Hi all ,

this is my first time on here, i have recently become the very proud owner of a beautiful golden retriver. She has a superb temperamnent and has been no trouble at all. She can be rather mischievous and i think she is getting bored with just our garden. I have been given many mixed responses about when i can take her out into the big wide world. our vets run a great puppy socialisation class aimed at puppies 8-12 weeks who have been vaccinated so she has socialised with other pups. One vet ha stold me 1 week after second vaccs , one has told me 2 weeks after second vaccs. She had them 11 days ago and am confused whether i am okay to take her a short walk or not

Txxx

of course its ok. dont forget that any dog she meets is likely to be vaccinated too. the sooner she is out and socialising the better

Ours have always been 1 week after 2nd vacc, remember though, not too much exercise, I think rule of thumb is 5 mins for each month of pups age :-)

I went middle of the road and took my 15 week old pups out 10 days after their 2nd jabs :) They are going to the puppy party at the Vets too :)

Have no answer for you but read your replies as we get our little GR girl early September. They are beautiful are'nt they - we are all very excited!!

I would be guided by your vet but as both have told you something different, I'd think that 11 days after her second jab would be fine. It's a really exciting time & you'll never look back!!

My vet always insists that it's 2 weeks after the last jab.  But many on here start socialising soon after the second one, so I am sure that a little outing will be fine.

> She can be rather mischievous

Normal puppy then :-)  :-)  :-)

I've always taken mine out a few days to a week after the 2nd jab. I even took a couple to training after their first jab, though just to see the atmosphere, and they stayed on my lap. All dogs at club must be vaccinated, so I consider that was ok. I can't wait till Hetty's had her jabs and we can go out and about!

I like to get mine out there asap. They spend the first week in the house and after the first jab I get them out, they don't go walking out on public places, but I hold them and get them used to people, places, sounds etc.
They will also get a chance to socialise with innoculated dogs who I trust in friends gardens and also puppy parties.
I won't place them in any busy highly dog populated park until 1 week after the second jab..Even then they sit on the ground and watch..

> She can be rather mischievous

They never grow up.  enjoy your puppy for years to come.  mine is almsot 14 and still a naughty puppy.  i wouldn't have it any other way.  She can still pull the puppy faces lol.

I am afraid that I weight the pro's & cons re keeping in and getting out and socialised early.  While still small enough I carry around to differant arear/situations to get the pup into as many diff situations as poss, I also take to a place where there arent many/if any dogs go so I can get the recall perfected, then when ready to go into doggy areas the recall is v god. at the end of the day the pup that is kept in could be at risk of getting parv if it is carried into the home on the soles of owners/visitors to the house shoes.  In my case it paid of as I have very well socialised well adjusted dogs with brill recall. There is one vet locally to me who wont vaccinate until 12 & 14 wks. this means people will have pups that are around four months old before they get out. I think this is such a shame.  Also I wish more owners would use the valuble time before they take the pups out to 'do' something with them, is teach sit/down/recal, anything to deep the mind of the pup working.  Just my thoughts and opinion.

FWIW my last pup was on the floor outside at 7 weeks (first stop motorway services on way home) and he did not get his first jab until 2 weeks later (my choice I prefer to jab them when they are not so stressed).

More dogs are euthanised due to behaviour issues than catching things.  OBVIOUSLY if you are inexperienced or do not know the area, then do not do this. 

I am afraid I have never perfected the recall of my dogs when they are weeks old, IME VELCRO dogs turn into BOGOFF dogs at adolescence and that is when the proof of the training is seen (or not)! :)

This is where you need to find out from the vet if there are any localised problems that need to be steared clear of. I was at my vet recently and they were talking about parvobeing on the increase in the area. I wouldn't want to take a puppy out until it had had its injections in this instance. At least not where it is likely to meet unvaccinated dogs.

>There is one vet locally to me who wont vaccinate until 12 & 14 wks. this means people will have pups that are around four months old before they get out. I think this is such a shame.

In Finland no vet will vaccinate before 12 weeks of age...
However puppies do go out(not to places with loads of dogs of course) as they are still protected by the maternal antibodies...
If puppies are vaccinated very young the vaccination does not necessarily take so these puppies can be walking around with no protection till their booster despite having been vaccinated as a baby!

> More dogs are euthanised due to behaviour issues than catching things.

I am absolutely with you here. When mine was a pup I knew about the need for socialisation and I spoke - not to vets - but to local training clubs. I asked about the risk of parvo in the area... nil-to-minimal at the time... which is probably the worst risk to pups, and one trainer who has run classes in this area for years (they probably have more of an insight into whatever's going around). The above is exactly what she told me... "More dogs are euthanised due to behaviour issues than catching things."

I got rapped on the knuckles by the vet when he went for his second jab, but I do not regret that early socialisation. As the trainer also said: you can walk infection into your own home on your own shoes. As long as you avoid places where dogs congregate (parks etc) then the socialisation on pavements if you live in an urban area (and providing there is no immediate parvo risk) is probably the best socialisation you can do, as some breeds of dogs have a much smaller 'window' for socialisation than others.

We have had lots of cases of Parvo recently here in Bristol, so we are definitely waiting until 2 weeks after 2nd injection just to be sure, but we have been carrying pup while out on walks just to get her used to the noises around her.

Haven't had chance to read all the responses, and I've got a HUGE pile of ironing to do :( but this is one thing that always makes me shake my head in disbelief.  A very experienced friend did an excellent post about this on another forum recently, get your pup out and get it used to all the sights and sounds as soon as you can, just don't put it down in places where unvaccinated dogs are likely to toilet and generally be around.  They need to get used to all the things we take for granted, buses, bicycles, pushchairs, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, kids, hats, brollies, walking sticks etc, etc, etc.  Sit at a bus stop or on a bench with lots of things passing by so your pup can see everything going on around them.  Vets have to give you the advice they feel appropriate health wise, but that doesn't allow for the fact you will be missing out on a very important time in the life of your pup, when it needs to see and get used to every day sights and sounds, so that it is confident once it's able to walk around a bit, and isn't frightened by any of these things. 

If its a big breed use a baby sling to carry them in it helps your back no end and you still have two arms !. I  took my gsd out and about with me almost from the day we got him until a week after the second vaccination.

thanks for all the responses,

i have been taking her out into our front yard for the last few days to see people walking past and see the cars and vans on the road, going to take her out today for her first proper walk just for 15 minutes or so as recommended.
Txxx

Mine are carried around outside from the very start and as soon as they have had their first injection they are allowed out for walks up and down my road.