Diesel the Weasel Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Just wondering if I could get some advice on when it is safe to start taking my pup for walks? ;) I have read in a few places that it is ok after the 2nd vaccination, but the vet nurse at puppy pre-school said it is safer to wait until the 3rd vaccination at 16 weeks. My puppy is very energetic! I have a small yard and I am at work all day , so really want to be able to take him out for a bit of exercise. Just want to find out when people have been starting to take their pups for a walk..... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 i've been told to wait for the 3rd vaccination to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 (edited) Our pup is now 12 weeks old. 1st vaccination at 6 weeks. 2nd 10 weeks, we took her to a local kennel club at 12 weeks as 99% of dogs would be vaccinated as you have to show proof to join. 3rd due at 16 weeks, 2 weeks after that i will take her for short walks out the front etc. edited for spelling Edited November 8, 2006 by H20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Although you may not want to take your pup down to the local dog park before fully vaccinated i encourage you to remember the importance of socialisation at this age whether it be in your home or in low risk areas. What you do now can influence your pup in the lomg run so be cautious and sensible but try to avoid isolating the pup completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birgulparis Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I waited until after her C5 shot. Thats what I was advised to do! Better to be safe than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shekhina Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Puppy shouldn't be going for walks anyways...no longer than say 10 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum 2 Bailey n Chelsea Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Hi, My pups were both walked after their 2nd shot. My vet advised this was O.K. Similar to you we were living in a unit when I first got them so short walks were very important Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReXy Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 have taken both mine out a week or so after 2nd vacc , i belive socialisation to be very important, we went everywhere shops school market.. met lots of people of all different shapes and sizes.. along with many other things,,, trucks, busses , different textures on ground, noises. anything u can imagine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kymbo Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 ok this is weird...my pup had his 12 week jab, and the vet said that was it for the jabs? So he only had 2? What is this third needle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Depending on the area in which you live and the type of vaccine- some vets only give 2 vaccinations while others give 3- feel free to ask your vet the difference but don't assume that either is 'wrong'. Socialisation doesn't have to be incorporated on a 2km walk- just allow your pup to see lots of different things, people and places- even from the safety of your lap or car. You can set up things in your backyard to mentally stimulate your pup by way of socialising which will exhaust her more than just going for a walk. Be aware that you can bring canine cough or parvo virus home to your puppy if you so much as walk through the park (where a sick dog may have been) or ride your bike through a similar area (i have known this to occur with a client who rides their bike through a park regularly- fortunately cough, not parvo). If a dog across the road has cough, your pup can get it without leaving the house or yard as many strains are airborne. Vets will tell you to virtually isolate the puppy until fully vaccinated, some trainers will tell you to take the pup everywhere for socialisation- i think moderation is the key and its sensible to fall somewhere in the middle of those two lines of thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Penguin Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 I have to wait for Sam to have her 3rd (two weeks yay FINALLY she can go for walks!!) because there is pavo in our area or something along those lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peibe Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Do not take your dog for walks but I always take my pups for rides in the car, or carried around at markets etc on weekends They need socialisation but just make sure no one touches them but you and their feet never touch the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dardaa Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 would it be ok if you invited a few friends who had dogs you're sure have had all their shots over to your place to socialise with you pup? (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 dardaa, my opinion is absoultely yes- and that people of different ages and sexes including gentle well mannered children be able to interact with the pup in a safe environment. There is no situation where your pup is completely 'safe' from disease- even if you isolate you can still pass on the disease unknowingly. The importance of socialisation IMO outweighs many of the risks as long as you are sensible. I do find it interesting that many people who 'isolate' their pups until fully vaccinated, have no qualms about putting their pup on the floor in their vet clinic- where sick dogs go! Please socialise your pups- you don't have to walk them in high risk areas (dog parks etc) to do that as i said in my previous post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel the Weasel Posted November 9, 2006 Author Share Posted November 9, 2006 Thanks everyone for your responses. I went to the vet today for his 2nd jab. Spoke to the vet about the situation. He said although he couldn't recommend it until after the 3rd vacc, he said that going to the beach or short street walks should be ok. Just to make sure to avoid other dogs unless they are vaccinated and to not let him sniff at one place too long. Think I will give it a few days for the vaccination to take effect, then try some short walks around the streets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystie Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 kymbo - the need for a third vaccination for your puppy will depend on the brand of vaccine it was given at 12 weeks. There is at least one C5 vaccination on the market that has a 12 week claim. This is good from a socialisation point of view because technically your pup is fully vaccinated and safe to take into social situations from 7-10 days after it's 12 week vaccine. Just remember that the vaccines aren't 100% and a young puppy's immune system is not fully matured, so still avoid high risk areas where parvo could still be an issue. I think it's important for pup owners to find a compromise that they are comfortable with when it comes to whether to wait until their dog is fully vaccinated to begin socialisation. With socialisation being so important you should definitely be exposing your pup to different environments/people/places/everything else from the earliest age possible. But remember that this can involve taking your dogs on car trips, making loud noises in the house (cd's with fireworks, thunfer and loud noises on it are brilliant and a lot of vets sell them), and having lots of people come over to visit your pup (and help with training!!). If you want to walk your pup outside your yard before it's fully vaccinated my general advise would be to stick to the footpath (pup walking on the concrete, not nature strip) or in low risk areas where there are less dogs. If you really want dog-dog interaction then look into puppy pre-schools (which I highly recommend for any puppy!!!) where the requirement is usually that the pups have at least their first vaccination. Oh, one other thing, you should avoid vigorous and energetic activities in growing puppies. I know that many puppies are super energetic and seem to just want to run and jump... but too much excercise can over-stress and damage their soft growing bones, ligaments and joints. This is more important in larger breeds, especially those prone to hip/leg/joint problems later in life, like rotti's and labs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Penguin Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 would it be ok if you invited a few friends who had dogs you're sure have had all their shots over to your place to socialise with you pup? (: yeah thats cool as long as they have had all their shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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