When can puppies go outside? Letting a puppy outside for the first time can be frightening. Your pups small and delicate frame combined with his helplessness, curiosity and penchant for getting into mischief seems like a recipe for disaster. But going outside is an important part of a puppys development. Follow these tips on the best time to start taking your little guy outside and introducing him to the world.
In mild weather, even newborn puppies can be taken out to your own garden or backyard, as long as theyre supervised and confined to a small, safe area. Of course, nursing puppies would likely be taken out along with their mother and the rest of the litter. Once theyre big enough to start wandering around on their own and going to the bathroom without Moms assistance, theyre big enough to start going outside to be potty trained, says Christopher Carter Veterinary Surgery. Again, they should be closely supervised, and trips outside should be kept short.
If youre not raising a puppy from birth, chances are by the time you adopt your pup hell be fully weaned and big enough to explore the yard under your watchful eye. Dogtime recommends taking your newly adopted puppy outside for potty breaks every one to two hours. By this point hes also old enough to be introduced to a collar and leash in preparation for going on walks or being taken out to public spaces.
Weather is a major factor in whether its safe for your pup to venture outdoors. Puppies are extremely vulnerable to temperature extremes, says Dogtime. In sub-freezing temperatures, very young puppies or toy breed pups should be kept inside and allowed to do their business on a puppy training pad. Older, larger pups, especially those that are bred for cold weather, such as huskies or St. Bernards, may be able to take short trips outside in cold weather to do their business, but should return inside as soon as theyre done.
Similarly, puppies are particularly susceptible to heat-related illnesses. If youre facing hot weather, keep visits outside short, and never leave your puppy outside unsupervised on a hot day.
If youre wondering when can puppies go outside away from home, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends that pet guardians begin taking puppies on walks and public outings as early as one week after their first round of vaccinations, at about seven weeks old. The first three months of a puppys life are the prime time for proper socialization, says AVSAB. Puppies who are kept from socializing until their vaccinations are complete end up with a very short window of opportunity to become socialized. Unfortunately, this often results in behavioral problems that are a much greater threat to a puppys well-being than the small chance of contracting an illness.
If youre worried about your pup mixing with other dogs or people before hes had all his shots, Veryfetching.com recommends simply carrying and holding your pup when taking him out in public. Its important for your pup to be exposed to as many new people, animals, objects, sounds, smells and situations as possible, but its okay to keep a little distance between him and his environment until hes fully vaccinated. In the meantime, he can explore your backyard and play with animals that you know are fully vaccinated and healthy, to his hearts content.
Theres a chance your pup might get overstimulated and become overexcited during his first few trips outdoors. If this happens, simply take a break or call it a day and give him a chance to rest and calm down. But under no circumstances should his hyper behavior keep you from taking him out on a regular basis. Over-stimulation in a young puppy thats still becoming socialized is much less serious than over-stimulation in an older dog that hasnt been properly socialized. If you dont expose your pup to as many new things as possible, you could end up with an adult dog that suffers from anxiety and fear, says PetHelpful.
Spending time outside with your puppy is also a great bonding opportunity. As he is exploring his new world, knowing that you are there to take care of him and protect him will help form a strong bond. It will train him to look to you and the rest of your family when he is ready to go outside to potty or go on walks. Additionally, because puppies are still learning, this is the perfect opportunity for you to help teach him the dos and donts of the world. Keeping close to him in your backyard will help him understand that the rose bushes and going under the deck are off limits.
Going outside and exploring is a major factor in raising a dog that is well-mannered and at peace with his environment. As long as you follow these guidelines, your pup should be safe and sound as he learns how to live in this big, wide world.
Jean Marie Bauhaus is a pet parent, pet blogger, and novelist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she usually writes under the supervision of a lapful of fur babies.
When can I start taking my puppy outside?
Vets recommend waiting until 10-14 days after your puppy’s last vaccination booster – usually at around 14–16 weeks of age – before introducing them to the wonders of local parks, beaches and walking trails.
Don’t resist this time in your puppy’s life – embrace it! Enjoy having your puppy at home all to yourself, and channel your dog’s increasing energy into puppy training and socialisation – which needs to start happening from around eight weeks of age.
Here are some simple guidelines to assist you to enjoy and appreciate your new puppy.
Puppies are normally weaned by 6 weeks of age. They can be separated from their mother and are able to eat solid food.
This should start as soon as you get your puppy home. Take the puppy outside about 15 minutes after it has eaten, as soon as it wakes up from a nap or finishes playing, and before and after bedtime. If, at any other time the puppy starts to go to the toilet inside take it outside IMMEDIATELY. Never punish your puppy for an accident but when your puppy does get it right remember to praise him or her so that it quickly learns this is acceptable behaviour.
Your puppy should have been introduced to solid food before it leaves its mother. Puppies have high-energy needs and require nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus to aid their rapid growth. Specially formulated puppy diets are available.
This means you do not have to add any mineral or vitamin supplements or feed milk. They have the added advantage of aiding good dental health and minimise digestive problems. It is important with these diets to always have water readily available.
Feed your puppy small regular meals 4 times daily, reducing to 3 times daily at 8 weeks then twice daily at 12 weeks. Consider once daily after 6 months of age.
Raw meats can be very rich for puppies and do not provide the nutritional balance of the specially formulated diets. It is illegal to feed raw sheep meat or offal (unless it has been thoroughly cooked or deep-frozen for two weeks) due to the risk of sheep measles and potentially hydatid tapeworms.
There are rawhide bones and solid rubber chews available for your puppy to chew on.
All puppies are infected early in life with roundworms, which left untreated can cause poor condition and gut problems. Puppies need to be wormed every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age until they are 3 months old with a product effective against roundworms. Then treatment at 3-4 monthly intervals with a product effective against whipworm, hookworm, roundworm and tapeworms.
As some worms can affect humans, it is important to wash your hands after handling dogs of any age. Dispose of dog faeces as frequently as possible.
Flea control is not just a summer problem. Fleas can cause anaemia in puppies and significant skin disease in dogs. There are a number of easy to use, safe and effective products available from our clinics for year-round flea control. Ask one of our team to advise you on the best flea control for your puppy.
Female dogs can be desexed from 4-6 months of age before they come into season. This saves the worry of unwanted pregnancy and significantly reduces the risk of diseases of the mammary glands. Male dogs can be neutered (castrated) at 4-6 months of age. This may greatly reduce wandering and aggression towards other dogs.
Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of disease. Every dog has a different risk depending upon the environment in which it lives, works and plays and the amount of interaction it has with other dogs. Our vets will discuss the best vaccination programme for your dog. We recommend vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Leptospirosis. Kennel Cough vaccination may be recommended if your puppy will be staying in boarding kennels, attending dog shows or going to doggy daycare.
Vaccination can begin as early as 6 weeks of age. Vaccinations are given at 3-4 week intervals and usually finish at 16 weeks of age. Before your puppy is vaccinated he or she will be given a complete physical examination to assess overall health. Puppies are particularly susceptible to parvovirus, which is spread through faeces from infected dogs. It is recommended to limit your puppy’s access to public parks, footpaths and other dogs until 10 days after the vaccination programme has been completed at 16 weeks.
Adult Dogs require a health check once a year along with appropriate vaccinations to ensure continued protection. The clinic will send you an annual reminder when the annual health check is due.
Between the ages of 4 and 16 weeks of age, puppies go through their socialisation period. This is a critical period in a dog’s life when it needs to experience all types of situations and people in a positive friendly way. This will help develop your puppy into a well-mannered, enjoyable pet.
During the socialisation period, try to introduce your puppy to many learning situations and a variety of people and dogs. Obviously, until the vaccination course is completed, be careful not to take your puppy to areas which pose a threat of infectious diseases.
Puppy pre-schools are a great way to socialise your puppy with other dogs. Ask our customer service team about our puppy pre-schools that are available.
All dogs must be registered once they are 3 months old. This is done at your local council office. As part of registration, all dogs (except working farm dogs) need to be micro-chipped within 2 months of being registered. A small ‘chip’ is injected under the skin on the back of the neck area where it remains for life. This provides life-long undisputable identification of your pet. The details on the chip are easily detected with a special scanner and those details are kept on a readily accessible database.
Franklin Vets is a New Zealand Veterinary Association approved micro-chipping centre. As well as micro-chipping your dog, we provide all the documentation and verification required by the local councils.
The pet equivalent of our health care plans are well worth considering. There are a number of schemes and there are brochures in our waiting area outlining the policies available.
Why can’t I take my puppy to public places?
Due to the dangers of nasty, and potentially fatal, viruses such as canine parvovirus and canine distemper lurking anywhere an infected dog may have been, puppies need to be kept at home until they are fully protected. It might seem overly cautious, but as your puppy’s immune system is still developing, they are highly vulnerable to contracting dangerous illnesses. It’s therefore incredibly important to keep them inside the safety of your property until they are completely vaccinated.
FAQ
Can you walk puppy after second vaccination NZ?
How long after second vaccination can puppy go out NZ?
Can you walk your puppy after 2nd vaccination?
How long after 2nd injection can puppies walk?