How Long To Wait After Second Vaccination?

[Pinarelloman]

Our GSP pup has just had her second vaccination at 10 weeks of age. I have been given conflicting information by dog breeders & my vet as to how long after this vacc I should begin taking her out and socialising. The vet says wait till her next vacc at 14weeks. The breeder says she is OK two weeks after her second vacc. What has anyone done here. We obviously want to do the right thing here, but feel we need to get her out and about.

Thanks for the advice.

[Elise+Hudson]

It depends on the type of vaccine used, some vaccines are registered for finish at 10 weeks, others need to be later than this. If your in a high parvo area your vet might be suggesting a 3rd vaccine as a precaution - we have been seeing pups still come down with parvo after their 2nd vaccination, although we are in a very high parvo area.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Elise+Hudson

[Erny]

As a general rule of thumb, I suggest giving 7-10 days after each puppy vaccination and then head on out to fill your pup's "critical period of development" with more carefully structured yet broad socialisation/habituation experiences.

"Going out" doesn't necessarily mean "socialise with every tom, dick and harry dog" or "where every tom, dick or harry dog has been". Select with a good dose of common sense and avoid highly populated areas where the "tom, dick and harry" dogs congregate.

The only reason I suggest keeping pup away/home for the suggested 7-10 day period is that his/her young body's immune system is going to be taxed with the job of zero-conversion as a result of the vaccine. Give the pup a chance to get over the affects of this before you tax him/her with the stress of excitement and copious learning.

I don't believe in keeping pups "in" until after all vaccinations. There's too much valuable and irreplaceable learning of our world to be done in far too short a period of time. Positive learning experiences inside the critical period are absolutely invaluable.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Erny

[Elise+Hudson]

Erny I think that is fair if you have a low prevalence of parvo - we had a poor guy here who just let his pup into the yard 2 weeks after the 1st vaccination and came down with parvo. Never took the pup anywhere.

[Sares]

We took our pup to puppy school classes at 9 weeks of age but we carried her in and out of the puppy school classes so she didnt have contact with other dogs other than those puppies in the same class (who were also at the same stage of vaccinations/age).

As for getting her out and about, we took her outside the house but carried her for the most part or stayed in the car with her for car trips. So she still got the exposure to sounds, smells, sights, but at a distance just to be safe until after her 12 weeks vaccincations. We are in a low risk area, but still we were careful about putting her on the ground in 'high traffic' areas of where other dogs and people were. she would stay on our lap or be carried for most of the time being outside the house/yard.

She is a very well socialised dog now, very confident and happy so I am glad we exposed her to the outside world early in a safe way. Obviously what we did was not risk free but we were consious of the risks and managed them appropriately.

[minimax]

We took our pup to puppy school classes at 9 weeks of age but we carried her in and out of the puppy school classes so she didnt have contact with other dogs other than those puppies in the same class (who were also at the same stage of vaccinations/age).

As for getting her out and about, we took her outside the house but carried her for the most part or stayed in the car with her for car trips. So she still got the exposure to sounds, smells, sights, but at a distance just to be safe until after her 12 weeks vaccincations. We are in a low risk area, but still we were careful about putting her on the ground in 'high traffic' areas of where other dogs and people were. she would stay on our lap or be carried for most of the time being outside the house/yard.

She is a very well socialised dog now, very confident and happy so I am glad we exposed her to the outside world early in a safe way. Obviously what we did was not risk free but we were consious of the risks and managed them appropriately.

This is what I did with my pug too, but it's easier with a smaller dog. I don't know how big GSP's are at that age and if they are easy to carry, but if you can take them out and about without them being on the ground it's still a good experience for them.

[Sares]

We took our pup to puppy school classes at 9 weeks of age but we carried her in and out of the puppy school classes so she didnt have contact with other dogs other than those puppies in the same class (who were also at the same stage of vaccinations/age).

As for getting her out and about, we took her outside the house but carried her for the most part or stayed in the car with her for car trips. So she still got the exposure to sounds, smells, sights, but at a distance just to be safe until after her 12 weeks vaccincations. We are in a low risk area, but still we were careful about putting her on the ground in 'high traffic' areas of where other dogs and people were. she would stay on our lap or be carried for most of the time being outside the house/yard.

She is a very well socialised dog now, very confident and happy so I am glad we exposed her to the outside world early in a safe way. Obviously what we did was not risk free but we were consious of the risks and managed them appropriately.

This is what I did with my pug too, but it's easier with a smaller dog. I don't know how big GSP's are at that age and if they are easy to carry, but if you can take them out and about without them being on the ground it's still a good experience for them.

Good point, we have a Frenchie so easy to carry as well. But yes, a GSD would be a bit harder to carry depending on their size.

[Rainers]

Not to go against Erny, but 7-10 days is not always long enough and I would wait the full 14 days. Seroconversion can take the full 14 days and did in my puppy.

[OSoSwift]

I carried my Dobe until 18 weeks of age.

Admitidly the trips were shorter and I stayed reasonably close to the car to give my arms a break, but when I had her, three vaccines where the norm and I was told to keep her in until 18 weeks. I decided she needed to get out and about but safely so I carried her everywhere.

[Rainers]

I carried my puppy around everywhere until he was safe - he went to cafes, markets, trains etc but anywhere I felt was risky he was carried.

[tlc]

All 4 of my puppies were out and about at 8 weeks, we avoided the beach and highly populated dog areas.

I checked with my vet and we hadn't had any reported cases of Parvo in the area for a long time.

[megan_]

Mine where out and about at 8 weeks. I'm in a low risk area and didn't tske him to off less parks. A poorly socialized dog is a big risk IMO.

[Elise+Hudson]

Parvo can last in the ground for up to 7-10 years, just something the keep in mind. You don't have to see another dog, or even go to highly populated dog areas to catch parvo. I'm not saying to lock your dog up inside, I agree socialization is important, but you can do it in a safe environment, not out walking etc.

[Brookestar]

I think people have the impression that parvo is something only dogs can carry or the ground. WRONG. Parvo is often spread by people who walk where a dog with parvo has been. Unless you are going to stay home and not let anyone else in or out - which is impossible since the pup needs to see a vet, and even if you had a mobile one, that person is coming in, it would be impossible to avoid all contact. Your shoes and anything else you touch can pick up traces of parvo and carry it home.

Taking a dog to a dog park or beach or encouraging and supporting it to sniff lamp posts and the like is stupid. Allowing the dog to interact with every dog you see is also not wise. But you have to take risks and the fact is there is more chance of you tramping parvo into the house, than the dog picking it up, since you are out and about much more than the dog will be.

A dog does not need to be dragged everywhere for socialisation. It is about giving enough experiences for the dog to understand that the world is not just what they see at home. You also need to plan what your pup does see at home. Get friends to come over dressed up, wearing hats, with unbrellas, using a walking stick or the like. Carry them places, take them in a crate that they can see out of, open the car door so they can see things when the car is parked, bu't don't take them out.

Fully vaccinated dogs can and do get parvo. Carefully planned and carried out socialisation and habituation is what the dog needs.