Another early socialization question.....

[Alli and Barkley]

Me again- 

 

Barkley will be here in exactly one week- CANNOT wait.  his crate is all set up, and we puppy proofed the house today (or so we think).   

 

We are picking him up on Saturday, and Sunday of course is Mother's Day.  It is also my sister's 40th Bday AND my brothers 28th Bday (born on the same day).  We were invited to my sister's house (right down the street, literally) for a small cookout with our family.  Of course we want to go, but we refuse to leave Barkley home alone, even for ten minutes so soon after getting him so-

 

Do we take him with us?  or Do we take turns going to my sister's while one stays home with Barkley?

 

Sister has a dog (Penny), healthy, up to date on vaccines.  2 yrs old, calm, playful, small- love her dog.  

 

I would love to bring him (on leash at all times never leaving my side of course)- to socialize/ introduce him to Penny, and the rest of the family (about 9 people) but I am terrified of Parvo.  Barkley went to the vet at 6 weeks, and had his first round of vaccines but I am still scared to death. 

 

He will only be 7 weeks old- its just too soon isn't it?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Coco Chanel and Cheryl]

I would not take him there with other dogs. You don't know if he has something like coccidia or a worm and I would not risk parvovirus!! I didn't let other dogs near coco till she had all her shots!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yup--waaay too soon. But leaving him for an hour or so in the crate would be fine, you could go for a while together and then one of you could come home, then the other could come home later. My dog's puppies were raised here until 8 weeks of age and would sleep in a crate for hours during the day--once the pup is asleep, he won't know you have left! 

I waited until the 14 week mark and three sets of shots before the puppy I kept went to be with other dogs or to places where dogs had been (like a park). 

[Adina P]

I would call your chosen vet's clinic and ask for their recommendation.  Find out if parvo is going around lots lately or if they rarely see a case and get your vet's opinion.  I think he'll probably be just fine, but I completely understand the fear.  I was paranoid with Rosco as a pup.  However, if Penny is healthy and up-to-date on vaccines and doesn't spend time in dog parks I'd say it would be relatively safe.  Look at it this way...what if you had ONE dog already and were now bringing the new pup home?  You wouldn't keep puppy and older dog in isolation 16 weeks, right?  So to me it is the same thing.  Yes there are all sorts of ways parvo can be tracked in, but you can't keep puppy in a bubble until his last vaccine either.  Maybe weight the pros and cons after speaking with the vet and assessing how likely it is that your other family members will have visited dog parks or animal shelters or have been in areas with a high dog population.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

I have a similar question.  I CANNOT wait either until I get my Bexter (which is a month from now)!  I wanted to have a birthday party for my 5 year-old in my backyard days after I get Bexter (at 7 weeks old).  Is it ok to have a bunch of family members at our house?  I don't want to scare him to death.  There wouldn't be any other dogs and it's in our yard, so is that OK?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would advise you not to do this. A group of excited young kids running, shrieking, etc. is not a good introduction to his new home, IMO. See my answer below for more reasons.

[Adina P]

I dunno...life with kids is always changing.  It's not like the pup has to be RIGHT THERE in the midst of the party the whole time.  He can be crated and brought out in increments. I guess I differ here.  Think of guide dogs in training...they start at 7 weeks and basically are on the go for a long time.  I don't think a dog needs a quiet, walking on eggshells first few days. I think it's fine to just dive right in to life as it is and dogs learn to adjust.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I guess you'd have to hear more stories of puppies being given up to rescue because of issues with kids to understand where I'm coming from with this advice. All kinds of things happen and dogs survive, but why not stack the deck for the best possible outcome right from the get-go?

[Adina P]

But issues with kids means the pup was overly handled by kids.  This pup need not necessarily play with them in order for a party to happen.  He can be held while kids pet him or put in his crate.   Is someone with young kids supposed to keep all kid visitors away for weeks??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, just for the first few days, and then there needs to be careful supervision.

It's not always over-handling. Depending on the puppy's temperament and how well he was socialized to kids at the breeder's, sometimes it's just overwhelming for a young puppy. Think about it...young kids themselves get overwhelmed sometimes at parties with too much shrieking, running, commotion, etc. and end up having melt-downs. It would be very hard to supervise all the party guests, food and activities, and keep an eye on the new puppy, too.

There's a big difference between one or two kid visitors at a time coming over and a group of 5 year olds at a birthday party...the latter hasoften overwhelmed me. 

[L.M.]

Definitely too soon to be around another dog out of your home.....Many pups aren't even sent home until at least 8 weeks old.  Our vet wanted us to keep ours confined to our home/yard until they were 4 months old (lol this was a bit extreme).  We waited until their shots were done which I think was around the 14 week mark like Ginny said....and even then our pups were still leashed and we somewhat kept our distance from other dogs at our community park.  Like Adina said, we can't keep our pups in a bubble, but I think 7 weeks is still too young to be with a dog out of your house that is not your own.  Best of luck with your pup!!  =)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sure many people will disagree with me, but even if Barkley was an adult dog you were adopting, I would advise you not to go, either with him or without him, and not to have anyone come over to your house, either, for the first 4 or 5 days. Not because of disease or immunities, but because the fastest way for a dog to adjust to new home is to give him a chance from day one to observe the normal household routine, the daily rhythym of family life, and a chance to learn who the players are, so to speak...who belongs to his new pack and who doesn't. he is going to be going through a huge change, and the calmer you can keep his surroundings, the easier the transition will be for him and the faster he will bond to his new family.

There are dogs who are not affected at all by going to their new homes, and are in fact eager to party with all and sundry, lol. But I would still keep his introduction to his new home and family very low key and quiet.

[Jennifer Tramell]

Your pup is going to be sleeping a lot at this age.  Since you are right down the street I would leave him at home and take turns checking on him.  Personally, I wouldn't have a problem introducing him to Penny.  We brought Charlotte home and introduced her to Webster immediately.  I wouldn't use the time to socialize, just introduce, and then take him home. 

If it were me, and if my pup was comfortable in his crate, and if the weather was not to hot/not to cold - I would consider leaving the pup in his crate in my car/van so I could check on him every 10 minutes or so.  This way I would know if he was happy and sleeping or upset and stressed and modify my plans to meet his needs.