Hello, I will probably be getting my chocolate lab puppy around the first or second week of August. I am so excited! I have a question though. I believe breeder gives puppies their first puppy shot. I plan on going to vet within a few days after I get her. If it is unsafe to let puppy on ground before they have had all their shots, would I be better to use the puppy pee pads for a few days until she has had all her shots? I wanted to start from day one of the training and taking her outside. What do I do? Any suggestions?
Thank you Boogie for your reply. I was really confused on this one. No she will not have any exposure to other dogs at all. I have a 6 foot privacy fence around my whole back yard which is huge, whole lot is 1/2 acre so about half of it is fenced. My Coco loved that big yard to run and do exploring. I still miss her like crazy.
She CAN have exposure to other dogs, dogs you know will be kind and are safely vaccinated. Another dog could bring disease in to your yard or house with them if they have been where other dogs go and even if they themselves are vaccinated but if you avoid those dogs you know you miss out on some great socialization for puppy. Unless this is something your breeder has written into the contract. What I did was walk in places I knew few dogs went, met with dogs we knew at my house and on walks and went to as many places for sounds, sights, smells as we could. My Aunt's nursing home, the ski resort parking lot and lobby, an undeveloped subdivision. Some authorities believe the risk of not socializing must be weighed against the risk of disease. Many dog websites have the Dr. Anderson letter up for folks to read. This is it: https://apdt.com/docs/apdt/conference/2014/handouts/gail-fisher.pdf
I took axel out and about at 8 weeks as well. The breeder told me that because mom and dad were both up to date with vaccinations and had his first shot already he would be completely fine and not to miss out on socializing him. He said to stay away from dog parks though as he thought some dogs could have mites or lice etc and wouldnt want puppy exposed to that. So we took him on walks. Took him to the lake to see the water and the people around biking and skate boarding and what not. I walked him by school while kids were out playing during their lunch so he would be used to that.
I would be very cautious about taking your pup to areas that other dogs have been if you are putting him/her on the ground. Your back garden is probably safe, and missing with known vaccinated dogs also fairly safe. Asking your vet about risks in your area would be a good idea - he might be able to reassure you or warn you if there are any particular risks, and also advise on the timing of when is "safe" to mix generally in doggy ares. Remember not everyone vaccinates/worms their dogs. for a variety of reasons. And unfortunately you cant "see" anything in risky areas. jac
Yeah definitely. I should have added, every time we did come up to a dog on a walk we asked the owners if they were fully vaccinated. We never came across one that wasn't but I felt better if I asked
Thank you for the pointers. I probably won't let the pup o the ground except for my yard and after she has been to vet to be safe.
Thanks everyone. It's been 14 years since I started with a pup. Coco was a joy to have around us and other people but quite honestly the early days with her are a complete blank except for the souvenirs she left behind-- two chewed up chair rungs, ripped to shreds my couch cushion, chewed up woodwork, torn duvet cover, etc. Believve it or not, I cherish everyone of them!!!
Yes, I have both books, the Happy Puppy Book a and the one on Recall. I have been reading bits and pieces of them but have to get serious about my reading the closer the date comes to getting the puppy.
