Hi all, I am bringing home my pup in a few weeks and reading the Labrador Handbook in preparation. The recommendation is early toilet training in the garden. As he'll have only had his first inoculation should I delay the training until he is fully vaccinated as we do get Foxes in our garden? Apologies if this is a duplicate post. Regards.
Hi Bob and welcome to the forum. It's so exciting waiting to bring your pup home. What's your pup's name, and what colour is he? On the vaccination/foxes problem it may be worth having a word with the vet to check on the risk level in your area and ask their advice but personally if I knew foxes visited my garden I would keep my pup off the ground (earth, grass etc.) as parvovirus can survive in the soil for up to 10 years. It can however be destroyed with a 1:10 bleach solution.
Thanks for the response Maccie There's a lot of mixed advice, but I'd rather not take the risk, I'll also consult our vet as you advise. To answer your question, he's black and we've dubbed him Rufus.
Do you have any photos? We would love to see some, we love puppy photos How old is Rufus now? One thought on the toilet problem in the garden is the possibility of creating a toilet area and using puppy pads so you can encourage Rufus to use a specific garden area and protect him all at the same time. It is so hard to know what to for the best as advice is always mixed but I always try to go with what feels right for you and your pup based upon veterinary advice.
Hello there, and a very warm welcome to the forum. There is an article here that helps you weigh up the pros and cons of allowing your puppy in the garden: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/when-can-i-take-my-puppy-out/ It is a difficult decision but as the article says, we have to keep the risks in perspective. My own decision was to allow my puppy in the garden (and indeed took him to both puppy class and socialisation classes with other young puppies), I think sufficient (but not too much) exercise on varying surfaces before the puppy is 3 months old is very important, and I just wasn't prepared to keep a puppy in the house - particularly now the guidelines are for a much later vaccination schedule. I wouldn't be prepared to keep a puppy only in a house until 16 weeks or so. But, only you can weigh up the risks, guided by your vet.
Parvovirus would be the least of my concerns if I had foxes in my yard. What about the foxes having my pup for a snack? Keep it close and on leash till it gets big.
Foxes are extremely timid, even urban foxes very used to humans. A clap of your hands in their direction will send them running. While there may be stories of foxes taking tiny puppies, and my puppy was never in my garden without me, foxes stealing my pretty substantial Labrador puppy was never a risk I worried about. I would certainly be more worried about hip dysplasia etc because the puppy had insufficient chance to exercise on natural ground while young. https://www.usdaa.com/article.cfm?newsID=2288 The study reveals that daily exercise outdoors in gently undulating terrain up until the age of three months is very helpful in preventing hip dysplasia.
Thanks all for your responses, very much appreciated. Rufus has a booked place in a puppy socialisation class mid-June, by that time he will be fully innoculated. It was the initial three werks after his arrival that caused concern. I'll continue my research, all comments welcome.
Welcome! Puppies are little nightmares! There are so many hazards. Before Homer had had all his injections he loved snails! I wouldn't want to worry you any more but snails aren't good for puppies. Whenever I let him out into the garden he'd often come back with a snail in his mouth sometimes I'd be able to get it away from him but all to often there was a crunch,crunch gone! For the first few weeks you may be able to limit him to areas close to the house where foxes are unlikely to go.
Your right. I was confusing the fox with the coyote, which in our suburbs is a continuing problem. Last fall 4 dogs were snatched and killed by coyotes. All were in homeowners yard, some on leash. In one case a small dog on leash was chopped in half leaving the owner in hysterics. Always an ongoing debate between those who want to preserve the wild and those who want them rounded up and euthanized.
Yes, coyotes would be a different kettle of fish alright! My Lab pup weighed 6kg when I got him - already heavier than the average urban London fox.
