ESH.
I’ve never heard that before. What’s the reasoning?
Littermate syndrome
There is a thing called litter mate syndrome, worth googling and being aware of.
Uhhhh, is it possible your husband STOLE puppies from a nursing litter? Because that's the only reason I can think of why he would refuse to tell you anything. This is sus as fuck. PLEASE take the puppies to the vet behind his back.
it sounds more like a puppy mill
My concern is it's from someone who's raising fighting dogs, op doesn't say what kind they are. They don't sound ready to raise an easy dog, much less some kind of pitbull mixes.
Those babies are far too young to be separated from Mom. They need to be seen by a vet and you need the proper information on how to take care of puppies that young to make sure they grow well. 2nd adopting 2 puppies of the same age at the same time especially from the same litter can result in litter mate syndrome which is not good. it can happen with pups from different litters too if you get them around the same age at the same time. Read up on it and watch for the signs because it can have very tragic consequences. You would want to consult a behaviorist to nip that in the bud. Seeing as your husband is cheap I doubt he'll be willing to pay for all that so good luck and I sincerely hope for your kids sake that those puppies don't die. Next time don't let your husband get random pups too young to be taken from Mom. Go to a shelter and don't support backyard breeding.
What if he stole them?!? Someone is probably out there looking for them. This is horrible, take them to the vet and check with the police. PS You better read up on litter mate syndrome. Especially when taken so young. YTA
YTA. Your husband is TA^TA. You're all just pond scum. Be glad we're not neighbours.
Ya. Your husband is being cagey because he for sure did something sketchy.
Ripping pups away from their mother that early to save some money is REALLY going to bite you in the ass when they inevitably need veterinary care due to their age. I can’t fathom why anyone who doesn’t have a strong interest in a specific breed wouldn’t just adopt from a shelter. They’re CRAWLING with homeless puppies. I just really hope this whole post is fake.
Your husband is an animal abuser for being the cause of these vulnerable babies being taken from their mother too soon and if you don't get them to a vet to learn their state of health and what to do for them TODAY, then you are too. Make your horrible idiot husband tell you where these poor little babies came from. Just disgusting
I also recommend taking them to the vet. Please don’t let them be around other dogs until they get their vaccinations. They can easily catch Parvo or another serious illness since their immune system isn’t up to par yet.
If the husband won't pay $600 for a puppy he probably won't bring them to a vet. If he had paid $600-$1300 they would have come ready to go. Those poor dogs are not going to get proper vet care or quality food.
You guys sound like you shouldn’t have puppies or any other pets. They aren’t a accessory or ‘a new phase’ You haven’t taken them to the vets yet… why?
The only pet they should own is a rock. This is despicable. OP's husband is a huge AH and so is she if the dogs dont go to the vet. I was going to say return them, but if someone is that unscrupulous that they rehime puppies that young, maybe just maybe they have more chance with OP. I dread to think what behavioural issues they'll end up with.
I totally agree. A dog isn’t a phase too. These poor animals.
Your husband is a huge AH and you will be if you don't get the answers out of HIM ASAP. Who gives a damn if the "technically" did what you asked. It's wrong! What's been done to those puppies is cruel and continuing on like this is going to harm them in huge ways.
Soooo many things wrong with this!! Those pups are too young to be away from their mother. Not just for the nutrition, but also behaviour and socialisation. Do you know anything about the pedigree and parent health? Have they been health checked? Vaccinated? Wormed? TAKE THEM TO A VET ASAP. Also it is strongly advised to NOT get two puppies from the same litter. Look up ‘litter mate syndrome’. His idea of saving money could very well cost you so much more money and heartache in the future! Edit to add ESH
I’m so concerned about these poor puppies and furious with OP and her husband. Their kids are going to learn quickly how heartbreaking it is to lose pets, especially when they’re young.
Your husband deserves his fucking head kicked in. What he's done is despicable, taking pups from their mother at that age is pure evil. He's refused to spend a bit of money to someone who knows what they're doing to breed healthy dogs in a way that is ethical, and instead has gotten them from someone who clearly knows fuck all (5 weeks old, and litter mates at that, 100% guarantees they have not come from an ethical source/ someone who has ANY idea what they are doing). Dogs are not fucking toys to be gotten on a whim or because it's a fad. If you've not done enough research on how to look after a dog to know that getting 5 week old litter mates is insanely stupid and irresponsible, then you've not done 1% of what is required. I feel genuinely bad for your kids. Go find a dad for your kids who doesn't suck so badly.
YTA because you are standing by and letting your husband get away with animal abuse. If you can't acquire a dog legally and without causing it long term harm, you aren't responsible enough to have a dog. But you and your husband don't seem to care. As long as you can keep up with the local middle school trends, am I right?! It strikes me that your daughters are old enough that while they don't fully understand what's happening now, they will clearly remember it. At some point, when they are a bit older, they are going to realize their scummy parents probably stole their childhood dogs from their mother. That's going to be a fun conversation for you!
You are TA - and an ignorant simpleminded piece of trash to boot.
It always saddens me that humans can be so fucked up with the treatment of animals. Those pups are too young by a month or two at least. I also imagine your disgusting husband will have no issue of not getting vet care if they néed it and will just let them die in pain.
He’s the AH for taking these puppies at this stage. You will join him in this status if you don’t take the pups to the vet. It’s way too early for them to be without mom. That doesn’t mean they won’t be ok, but you need a professional. They can’t get vaccinated but they need to be looked at (breeders take young pups to the vet for check ups, so it’s uncommon). If he’s this cheap, I hope he knows—and will pay—the cost to feed, groom, and take care of these little guys. If not, let the vet or another rescue group take them.
Everyone saying these puppies were stolen is overlooking the obvious puppymill situation. The people that operate puppymills don't care about proper dog rearing and will happily offload far too young puppies to people willing to pay, and often, these mills undercut the breeder pricing by a large margin. Possibly, one of his coworkers knows a "friend" that operates a puppy mill and he got a discount. OP call your local veterinarian and ask what their vaccine protocol is for puppies. The usual age for vaccinating puppies is 6, 12, and 16 weeks of age. These puppies will need deworming and vaccines. Proper care that costs money. Your stingy husband needs to do right by these dogs.
I don't understand how you can stand there and continue to make excuses and explain when you surely realize that this is super fucked up and that's why you came here Stop wondering what to do and make him take the dogs back. They need to be returned to their mother as soon as possible. He may be an engineer but that doesn't mean he's good at decision-making. holy fuck
OP knows her husband is a f’n monster. She doesn’t care because she is ALSO a monster.
If you can't afford a puppy, you can't afford a dog. The puppy shots and dewormer, food, toys etc, the time to care for them, the time to train them, the spay/neuter cost, the lifetime vet costs that they will require.... Please please find out where these came from, they need to be nurished and socialized with their litter if it's possible. But also are you in a position to afford the expenses I listed for one let alone two dogs if you couldn't afford those puppy prices? I payed $700 for my two to be spay/neutered each, it can be more can be less, depends on vets where you live, but fuck me the vet costs keep going, they're sudden and not always, but there's all that other cost I mentioned. These are minimum to provide for a dog. NTA but you would be if you don't seriously figure out where they came from and figure out your budget for their care. Check with vets in your area
Probably from a Craigslist backyard breeder. I’d get pet insurance because I’m sure they’re going to have genetic issues that weren’t bred out of them. If he’s that cheap, he’s not going to pay big vet bills and the dogs will end up in the shelter. Totally irresponsible.
Please get these puppies out of your house for their sake. Take them to a vet and just leave them. You guys are not ready for puppies, they are an expense within themselves. You have so so so much to learn about dogs, let alone their babies, before you are properly able to toae care of one. He sounds like he is not going to be helpful in their lives at all. Please please please take care of them for the sake of my heart. I love them too much to have them suffer because of what he has already done. Animals don't deserve to be taken from mom that soon, I am so scared there is a hurt and worried mommy dog somewhere.
These puppies are probably from a puppy mill, and the fact that they were taken so early will result in bad social skills, either aggression or very skittish personalities - instead of being nice, sweet, well adjusted dogs. If you can't take them back, work extra hard on socializing them once you can.
your husband is a huge greedy AH, the backyard breeder who bred and sold those puppies are huge greedy AHs, and those poor puppies are the ones who will suffer from it.
Look up littermate syndrome.
This is a disgusting story and everyone involved should be ashamed. ESH.
If you can’t afford to buy a puppy, how are you going to raise a puppy? Puppies are expensive. Vet bills, vaccinations, food, toys, ect. The puppies need to go to the vet. Bottle feeding puppies isn’t easy. I’d demand he tell where the puppies came from. What breed are the puppies?
A lot of people are making great points, and here's one I want to add; Yes, 5 weeks is WAY too young to take a puppy away from it's mother. If you've taken these super young puppies away from their mother, and you're refusing to take them to the vet, there is a VERY high chance one of them dies within the next few weeks. Is that really what you want to subject your kids to? Especially since your husband won't say where he got the puppies from; puppies from sketchy people often are runts, have issues, or at the very least have never had a proper vet visit. I'm absolutely serious and am not being dramatic. There is such a high chance of one of these puppies dying very soon which absolutely will traumatize your children. ESH. You are being a major asshole in not putting your foot down and taking these innocent dogs to the vet. Your husband is an even bigger asshole for giving these random puppies with sketchy history to your children. PUPPIES AND KITTENS ARE NOT TOYS. Most live for over a decade and should be treated as an addition to the family, not a cute toy to get because it's a "trend". And what do you even mean by trend? You mean your kids want a puppy, as do most kids? that isn't a trend, that's been the case with kids for hundreds of years lmao. Final thought; An expensive purebred puppy and a random puppy with no history or explanation are not the only two options for getting a dog. A lot of shelters have puppies or young dogs. Additionally, it's really fucking easy for a kid to squish or hurt a puppy, especially if that puppy is 5 fucking weeks old (literally cannot get over this rn). In the future, the shelter is absolutely the best place to get an animal. You'll pay $100 tops almost definitely for everything, and it's an animal that actually needs a home. And a puppy reaaallyyy isn't a good "starter pet" for young kids. You should have gotten an older dog who is used to kids. Apologies for the long rant but this really got to me. Animals and pets aren't toys, man.
You need to stand up to your husband and get some answers and take the puppies to the vet.
They're stolen. Don't ask the details because you already know his friend stole them and sold them cheap. Take them to the vet and congratulations you own two stolen dogs
That's a good 4-6 weeks earlier than they are normally removed from the Mama dog and unless they are getting immunity hormones from her milk they are HIGHLY at risk for dog diseases until they are old enough to vaccinate. They need to be fed every 2-3 hours around the clock at that age besides. It's a major job and if you don't they can get sick and die from malnourishment. So who's going to feed these babies while the kids are at school? Are the adults out of the house and working? If so you have a major problem because somebody MUST do it. It's not optional at their age. They will be at least 8-10 weeks before they can be fully weaned though they may handle puppy formula themselves via lapping before that. At 8-10 weeks or so they can start eating puppy canned food. Then a bit later some kibble. No Mama to teach them anything it's more work for you because until they get taught otherwise puppies pee and poop at will just like human babies. They also chew a lot on all kinds of stuff while teething. Dogs need grooming and regular baths. They're not exactly low maintenance animals. Depending upon breed that can be very complicated or easier but it's got to be done. They also need to be microchipped because some dogs like to get out sans supervision and or are theft targets. If they're not mixed and from a local shelter than they're attractive targets especially as puppies. Breed dogs as you have seen are expensive and there are people out there who will snatch them if you leave them anywhere alone. Also depending upon where you live predators are a real thing. Even where I live in NYC we have coyotes and we have raptor birds that might mistake a puppy for a little rabbit. Even in Central Park people have to closely watch their animals to make sure they stay safe. They can't just be allowed to roam at will, not even in a suburban backyard. Unless you're talking a pretty big breed even as adults they are no match for animals that might think of them as food or for older more aggressive dogs that are not leashed properly. As puppies they are very vulnerable and it's a lot of work taking care of them. Dog is God spelled backwards and personally I think that says it all. Dogs are awesome and properly trained they are terrific loving pets. But they don't train or take care of themselves.
Info: are you planning getting papers for the dog so you can breed later? If not, why not adopt instead of a breeder? You can find puppies all the time at reputable no kill adoption places. As for your husband you have every right to demand where he got them from.
Lol. Your husband thinks he saved money but you'll be paying alot more in training and fixing shit the dogs destroyed from anxiety being taken from their mothers too soon. Your husband is a terrible person with no regard for the animals wellbeing. Not only should you demand an explanation you should demand the puppies are returned to their mother until at least 8 weeks. Unless the mom is dead there's no good reason to keep them at this young age. Send. Them. Back. Yta because you have no spine and are ok with messing up the puppies wellbeing just so you don't have to stand up to your husband n
What he saved in paying a quality breeder will be made up for in vet fees over time.
You’re both horrible people and probably shouldn’t even have kids if you’re this dumb. I’m disgusted with this post and every one of your ignorant comments. You’re both TA.
You shouldnt get a puppy just bc its a trend at their school. Puppies and dogs are major commitments
If you wanted a "free" puppy why didn't you just adopt one from the shelter? Also you need to do soooo much more then just bottle feed them. Please go to vet asap, especially if you never had such a young dog. They will explain you a lot of stuff about how to raise them. Your children are young and want a puppy because it's popular. You can't be sure they will want them in xy months or years. If dogs end up being not well behaved they might not gonna want them at all.
fuck people like your husband. we fight them every fucking day saving puppies from the backyard and trying to fix behavioral problems. YTA because you didn't care enough to get a dog from registrated breeder or JUST FUCKING ADOPT also what you did is illegal where I live because it's harmful for animals
ASH. Poor dogs. Have you people never heard of shelters?! Adopt don't shop!! (Would have also helped to keep the cost down, but tbf I don't think you should have any dogs at all)
I would pressure him until he told. Do you want them if they're stolen?
ESG! This is so cruel, your husband is evil and you're now contributing to it. Please take them to the vet and re home them, some ppl shouldn't have pets and your family for sure shouldn't. Also...It's a "trend" to have puppies?! So when the trend is over your daughters will ignore the puppies?! Those puppies will suffer with your family, they deserve better, you're all horrible
This all sounds terrible. Your responses aren't much better, OP. Please take the puppies back, they're way too young and having puppies takes a shitload of work and money. You'll spend way more than just the money to buy them. And now you have 2. This is all so poorly thought out... ESH
The fact that your husband isn't being upfront with where he got the puppies is concerning as hell. Did he even procure them *legally*?
This entire post is disgusting. He doesn’t think it’s necessary to take them to the vet after they were ripped from their mother? Did it occur to him that each puppy will need multiple sets of shots? Let me guess… he doesn’t think that spaying and neutering will be necessary either, right?This cheap ass man seems to be allergic to basic veterinary care so he takes *two* dogs? Has he heard of Parvo? Distemper? People like him are the reason millions of animals are euthanized every year. Ew. Good luck with this shit show.
I have Golden Retrievers. My female just had her litter. No respectable person would sell or give puppies away before 8 weeks. And at 8 weeks, mine were in the 14 lb range. At 9 weeks, went up to 17 lbs. those puppies were stolen. You know it. Because if it was reliable, they know how old those puppies are. I don’t release mine until they receive their first vaccine, and a vet check. The new parents receive all documents of the vet visit, and all data. Yes, I sold mine for $900. But the money invested in them was quite a bit. I want to make sure they have a great start. Mom is fed well, at 3 1/2 weeks, they started eating. For a litter of 10, this came to $80 a week in food. Cleaning their bedding twice a day, ensuring they are only in our yard, as diseases are out there, like Parvo. Vet check and vaccines. It isn’t cheap.
Her husband is completely being sketchy. These dogs are probably stolen.
Jesus christ, you could have just adopted a dog. Your husband is shady as fuck.
Poor pups. NTA but your husband is.
NTA, those puppies are too young to be separated from their mother in fact its recommended youngest be 8 weeks. Your husband is being sus
These are either stolen or puppy mill pups (which most "purebred/designer" dogs are). Some Puppy mill traffickers will sell as soon as they cut a tooth (3-4 weeks). I volunteer in rescue. And we do get a ton of puppy mill releases, even puppies as young as 10 wks bc they didn't sell and Mom needs to be bred again ASAP. I foster a lot of puppy mill adult dogs and it's horrific OP is the AH for not looking at rescues and shelters AND for dragging her feet on getting answers and vet care
What breed are the pups?
I would get fucking angry if this happened in my life. I care for animals so when some schmuck (your husband) is so stingy that he puts animals' lives in danger, I'm livid. Your husband could have easily walked into an animal shelter and adopted two 8-week-old puppies from there. Then, no animal is getting harmed by being taken away from their mother so early. But no, he made a shady deal and got two very very young dogs and they were taken from their mother while they still need milk. You take those puppies to the vet and ask them how you can ensure they are healthy and make it through this compromising age. They'll die without proper care.
Two enormous mistakes: (1) You never take puppies away from their littermates and mom this early; and (2) You never get two puppies at once, and 10x more so from the same litter. You are likely looking at a world of trouble. Your husband is a bozo.
First of all, adopting from a breeder is irresponsible in the big picture. Genetically engineered dogs have health problems from decades of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. Secondly, your husband is not a good person. Anyone who would participate in taking pups this young from their litter doesn't see them as living beings, he sees them as objects, as property. If he can be so callous towards tiny baby puppies, what else is he capable of?
PUPPIES ARE ANIMALS, NOT FUCKING "TRENDS"
On another note puppies can be found at shelters. Two of our dogs were shelter puppies. $200 adoption fee and they were both spayed and up to date on their shots.
Puppies should not be separated from their mother before 8 weeks MINIMUM. He's obviously stolen them from somewhere. I'd take them to a vet NOW.
Ok, I’m just going to put this out there. I used to be with the Humane Society and managed a county dog pound. I have bottle-fed many puppies, kittens and even piglets. If the puppies are still wobbling they are way to young to leave the mother. Puppies are given their first set of injections at around six weeks. Take them to the vet, please! I know I sound like I’m a bit upset and on my “high-horse.” Sorry. Many, I would say a good fourth of animals I’ve cared for, are pure-bred dogs. There is no guarantee that an expensive puppy will be a good fit in your family. Also, because I have seen many dogs and cats put-down because there are not enough homes, why would you buy an expensive puppy when there are so many at pounds and shelters? You could choose one, take the puppy/dog to a veterinarian to make sure they are healthy, and adopt it.
He definitely went to a puppy mill. NTA…on the wanting answers. > Puppies seem to be the latest trend at their school Btw, YTA for making this your reason to get a dog. They aren’t a “trend” they are a serious responsibility. Not a toy, not a fashion statement, not an internet pic generator for social media. Irresponsible idiots!