Good day to all! I am picking up my little guy, Cooper, a week from this coming Saturday. He will be 8 weeks and will have received his first set of shots the day before we go to get him. My question is this...what is the best way to socialize him but also try to ensure he does not come into contact with anything that might harm him (medically)? I have looked into puppy groups around where I live so that is under consideration. Me and my wife live in a large apartment complex on the bank of the Charles River in Massachusetts. The building is very dog friendly and there are always dogs in the courtyard playing and running. Ideally we would love to have our Cooper play with the other dogs but are weary as he won't be getting his second round of shots till 3-4 weeks after we bring him home. Do we keep him in our apartment for 3-4 weeks with no other kind of dog interaction? Is it ok to bring him around dogs that we know are vaccinated (ie family dogs)? The last thing we want is an antisocial pup on our hands as me and my wife love to be outside and are both very active. Not to mention I have family members that own a farm that I just know he would love to run and explore as soon as its safe! Thanks for all the help!
Hi , Cooper will be absolutely safe to play with vaccinated dogs , as long as you are 100% certain that their vacs are up to date , so that's fine ! You might see another thread on the puppy board , from a lady who is currently carrying her pup in a backpack until he is safe to be scampering around , so this is another option . It would really help Cooper as he will observe other dogs , get used to sounds and sights , much better than being confined , the couple of weeks will soon fly by , good luck
Hi when we first got Bailey we carried him everywhere we went, and when he needed a wee or a poo we put him down with either a puppy pad or somewhere we knew was safe where not a lot of dogs, or other wildlife, have been. We also introduced him to family dogs and those of friends that we knew were up to date with their vaccinations. Much will depend on what, if anything, is in your area - best place to check is with you vet. Don't forget socialisation is not just in meeting people and other dogs - it is experiencing all the things you and I take for granted - traffic noise, bin lorries, lots of people walking around - we used to take Bailey and sit on a bench watching the world go by - either in the park or in the town centre (on nice days only - rainy days we spent training indoors!). Just short bursts so that when Cooper is able to march about himself something such as a car going past will not be something new and scary to him. Good luck and look forward to seeing some pictures of him when he gets home
Thanks for the quick response! Both my sibling and my mother have very active dogs so maybe the best bet is to take him over there for play dates until he is safe to romp around our property. Thanks for all the help!
Hi. It would be worth checking if there are foxes or other wildlife that could impact your pup from your vet. I had a few friends bring their dogs round (the ones I knew were vaccinated). I also carried Harley out and about a lot.
Ask your Vet about disease incidence reports for your area, particularly Parvo. Vaccinated dogs can bring Parvo home on their feet. If they've had Parvo themselves they can be shedders, in their poop. We only met with dogs we knew, only three of them, and only went places hardly anybody else did. It was winter (but Parvo can withstand a lot of cold) and I'm rural so it was easy for us.
