Young Puppies Out In Public And Safeguarding Dogs From Disease.

[ncarter]

You know when you see those people that just have to take their puppies out in public when they are 6-8 weeks old to show them off? I thought you needed to wait until 2 weeks after their last vaccinations in order to safely do this. Say at around 14 weeks?

So what I want to know is when I see very young puppies out in public is there any risk to my dog in meeting them or is it more risky to the puppy itself in that it could pick up a disease from older dogs?

any info would be much appreciated

[DeltaCharlie]

If your dog is vaccinated then there is not really any more risk to yours then there would be to them meeting any dog. It is more a risk to the puppy if it meets dogs that are not vaccinated.

Its a tricky situation with puppies. You need to get them as much socialisation as possible before they are 16weeks, but you can't really take them out until then. I usually take mine to private training with me at about the 10-12 week mark and socialise them with dogs and people I know. Then I take them out in public at about 12-14 weeks. I try not to let them meet any strange dogs, I am involved in enough dog sports to have access to hundreds of dogs that are great for socialising, without exposing them to dogs I don't know. However, getting them out around kids playgrounds, crowds, etc is so important that I just take the risk. I wouldn't do it at 8 weeks though, that is just too young and if they were to get seriously sick at that age it could end badly.

[lucknow]

I agree, the risk is to animals that are being exposed for the first time to disease and virus. Owners that do this invariably don't seem to understand the risks.

Socialisation is a tricky one, advice I generally give is to socialise at puppy school, with gentle vaccinated dgos owned by friends, and when they really do feel they have to get out in public to avoid high risk areas (so stay off grass, avoid dog parks, don't put your pup down in the crowded vet clinic!).

[puggy_puggy]

If your dog is fully vaccinated there would should not be a risk to it.

People taking their puppies out and about before they are fully vaccinated are putting them at risk especially if they come in contact with dogs that the vaccination history and health history isn't known. Also just coming in contact with the grass or other surfaces that a sick dog has been on puts a puppy that isn't fully vaccinated at risk of getting ill.

Like DC and LN have said if you socalise puppies with dogs that you know are vaccinated and have a clean bill of health in your home or another area that you know hasn't had any strange dogs in it then the puppy will be fine.

[Guest Tess32]

I carried my pup everywhere until two weeks after his second and last vacc.

[The Spotted Devil]

I carried my pup everywhere until two weeks after his second and last vacc.

I did the same, Tess32....arm muscles of steel by the end of that But one very well socialised little puppy

[Guest Tess32]

I carried my pup everywhere until two weeks after his second and last vacc.

I did the same, Tess32....arm muscles of steel by the end of that But one very well socialised little puppy

I have a sore back two months later

And yep, it did the trick. Everywhere I've gone so far now, Noah is well behaved and well socialised.

[puggy_puggy]

I carried my pup everywhere until two weeks after his second and last vacc.

I did the same with my girl pug. I would take my boy pug for walks and carry the girl tucked up in my jacket.

I also had friends come over with thier fully vaccinated pugs for play dates at my house.

[Flaves]

I carried my pup everywhere until two weeks after his second and last vacc.

I did the same, Tess32....arm muscles of steel by the end of that But one very well socialised little puppy

Me too.

The socialisation is far too important to not take the pup out to experience things until they are fully vaccinated

If you haev friends with dogs who are fully vaccinated, take them there as well

But the more experiences the better

[KitKat]

I took my pups out and about as early as soon as i got them home - but i carried them (or had them up in a trolley) and they didn't socialise with dogs i didn't know.

[BC]

Yep, me too. I carry Shiloh, or have her in the crate when I take Cooper training. She goes to puppy school and gets to play with dogs I know are healthy.

Have heard of more dogs being PTS due to lack of socialisation resultsing in behavioural problems, than dogs that have contracted a disease