Rubbing a Blanket on Mama to Take Scent Home for New Puppy… Good idea? Or not so much?

Are you bringing home a new puppy this Summer? Trying to prepare to make the smoothest adjustment possible for you and the pup? Some will find online advice telling them it’s a good idea to take a blanket to the breeder’s house and “rub down mama” with it to take home her scent. They say that the puppy will then find this comforting amidst its transition. To be honest, there’s a couple of reasons why we don’t actually recommend this to new puppy parents, and here’s why…

The first is this:

1. First and foremost, we think it’s a better idea for the pup to start immediately getting to know YOUR scent, and for that to be his or her comfort. I would advise to wear an old t-shirt the day before getting your new puppy, and let him snuggle it on the way home. This way he gets to know your scent as a source of comfort. After all, your his new mama (so to speak)!
   
2. Second, the puppy has already been weaned from mama probably about a week before you come to get them, and realistically at this point their biggest transition is going to be sleeping alone and not with the litter-mates. If you take home mama’s scent on a blanket with them, honestly it may only stress them out and make them search for her. If you take a weaned puppy and put them with their mother, the first thing they’ll try to do is find a nipple to nurse on (which at that age can be quite stressful and painful for the mother- think of those nails and teeth! ouch!).
   

So it’s not to say it isn’t a nice thought, taking the mother’s scent home with you, but this is just a breeder’s take on the concept. As we scoured the internet to find these posts that suggest this, we found more and more like-minded individuals that weren’t the biggest fans of the idea! Just remember this: The most important thing in the first days of bringing your puppy home, is to work on building the bond between you and your new puppy! 🙂 Enjoy it!