Dog Socializing > Risking Parvo Etc?

[dannypark]

So I'm getting my Amstaff tomorrow (woooooo! )

And socialising with other dogs as a puppy is extremely important for this breed, right?

And also, seeing i'm getting it at 8 weeks it hasn't finished it's needles, so it's vunreble to parvo, right?

How can I be socialising my puppy while keeping it as safe as possible?

Catch 22

eghh. how did you guys go about it?

[trace]

I'm no expert, but you can't take your pup anywhere where other dogs have been until I think it's one week after his/her final shot, so maybe at this young age it's important to get him/her socialising with people. For example taking them in the car with you and carrying him/her rather than letting them walk on the pavement where they could catch something.

However, I assume amstaffs are bigger than toy poodles! So I'm not sure how fun it'll be carrying your dog around for 4 weeks or so! But I guess it is better than nothing...

[*Bella*]

I have the same worry with my pup. What I am doing is taking her to puppy school and also letting her play with friends/relatives dogs that I know are fully vaccinated and healthy. It is a slight risk that I think is outweighed by the benefits of socialisation. Just avoid places where lots of dogs frequent like parks etc.

Edited November 30, 2006 by *Bella*

[Flaves]

I know with my 2, because we are in Melbourne and there does not seem to be the epidemic of parvo that is in nsw, i took Mitchi EVERYWHERE with me. am lucky cause she is a jack russell that i could carry her until her shots were finished.

Puppy pplaygroup is great as it is at the vet and they have all had one if not 2 shots.

Friends comiing over are okay but you MUST make sure they have been vaccinated.

I would wait until the pup has had at least one shot and wait a week before any socialising outside your home, ie with any other pet you have.

Maybe ask Haven or Erny or Herr Rottweiller about the socialisation as they are all Australian Dog Trainers and would have more f an idea.

Hope i have helped.

Kristie

[Diesel the Weasel]

Puppy preschool is safe and friends dogs that you know have been vaccinated. I was also told that the beach is a good place to walk them as long as you stay below the high tide mark (carry the dog from the car to the wet sand) and of course pick him/her up if another dog approaches. I went to the beach with mine and he loved it!

[LilyW]

They advise that puppy school is the best start for socialisation. Your puppy will be around dogs of the same age in a sterile environment. My pup just finished and it was fantastic and very beneficial. My vet and puppy teacher also advised that the rules with vaccinations are not as strict as they used to be and before your puppies final injection they are ok to be taken for little walks, as long as it is not in reserves or parks etc. But on the footpath is ok for a short amount of time. It is important to not only get them to socialise with pups but to also get them used to cars, trains, shopping trolleys, kids, bikes, older people, shorter people, taller people, cats, white dogs, brown dogs, black dogs - in other words everything.

But give your local vet a call and organise the puppy school and ask them questions about what they suggest is appropriate for your dog at this age. I am no expert i am only giving information that i was provided. They did give us a list of all the things you should expose your pup too before 12 weeks of age - so it was very useful.

Edited December 1, 2006 by LilyW

[squirt80]

My vet and puppy teacher also advised that the rules with vaccinations are not as strict as they used to be and before your puppies final injection they are ok to be taken for little walks, as long as it is not in reserves or parks etc. But on the footpath is ok for a short amount of time. It is important to not only get them to socialise with pups but to also get them used to cars, trains, shopping trolleys, kids, bikes, older people, shorter people, taller people, cats, white dogs, brown dogs, black dogs - in other words

My puppy has just started Puppy School and we were givien the same information as Lily, only he said it was Ok to take them to the park as long as you pick them up when other dogs come over and ask owners if their dog is vacinated and friendly before allowing them to sniff each other (I don't put her down). Also not to allow them any where near Dog poo as that carrries the Parvo virus (hard at a dog park but most people at our local one are very responsible). I just tend to carry her around with me when their are other dogs in the park, I have an older Dog who loves it there and I will be taking them there everyday so the teacher said is best to get her used to the sounds and the people now. I also take her to my families homes my sisters both have dogs which I know are safe and she loves it and I take her places like the pet supply store and stuff. Thank goodness she gets her shots in two days. But I toatlly agree with Lilly and getting the pup into puppy preschool. As with Lilly I am only repeating and following the advice I was given and I think it is best to talk to your vet or a professional about it so that you are not risking your pups health.

Edited December 2, 2006 by squirt80

[Mil]

Probably a silly question, but when is their last vaccination usually given? Is it 12 weeks?

[Mornir]

There is a shot at 16 weeks from memory.

Just don't let your dog anywhere where unvaccinated dogs may have been It's ok to meet people, but if they have unvaccinated dogs or come into contact with them, ask them to wash their hands first :D

[t(AD)pole]

Go to puppy school as all the dogs there should be healthy and as Bella said take your pup to friends or relatives houses and it can play with dogs you know are healthy. Also you don't have to just socialise with other dogs (although it is still VERY important) take you pup to meet new people especially tall people who may seem scary (make sure the people have not come into contact with unhealthy dogs) and get the people to handle and touch your pup so it gets used to new people.

[Diesel the Weasel]

Also not to allow them any where near Dog poo as that carrries the Parvo virus (hard at a dog park but most people at our local one are very responsible).

I read that parvo can be spread in the urine as well and is able to survive on grass for about 3 months. Much more difficult to know if your dog is sniffing a month old wee!

Does anyone know how long parvo really hangs around for??

[squirt80]

After reading all of this stuff I did some more reserach of my own apprently Parvo can be spread through urine, poo, and hair of the infected animal. Bit scarey, will be asking lots of questions of my teacher in next puppy class. I thought was only the two shots one at six and one at 12 weeks

[nattiej1976]

We socialized Kato with friends dogs that we knew were imunised untill all his boosters were done, atleast we knew he would be safe against some nasties, we got our friends to come to our place (cause we knew no other unhealty dogs had been in the area) Getting them to come here also seemed to help out with accepting other animals on his turf too.

[*Bella*]

After reading all of this stuff I did some more reserach of my own apprently Parvo can be spread through urine, poo, and hair of the infected animal. Bit scarey, will be asking lots of questions of my teacher in next puppy class. I thought was only the two shots one at six and one at 12 weeks

C3 at 6 weeks, C5 at 12 weeks and booster C5 at 16 weeks is the norm I believe.

[LilyW]

I know that when we got Lily's shot at 12 weeks, we also gave her a shot for Kennel Cough and that requires a booster at 16-17 weeks. But we were not advised of any other shots?

It is good to get your pup out and about, but if your unsure or don't want to risk it, then just stay away from your local parks and just take your pup out to shops or in your street or carry it, so at least it can hear and see the things going on outside.

But honestly for socialisation with other animals, puppy school or as was noted your friends and families animals cause at least you know what shots they have had.

I have tried to get my pup around friends kids aswell, as they advise getting them used to all ages is useful but unfortunately all the kids are scared of her.. though she loves everyone!!

[shapeshifter]

I am VERY paranoid about parvo with my pup and don't take him anywhere other than the following.

He has been to the vets once since I've had him to have the desexing stiches out, and he comes to work, we haven't had another other dogs other than our own for over a year at work. He has been coming now for 3 weeks and there hasn't been a problem (touch wood), he gets to meet other people just no dogs although I still have reservations about people coming in that may have been places that have parvo and will bring it in on their shoes.

He starts puppy school this week and has his last/3rd injection at the end of last week.

I have been told though that because it is so dry parvo doesn't last long out here, don't know if that is fact or fiction.

[squirt80]

C3 at 6 weeks, C5 at 12 weeks and booster C5 at 16 weeks is the norm I believe.

I have just been to the vet for Rogues 12 week shot and Yes she will have to have another one at 16 weeks , He said that until then they are not completly covered, so best just to be catious. To take her to puppy school and to meet Dogs you know have been vacinated and are safe (family and friends) Is ok to take them out just don't let them down near Dogs you don't know.

[Cosmolo]

Parvo virus can last up to 12 months in the right conditions. You can also take it home to your pup if you walk through the wrong areas or come into contact with parvo itself. This questions comes up often and there are a few things that always amaze me-

- A fully vaccinated dog can still get parvo virus. It is believed that if a vaccinated dog gets the virus it will not be fatal but i have witnessed a healthy adult dog who was fully vaccinated die form parvo virus. So where do you draw the line? Will you isolate your dog forever?

- By the time a pup is fully vaccinated- usually around 16 weeks you have lost your 'critical period' the most important time for socialisation. While i don't suggest you take your pup to play in the off lead dog park with 20 dogs, you must provide some kind of safe interaction.

- Having worked in pounds and shelters, i would say that 9 out of 10 dogs that were euthanased were so because of a serious behaviour problem rather than dying of parvo virus (which regularly ran through one of the places i worked, we thought it was gone only for it to pop up 6 months later when the kennels were having floors replaced, digging up some 'left over' parvo still present in the environment)

- Where do sick dogs go? And where do you take your young pups for vaccinations? How many people carry their pups into and out of the vet clinic?

[nikkiandkuma]

So I'm getting my Amstaff tomorrow (woooooo! :D )

And socialising with other dogs as a puppy is extremely important for this breed, right?

And also, seeing i'm getting it at 8 weeks it hasn't finished it's needles, so it's vunreble to parvo, right?

How can I be socialising my puppy while keeping it as safe as possible?

Catch 22

eghh. how did you guys go about it?

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so you may have had an adequate reply already, or made a decision but I have to add my two cents worth.

Our last dog was a staffy, we too were torn between socialising or waiting for full vaccinations first. We chose to wait and regretted that decision for as long as she lived (the next 8 years). We lost her in May and just recently got a new puppy, this time our puppy is getting socialised regardless. He has done puppy preschool already (call your vet to find out about these classes) these are a good option because the other pups are in the same boat and it is in a controlled and cleaned enviroment.

I think with an Amstaff, socialisation is key and I would let nothing stop me from socialising with other vaccinated well socialised adult dogs that you know. Do not allow your pup to be around poorly socialised dogs who may snap at him or her (these are the makings of fear aggression) and allow him to socialise with as many PHD socialised dogs as you can find.

Our staffy was very dog aggressive and severly limited the places we could take her, she could NEVER be around other dogs and when she was 2 she attacked our other dog who she had always loved and took her eye out.

Be sure to get your pup desexed as early as the vet will allow.

The other thing is that most people would not walk there dog who is dying of parvo, so walking is generally fine. In certain breeds (and amstaff is one) socialisation is worth the risk of contracting illness.

Our new pup is a bullmastiff and has been very very well socialised so far (he is 14 weeks old). I would never ever make the mistake of missing that socialisation window again.

Enjoy your new puppy.

Edited December 13, 2006 by nikkiandkuma

[huski]

Parvo virus can last up to 12 months in the right conditions. You can also take it home to your pup if you walk through the wrong areas or come into contact with parvo itself. This questions comes up often and there are a few things that always amaze me-

- A fully vaccinated dog can still get parvo virus. It is believed that if a vaccinated dog gets the virus it will not be fatal but i have witnessed a healthy adult dog who was fully vaccinated die form parvo virus. So where do you draw the line? Will you isolate your dog forever?

- By the time a pup is fully vaccinated- usually around 16 weeks you have lost your 'critical period' the most important time for socialisation. While i don't suggest you take your pup to play in the off lead dog park with 20 dogs, you must provide some kind of safe interaction.

- Having worked in pounds and shelters, i would say that 9 out of 10 dogs that were euthanased were so because of a serious behaviour problem rather than dying of parvo virus (which regularly ran through one of the places i worked, we thought it was gone only for it to pop up 6 months later when the kennels were having floors replaced, digging up some 'left over' parvo still present in the environment)

- Where do sick dogs go? And where do you take your young pups for vaccinations? How many people carry their pups into and out of the vet clinic?

What I want to know is if there is an equal risk of a pup getting parvo from you, say, walking it down the street or taking it with you when you go to shops etc as there is from the pup getting parvo from your other dog going into dog parks, walking through the park etc. I know that parvo can be carried from one dog to another and can even be carried on your shoes... so what is safe? It makes me feel paranoid. I don't live in an area where there is a lot of parvo but I also don't want to take too much of a risk.