Wait until the puppy is at least six weeks old. While you may have become attached to all the puppies, you shouldn't choose one for yourself until around six to eight weeks of age. By this age, the puppies begin to look like they will when they become an adult.
It's generally advised to keep the male away from the mother and litter entirely, from the last weeks of pregnancy and until the pups are at least four weeks old when the mother is starting to wean them, and ideally for five to six weeks. By then the father can be a part of the socialization process.
The good news is that while your singleton pup may offer you some behavioral challenges, she is not likely to suffer from significant health issues as a result of her singleton status.
If your dog is lying or sitting away from the litter for long periods, it's likely she may have rejected them. She may also show signs of stress and in some cases may physically pick up and move the puppies away from her.
Many of the breeders said that a singleton pup could be a little dog aggressive, less sociable and a little more "abnormal" than an average pup born with littermates. Others said that singleton puppies were not problem pups until they started to take notice of their surroundings.
Single puppy syndrome may prove fatal to both puppy and the mother due to difficulty at the time of birth due to large size of fetus. There can be many reasons for single puppy syndrome which may vary from hormonal causes to any infectious disease or age factors.
Along with lack of bite inhibition, typical problems in singletons include being unable to get out of trouble calmly and graciously, an inability to diffuse social tension, inability to handle frustration, lack of social cues and skills, lack of impulse control, and touch sensitivity.
Most of all be gentle and patient. The frequent whining, howling, and barking or having the puppy constantly underfoot may be trying, but keep in mind that your new puppy has just been separated from the safety and security of everything he's ever known. Being nervous after leaving his mother is perfectly natural.
To ensure that each puppy reaches his potential, everything needs to be done separately: walking, training, eating, and sleeping. If the pups are very young, sleeping together may be fine for a while, as long as they are getting enough one-on-one time with you, but before long they should sleep in their own crates.
The common findings are a low birth weight or failure to gain weight at the same rate as their siblings (the 'runt' of the litter), decreased activity and inability to suckle. These puppies have a tendency to remain separate from the mother and the rest of the litter.
Understanding Singleton Puppies
Being born as an only pup is not a very common occurrence, but it happens every now and then.
Owners are always surprised when I confirm pregnancy for just one puppy and I'm equally surprised when they comment that it's rare. I've looked over my figures and there's a 6.4% chance of a pregnancy being a solo puppy, unlike the chances of having a large litter of 10 or more puppies is only 2.3%.
As the days and weeks pass, their muscles become stronger and eventually they are strong enough to support their bodies by walking on all fours. Singleton puppies development is delayed as they do not get as much exercise as puppies with littermates.
What exactly is “littermate syndrome” and is it real? Littermate syndrome can occur when two puppies adopted from the same litter grow up together in the same home. In some cases, these sibling puppies form such a deep bond with each other that they fail to properly socialize with people and other dogs.
Selecting (or having the breeder select) the puppy who is neither first or last when called, is neither shy nor a bully with littermates, and is neither outstanding or underwhelming in the litter will often be the best match for a happy family: easy to train, travel with, manage, and adapt to your daily life.
It is a very poor decision to get two puppies from the same litter in almost all cases. Sometimes, people with extensive prior K9 knowledge may be able to handle the added stresses of getting two dogs from the same litter, but it is still generally not recommended.
Many people are hesitant to adopt a second dog because they assume it will be twice the work and twice the money. But the truth is, owning two dogs doesn't have to be more work – in fact, it can often be easier. And as for the cost, it will cost more money than one but not twice the amount.
You can certainly leave them together in their puppy-proofed space when you're gone all day, but they should be crated separately at night. You can crate them near each other, but this is the perfect time to start habituating them to not always being in close contact with their sibling.
Dogs are social animals and usually happier around other dogs, but a second dog will never be a substitute for inattentive, absent or too busy owners.
Psychologically and emotionally, separating a puppy from its mother too soon has serious detrimental effects. In fact, it is one of the most common reasons a puppy will develop behavior problems later in life.
Many puppies are separated from their littermates early in life, and they likely won't remember their siblings after about two years. If your puppy has just left a litter full of playmates, you may wonder how this separation will affect them emotionally.
If you're anything like us, you'll probably continue referring to your dog as a puppy until they're old and grey! But generally speaking, a puppy is officially considered an adult dog between the ages of 1 - 2 years, once their bones have fully developed and they've reached their final height and size.
Delivery of a Singleton puppy
Singleton puppies also have access to its mothers' entire bank of resources, so they often (almost always) grow to be large in size and heavy in birth weight.
As dogs get older, their social circles shrink. They enter sexual maturity around 7-9 months and social maturity at 1-3 years. With that maturity and wisdom, they may be less interested in playing or they might play more roughly when excited. That rough play may lead to aggressive habits.