vet told me to take my 11 week old puppy on walks everywhere

[Anna]

I'm a little confused.

I've been trying really hard to keep my puppy from possible getting any sickness before he is fully vaccinated.  but I've been told by my vet again and again - that the importance of puppy socialization is WAY more important than the very small chance he can sick from having contact with other dogs/poop etc...

 

Am I wrong for - for keeping Buck from taking walks and going to petstores and other people's home that have dogs?

 

I have to admit - I haven't been too good about the whole  - "puppy needs to meet at least 100 people before 3months"   but having people over is exhausting work too.   I have had some over but not 100.

 

Should I start to walk my pup?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My Vet had a different opinion.  She did not want us taking the dogs to places where they would be in contact with other dogs (like pet stores or daycare) until they were fully vaccinated.  She thought it was great for them to be around lots of other people....but not dogs.  We did little walks in our own neighborhood, but that's all.  I guess this is one of those things where there's no one "right" answer.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I would be cautious....my vet said it's better to be safe than sorry.  We walked Peri a lot, but put her in a stroller to keep her paws from touching the ground. As far as socialization, we have many friends with dogs and I introduced her to a few choice ones that I felt confident were healthy/vaccinated/etc...  She hung out with my parent's dog a lot and some of the neighbors' dogs.  But that is it. We waited until 16 weeks and then started puppy socialization classes and training.  Dog park, etc..

And waiting that long for MAJOR socialization did not make Peri any less social. She's a love and is wonderful with all dogs, humans, children, etc...

[Julie and Maggie]

I understand what you are saying. Frankly I don't WANT 100 people coming over to my house, even if it takes an entire month! LOL! I'm planning on spending a lot of time at the outdoor seating of Starbucks at my downtown outdoor shopping plaza. My other big plan is to bring her in the car to places, pop up the back (we have a Honda Pilot) and let visitors come to her and handle her in the back area. I will be asking a lot of our neighbors, especially the husbands, on our street if they could just pop over on the weekend and give her a treat. No big deal or party. I think it can be done and still be in that comfort zone that we need regarding keeping our puppies healthy and safe. Good luck!

[Taylor & Huff]

Take him to petstores by putting him in the shopping cart letting people pe him and some dogs sniff him.

Take him places he will have plenty of contact with people and vaccinated dogs.

Don't be too strict about the shots that he can't see and dogs or people, just be catious about  the dogs he meets.

[Donna M Lowry]

The only thing my vet cautioned me about when Riley was a puppy was to avoid large dog parks. Other than that, get him out and socialized, was his recommendation!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

My breeder told me that socialization is key.  Get the dog out there meeting and greeting, just don't let your puppy go nose to nose with a dog you don't know.  If your friends have dogs they should be fine and you know that they've had their shots and are healthy.  Take your puppy to the pet store or other places but have it ride in the cart - that way it will get tons of loves and pets from other people walking past.  Sit outside on a bench and let people stop and pet your puppy.  Don't let your puppy go potty is a spot used by a lot of other dogs - including at your vet's.  Use common sense but don't over shelter your puppy at this stage.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I guess it also depends on how big parvo is in your area.  My vet had seen recent cases when Peri came home and she wanted us to be careful. Parvo is a killer and your puppy could get it by walking in crowded areas where other dogs have been. 

I should also note we lived in a condo and walked near a greenway where TONS of dogs walked, so of course I heeded the advice and put her in a stroller. For the first 2 months, we walked her back and forth, back and forth in a small area right outside our condo.

But again, she met probably 20-30 people duirng that time because I took her to friends' houses, my parents, etc..plus she got to pass lots of people on walks in her stroller and I let them approach and pet her.  Sorry for the long 2nd response but wanted to clarify my circustances.

[Anna]

thanks for all your advise.

I see the importance of socialization - and I see how freaked out he gets when new people come over and I know that he needs more interaction.

But - I am also so weary of him getting sick.   He had giardia when I brought him home and the diarrhea cleaning in those few first days are still on my mind.  Bloody diarrhea has a way of staying on your mind for a LONG time.  UGH

 

But - you guys are right.... I can do other things to - get him to have contact - like taking him out to stores or outside cafes and stuff. 

 

thanks Y'all.   Everytime I have a question about Buck - I think of you guys first.

 

[Camilla and Darwin]

I have read a lot on both sides of the argument. Chance of sickness vs. possible socialization issues. We chose somewhere in the middle. We took Darwin on lots of walks, but not to places that dogs are abundant, like dog parks. Our main places to take him were outdoor malls, hikes, etc. He met lots of people that way but very few dogs. We also signed him up for puppy kindergarten so he could interact with other dogs, but they were all his age, at the same level of vaccinations, etc.

 

He was 12 weeks old when we brought him home....

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I think that it is possible to strike a balance between the need to protect and the need to socialize. It doesn't need to be an either or situation. We found places to take Tara where she could meet people but not be exposed to a lot of dogs. Our local Lowes, Home Depot and  garden shops all allow dogs and we took her there frequently to meet people. There were never many dogs there however. Also, we have a local Farmer's/Grower's Market which is open air and we took her there. It was a great place to meet people and all dogs were leashed so we could avoid them or just pick her up if they got too close. She also visited and played with friends dogs who I knew were healthy, vaccinated and didn't frequent dog parks. I think walking depends on your neighborhood. Ours is a suburb so we walked her in the street and didn't allow any sniffing when she was young.  But in a situation like Allyson's, as she descibed, more precautions are needed. Like Jane said, there really is no "right" answer but just use common sense and Buck should be just fine!!

[Kyoko]

Charlie went to Puppy K and Puppy social around that age. However, it was a controlled environment where everyone had to have vaccination record to show that they had age appropriate vaccination. I would stay away from the place where uknown dogs would go, such as parks ( including dog parks ) and pet stores until the puppy is fully vaccinated, but look for a puppy social or plan a puppy date with a friend's dog that you know are vaccinated and healthy.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

we walked Cooper around the block, and she played with our neighbours dog, but i wouldnt let your pup anywhere where lots of dogs go, such as the dog park