Crumpolo Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Hi all. I am aware of the reasons for not taking my new pup out before the second shots. I am only considering it for Xmas day. He will be 10 weeks old at that stage and if we can take him will be out for the whole day/night. It will not include public places, only one home where fully vaccinated dogs live. He will be kept in a limited play area only and have some time meeting the other dogs. I have been thinking that as the dogs are vaccinated, it would be no different to when I bring him back to my house at 8 weeks (NEXT WEEK!!!! ) Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyB Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I believe that socialisation is more important than worrying about other potential risks. From 8 weeks old, my puppies go everywhere; puppy preschool, park, in the car, to the shops etc. I think an anti social puppy is far bigger risk and if I was you, I would be taking your puppy with you no questions! Just my opinion and I am sure others will have their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy82 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Playing with vaccinated dogs is fine, the only risk is that the other dogs go out and could step in something, but you can't really make the puppy's environment completely sterile. You could step in something while you're out and the puppy could come in contact with your shoes. There will always be a small risk, but as above, socialisation is more important than being sterile. No good have a dog if you can never take it out in public because it was never socialised. Just carrying it around is also part of socialisation, exposing it to new sights and noises and letting it look at people etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Kenzie came with me to her first christmas day at 8 weeks and 3 days old! We were at my Mum's place with my other dog and her 2 dogs (all vaccinated, all healthy). I know what has been in the yard for the last 25 years, and I know the history of hte dogs. More important to me was the 20 people she was going to meet that day!!! Including grandparents, babies, men and women. If you know it is a safe environment for the pup and you are sensible about about it, I would also say the socialisation aspect is more important. Different story if you said you were having a christmas party at the local park, but even then I'd be tempted to consider taking my pup if it were small enough still to be carried around and not wandering. Be sensible and I don't think it is a problem!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hi all. I am aware of the reasons for not taking my new pup out before the second shots. I am only considering it for Xmas day. He will be 10 weeks old at that stage and if we can take him will be out for the whole day/night. It will not include public places, only one home where fully vaccinated dogs live. He will be kept in a limited play area only and have some time meeting the other dogs. I have been thinking that as the dogs are vaccinated, it would be no different to when I bring him back to my house at 8 weeks (NEXT WEEK!!!! ) Thoughts? Your pup will be fine. I completely disagree with confining a puppy to the house until vaccinations are finished. The benefits of socialisation (exposing the young pup to new sights/scents/sounds) far out-weigh the small risk of disease. Either way, taking the pup to a relative/friends house with vaccinated dogs is not an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crumpolo Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 Thankyou all for your replies. I was 90% taking him, but now my mind is at ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pesh Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I'm one that would say, NO. The dogs your visiting may be vaccinated, but how about the dog over fence or the ground that may have the virus's that hasn't shown as the dogs there are vaccinated. It's a risk you're going to have to weigh up. I know it's hard, as your pup is lovely and you want to show it off, but think of the big picture. Good luck Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyB Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Either way, there is always going to be a risk of your puppy picking something up, but in my honest opinion, I believe that by leaving your puppy home, the risk of an anti social puppy far out weights the slight risk of disease. I think everyone will have a different point of view on this topic, and in the end you need to do what you are comfortable with. If you are paranoid your puppy will get sick, that is probably what will happen. You need to do what you feel is right, regardless of what others do and do not say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 If it is to a private home I would take the dog. If you opt for the Nobivac vaccine I think you will be in the clear then anyway (from memory). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I'm one that would say, NO. The dogs your visiting may be vaccinated, but how about the dog over fence or the ground that may have the virus's that hasn't shown as the dogs there are vaccinated. It's a risk you're going to have to weigh up. I know it's hard, as your pup is lovely and you want to show it off, but think of the big picture. Good luck Sharon ....and the footpath you walk on could be contaminated, or the carpark at the vets, or the posties dog might have had parvo and he may track it into your yard delivering a parcel, or the neighbours dog might have KC... Unless you are going to keep the puppy confined to the house 24/7, put a footbath at your door and disinfect anyone that enters there's always going to be a risk. You can't keep them in a bubble. Personally, I take my 11 week old pup as many places as possible. Considering her breed and what I want out of her the benefits of socialising her at this age far outweigh the risks of keeping her home 'just in case'. That is the big picture for me. I wish I'd done the same with my older 'pet' dog. Socialisation is NOT taking the pup to dog parks or letting them interact with strangers or random dogs (which does put the puppy at risk), nor is it taking a young pup to puppy school once a week. It's about exposing your pup to new sights/sounds/objects/people/situations - things he is likely to encounter over the course of his life - so that he learns to accept them as part of his environment. It's ongoing and continuous and should be started as young as possible. JMO.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 All 4 of my dogs from 8 weeks of age came with me everywhere possible, I spoke to vets and other "dog/animal" people to find out if there had been any cases of parvo, KC in the area and I was satisfied it was safe enough for them. The only place I avoided till they were fully vaccinated was the beach. All of mine attended puppy pre school from 8 weeks of age as well. Enjoy Christmas with your new puppy, sounds like you are sensible and have it all sorted! Now I must know what sort of puppy are you getting and do you have any pictures?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erinonthefarm Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I kept my puppy indoors for a while because there had been a puppy with parvo in our yard, but like secretkai and fuzzy82 have said, you have to go to extreme lengths to totally eliminate the risk, and now I have had to do extra work because of the socialisation my boy missed out on while I was being paranoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 From 8 weeks my boy came everywhere with me. He only socialised with vaccinated dogs, and didn't go near dog parks. If you're sensible about it I don't see the problem. If you go along the line of not taking pup places 'in case' they're exposed, then you better not take vaccinated dogs anywhere either because they can still get sick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I took my pup to friends houses where there was vaccinated dogs, best way to socialize IMO as you know they dogs and it's not as if 100's of dogs pass through there like at a dog park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktig Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I would definately be taking your dog. My pup arrived at 9 weeks and he was carried everywhere with me. I wasn't taking him to dog parks, etc. But we certainly visited friends with older, sensible vaccinated dogs. I've had poorly socialised rescue dogs before and really wanted this little guy to have been exposed to lots at a young age to avoid that again. I now have a friendly, well adjusted 6 month old pup who is just a delight to take out and about, nothing phases him! As long as you're sensible and careful with him, there's not problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Another vote for taking the pup - and having him out and about - though not necessarily on the grouind where a lot f unknown dogs might have been. For general out and about, I would just check with your vet about whether there has been a parvo outbreak in the area - if not, then go for it. For the home you are visiting on Christmas Day - absolutely acceptable health risk IMHO - but I would caution you to take a crate and if possible a play pen for the puppy (with covers). The main risks in a busy household at Christmas are the pup getting trodden on, or tripping someone up, or getting at inappropriate food (there will be a lot of that around) or being given cooked bones by well-meaning relatives, and getting over-stimnulated and under-rested. So I'd advise treating the pup like the baby/toddler he will be, and taking the same sorts of precautions - know where the puppy is and what he's doing at all times - and pop him in his crate with soething comforting to chew on when he needs a rest. If there is a pool, supervise, supervise, supervise - and you'll all have a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IggyLover Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I would definitely take your little puppy to meet the family. As everyone (bar one) has said, the good far outweighs the risks. After having all of Dante's puppy shots and having bad experiences with ALL of them i will NOT be getting him vaccinated again. Controversial i know, but i was never vaccinated as a kid, i was always healthy. I have done a bit of reading on the net and it seems that the majority of vaccines for dogs, like in humans, is unnecessary. My mum is a bit of a natural health freak and there are always natural alternatives to everything. When we had his first vaccinations Dante was violently ill. He was a tiny little baby about vomitted about 15 times that evening. I was on the phone to the emergency vets almost ready to rush him in, it was horrible and i felt so guilty. His last puppy vaccines he had a similar reaction, but on top of that he developed Kennel Cough from the nasal spray vaccine they gave him! As soon as we got him home he was coughing really violently and this continued for over a week with him on antibiotics. Since this happened i googled and it seems this is not uncommon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crumpolo Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 Another vote for taking the pup - and having him out and about - though not necessarily on the grouind where a lot f unknown dogs might have been. For general out and about, I would just check with your vet about whether there has been a parvo outbreak in the area - if not, then go for it. For the home you are visiting on Christmas Day - absolutely acceptable health risk IMHO - but I would caution you to take a crate and if possible a play pen for the puppy (with covers). The main risks in a busy household at Christmas are the pup getting trodden on, or tripping someone up, or getting at inappropriate food (there will be a lot of that around) or being given cooked bones by well-meaning relatives, and getting over-stimnulated and under-rested. So I'd advise treating the pup like the baby/toddler he will be, and taking the same sorts of precautions - know where the puppy is and what he's doing at all times - and pop him in his crate with soething comforting to chew on when he needs a rest. If there is a pool, supervise, supervise, supervise - and you'll all have a great time. This is basically what we are thinking. Some time with us all, some time with the other dogs. Plenty of sleep time. 100% supervision. Thankyou all for your responses. We'll be keeping him to private homes only until the vaccinations are done i think. One last question. It was mentioned above someone took their pup 'everywhere except the beach'. Is there a reason the beach is especially bad. Or was this just due to circumstances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Just be sure you don't overwhelm him with the other dogs. I'd be taking it very gradually - one dog at a time - and making sure things go nicely. Don't know what breed he is, but it's not a good thing for too much unsupervised play with adult dogs unless they are a reasonable size match, or are very puppy tolerant. Unless there is parvo rife in any area you will be, I wouldn't limit him to private homes - take him out and about as much as possible as soon as possible - but carry him when you're in areas where a lot of dogs might have been (and especially any poo-ey areas) - think that is what the other poster meant about the beach. It's important for pups to get out and about to see the big wide world and experience people, noise, traffic etc. etc. - It's also good for them in that while they're cute and adorable, and especially being carried, they will have great experiences with lots of people. It's all about balancing risk, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crumpolo Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 Just be sure you don't overwhelm him with the other dogs. I'd be taking it very gradually - one dog at a time - and making sure things go nicely. Don't know what breed he is, but it's not a good thing for too much unsupervised play with adult dogs unless they are a reasonable size match, or are very puppy tolerant. Unless there is parvo rife in any area you will be, I wouldn't limit him to private homes - take him out and about as much as possible as soon as possible - but carry him when you're in areas where a lot of dogs might have been (and especially any poo-ey areas) - think that is what the other poster meant about the beach. It's important for pups to get out and about to see the big wide world and experience people, noise, traffic etc. etc. - It's also good for them in that while they're cute and adorable, and especially being carried, they will have great experiences with lots of people. It's all about balancing risk, really. It's going to be a Cocker (our pup) with Hungarian Viszlas. One is 15 and has had several litters where she was a brilliant mother. So i am expecting her to be ok. The other is her son who is far more energetic and younger. Should be interesting. But small controlled doses are the plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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