(Question) My wife and I have just gotten two Elhew pointer puppies from the same litter (eight weeks old today). We picked them up last Monday. I have two questions that I know I have seen answers to already, so if you just redirect me to the article I will be happy to do a little homework on my own.

Second question and the more important one is whether and when the two of them should be separated from each other. One is male and the other female. Both look to be very healthy and alert. The male is about 15 to 20 percent larger than his sister, although she is the more dominant. Maybe the real question is do they need to be separated? --DC

(Answer) Although some of my fellow Gun Dog contributors disagree, I've always used 49 days as the optimum time to take pups from the litter. The basis for this seems to be that they need a two- to three-week post-weaning period to learn how to get along in the world of dogs.

Nine to 12 weeks of age is a period in the pup's life when he may display anxiety or fear of new objects, people and situations. This is not a time to fly pups or involve them in serious training sessions. This is a time to bond with the new pup and teach him that you are the good person in his life.

I wouldn't try to separate littermate pups if your intent is to keep both and have them as part of your lives. All of the two-legged dogs in your pack will need to demonstrate to the pups that humans dominate dogs.

Then the two pups will have to work out who is the dominant one in their relationship. I suspect that has already happened.

I recently got another pup myself, so I have a great deal of empathy for where you are with your two new housemates. My pup is a German shorthair out of local stock on the sire's side and field trial background on the dam's side. She is now 17 weeks old and a very nice little dog.

She has some special issues in that she was from a C-section litter that my technician hand raised. Her people-bonding is great but she has had to learn some dog social skills. The first time she met my pointer, she got four low warning growls and when that didn't work the pointer left a mark on the pup's nose. Now when the pup goes out in the yard she looks around to see if that "big white dog" is around.

Enough about my pup for now. I'll write more in future columns, as I'm just amazed at the way they grow and learn. I'm excited about my new dog just as I'm sure you are about yours.