Good afternoon board.

Two quick questions:

1) How long after the second (and final) inoculations did you take your puppies out walking (outside your garden/safe area)? 

and

2) The vets suggest a fortnight but is this still the optimum time when you take the need for socialisation into account?

Would love to know your thoughts. 

(Mina's 11 weeks old and had her final jabs on Tuesday.)

Jules

My vet said 1 week after the last injection with both of my dogs!

Ooooh, that's interesting - I wonder if that's because different makes of vaccine have different properties.  Mina's just had the normal DHPPL jabs which I believe is distemper, hepatitis, parvo-virus, para-influenza and leptospirosis.

Maybe it also varies on whether your area of the country has had recent outbreaks of parvo or something.

I never wait as I consider socialisation to be so vital, so mine go out after the first jab.

A week after and I think most vets say this now.  Must admit, if I know that I'm going to somewhere where all dogs are more than likely to have been vaccinated etc. I take my dogs out straight away

I asked one of the trainers at a local club (who is also a vet nurse) what the risks would be in this area, which she said were less than minimal, and advised taking mine out before vaccs (avoiding parks and any unvaccinated dogs) because of the need for socialisation. After all - she said - you could walk infection in on your shoes, so going out on the pavement for a little walk isn't going to be much different! I got a slap on the wrist from my vet for it, but still believe I did the right thing for this area.

I take puppies out everywhere from 7 wks meet lots of people see as much as you can such as  trees blowing in the wind, bins , traffic , paper/plastic bags , sit on a bench and watc the world go by , we usually take them to tesco and OH waits outside with pup while I shop , everyone wants to say hello to  a young pup.
We took a 7 wk old pup on holiday to south wales with us and the other dogs she was carried mainly but in rural areas and on the beaches when the tide has been in and gone out we let her run and play.
We take them to the park but carry , once first jab is done I have been known to carry a pup to training just to watch and see other dogs . have gone to puppy class 5 days after second jab ..socialisation is so important in the very early days.

Its your call , I also agree to ask around to find out if parvo has been diagnosed anywhere in your area.

The safest is to keep them off the ground outside your own property for two weeks after the second jab. If you're in a rural area the risks are usually less than in an urban area - fewer people usually means fewer dogs which means a smaller pool of possible infection. That doesn't mean you can't socialise them though; you can (unless it's a Great Dane or something!) carry them about to see things; you can take them in the car and sit with the back open with them so that they can see things; you can (if you're by the coast) take them to play on the beach at low tide - the beach between high and low water gets washed clean every 12 hours!

Interesting answers, thank you all.

We are in a very rural area and carrying her around would be quite difficult as she is a Great Dane and is wriggly when picked up with very long legs!  She was 15kg/33lbs last Sunday at 10 weeks (albeit quite ribby at the moment).  I do like the idea of the seaside but that would be quite a long journey for her at this age - at least 90 mins each way.  I suppose if we wear her out a bit before we go she would sleep - she's being car socialised at the moment with a  mixture of 10 minute and 30 minute journies.

I am wondering if we should take her out this weekend to somewhere with people but few dogs, if not the beach.  We took her to the polling station today when we went to vote and she was quite nervous at first at the strange people - a bit trembly and clingy, although she did end up enjoying all the attention and being waggy tailed after a few mins.  This is similar to how she's been at our friend's house with their family and big BC, Charlie. 

We've certainly found that she attracts a lot of attention through an odd combination of being huge but still having the characteristics of an 11 week old baby! :)

I'm really torn on this now as I want her to be a well balanced, happy dog around lots of situations but don't want her to pick something nasty up.  Will ask the vet tomorrow about parvo in the local area - hopefully they won't give me a scare story just to put me off.

She starts puppy training a week on Monday so that should help, but still...

> She starts puppy training a week on Monday so that should help, but still...

Why not ask at the training club? They often know the area better than (some) vets as they see puppies all the time and might be less guarded by professional etiquette to give you an honest idea of the risk.

my vet said 1 week after 2nd jabs. Paula