How Do I Socialize My Puppy Before Vaccinations?
Many new owners know the importance of socializing puppies from an early age. Teaching good doggy manners is crucial to ensure your pup grows up to be a well-adjusted adult that plays nice with other dogs and isn’t fearful or aggressive. With that said, you may be wondering how this can be achieved without the risk of exposing your pup to viruses – “how do I socialize my puppy before vaccinations?”
The “magic window” of dog socialization starts to close after around 14 weeks of age, so it’s important to get in as much experience of other dogs and animals as early as possible. In recent years puppy socialization classes have started popping up – places you can take your pup to meet other young dogs and their owners. Your vet may recommend these to you when you take your pup in for his first health check.
Because puppy socialization classes only allow young dogs who haven’t had the chance to be infected by viruses, it is generally safe to let your pup mix and mingle – as long as they have had their first round of jags. Ask your vet if you are at all unsure or need advice about puppy socialization classes.
What Is The Risk If I Take My Puppy Out Too Early?
Although it might seem harmless to let your pup go out for a walk early, doing so before he’s had a chance to build his immunity exposes him to all kinds of dangerous viruses and potentially life-threatening illnesses.
The vaccinations your puppy receives at eight and ten weeks protects against viruses like Canine Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Canine Distemper, as well as bacterial infections such as Leptospirosis.
Parvovirus is an extremely dangerous and highly contagious virus that can attack a dog’s intestinal lining, stopping them from being able to digest food properly. In many cases, Parvovirus is fatal, especially for puppies who aren’t strong enough to fight the infection. Parainfluenza is a respiratory virus that can lead to kennel cough, and Canine Distemper can infect the central nervous system, leading to seizures and is also potentially fatal.
These illnesses are avoidable if the proper precautions are taken, but unfortunately, every year dogs arrive in veterinary practices throughout the UK with illnesses related to these viruses. That’s why it is so important to make sure your puppy is vaccinated and that you give those vaccinations the proper time to work.
Canine viruses are spread through contact with urine, faeces, blood and saliva from infected dogs. Letting your puppy out on a walk before it’s safe to do so means risking him coming into contact with this infectious material. Even in places that seem safe, viruses like Parvovirus can live in the soil for up to a year and are resistant to weather and temperature fluctuations. It just isn’t worth it to take the chance – which is why vets recommend waiting the full week after vaccination before taking your pup out in public.
How can I socialise my puppy if they can’t go out?
Firstly, use any road-facing outdoor space you have (like a driveway) to let your puppy experience as much as you can – such as watching passers-by, traffic, delivery people, local wildlife such as birds, and all the things that they can experience from within a ‘dog free’ (and so as much as possible, ‘disease-free’) area. If other dogs have access to your driveway, make sure you hold your puppy in your arms while you do this and if this area is not fenced off your pup should be securely on a lead.
Don’t underestimate the power of sound within your own home too – you can quietly play road traffic noises or even videos of fireworks gently in the background at first. Then, as long as your puppy is relaxed, you can increase the volume a little, taking a phased approach. Remember this should never reach excessive volumes and it is best to keep training sessions short and sweet.
While this is a good start, there is much more out there that your puppy needs to see and experience in these early ‘pre-vaccination’ weeks. Keep in mind that behavioural problems down the line are still a leading cause of dogs needing to be rehomed – so you need to balance safety with socialisation and if in doubt you can speak to a qualified canine behaviourist for extra advice and tips.
Go on lots of outings to a variety of places where you can carry or hold your puppy so they can see, hear, smell and experience all the things their new life holds from relative safety. As they are not yet sufficiently protected against disease, they can’t interact too much with other dogs or people (certain diseases may be carried by dog owners as well as well as their dogs) – or put their paws on the floor – but this early exposure to a variety of places and experiences can be invaluable in their social development. The more things a puppy encounters in a positive way in these early weeks, the better for their future development and behaviour.
These outings can be anywhere from the park to watch people and other dogs, to standing in the street and watching traffic from a distance, to going to the pub, to sitting outside coffee shops, to short trips on public transport, going to the beach or woods, or just out for a drive… Anything you can think of that is going to be part of your dog’s future life – and where you can hold and carry them throughout.
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Can I walk my puppy before vaccinations? | Dog School | Dogs Trust
Getting a new puppy can be a wonderful and exciting time, but it can also be full of questions and concerns. Making sure that your puppy is healthy is a top priority for any dog owner, and vaccinations are a key means towards that end. How soon after their shots can a new puppy go out for walks and socialization?
Technically, you should wait at least 5-7 days after the last round of vaccinations before allowing your puppy to go out into public so they won’t contract serious diseases like distemper or parvovirus. But practically speaking, in order to promote healthy socialization, puppies can be allowed to venture out before that if certain safeguards are taken.
We commonly get asked how long after at the 2nd puppy vaccination can they go out. Before answering that more specifically, let’s look at why we vaccinate puppies, how puppy vaccines work, some of the diseases they prevent, and typical vaccine schedules. Then we’ll talk about what are the safest and most beneficial ways to allow your dog out into public spaces.
New dog parents may have a lot of questions about how to give their puppy the best possible start in life, just as one wants the best for a new baby. This involves a lot of factors such as timely vaccinations, proper socialization, a healthy diet, and housetraining. It can seem like a lot to wrap your head around, but any experienced owner will tell you that it gets easier with time.
Another important resource to take advantage of during the initial period of adjustment, both for you and your pup, is your vet. It’s extremely important to have a good vet on your side during those times when you’re overwhelmed and have to ask somebody what to do with your pup. Unfortunately, just taking the word of a family member or friend who has pets isn’t good enough.