Hello everyone,I just wanted to know what age a pup can have its first injections here in the UK.Is there anyway thay can have then quite early so they can be socialised earlier? Emphisis is always put on socialiseing a pup from when you pick it up at 8 weeks but if its not allowed to mix with other dogs and be placed on the floor how can this be? Anyone got any advice on how they get round this?I dont know any other people near me that have dogs that are fully vaccinated so this may prove tricky!
Thanks in advance :)

Different vets and different vaccine manufacturers have different rules, and it also depends on how much infection is about in your particular area. If vaccines are given too early they won't be effective, because the maternal antibodies still in the puppy's system will deal with the perceived threat, instead of the pup's immune system developing its own resistance.

And don't forget there's more to socialising than just meeting other dogs - there's shops, buses, cars, trains, horses, cows, people with hats, old people, children, pushchairs, bicycles ... the pup can be carried to see all these things.
:)

Depends on the weight of the pup JG :D :D :D

Now doesn't that just show you, my vet told me it depended on what vaccine was used and manufactures recommendation. May be some recommend it at a certain weight, so think the best answer we can give is to, Ask your Vet.

No ..I meant for carrying the pup around Jackie

Very true, Melody! I tend to assume pups are lab-sized and below, so still carryable (though heavy!) at 10 weeks or so. Giant breed puppies would be different ...
:)

:p I am having a job carrying Delly around NOW! She is a hefty lump and 9 and a half weeks old (unless, of course, I am just a weakling :p :p )

I managed carrying our lab till she was 10 weeks (17lb). From then it was hubby's turn! (Yes, I admit to being feeble!)
:)

My pup is 8 1/2 weeks and 18lbs, we carry him to the edge of the garden close enough to the road to see all thats going on, and after 10 mins he starts to wriggle so we have to go back in and rest our arms ready for the next session.

Hi
I bought our lab here in london and our vet gave her her jabs at 8 and 12 weeks, he said that we could let her walk on the ground in areas where there wasn't any dogs (immpossible) at 9 weeks, so we didn't start taking her out to meet other dogs untill she was 14 weeks old and she is great with all dogs acceppt huskys which she is terrified of but then she only met her first 2 tonight night for the first time ever, she's 8 months old now.

We bought our bullmastiff in the midlands and she had already had both sets of jabs when we got her at 9 weeks so she is meeting other dogs now. Her breeders vet had vaccinated them at 7 and 9 weeks. My vet has said that this isn't a problem but if i want they will give her a boaster at 12 weeks, i decided not to get the booster.

Hope this helps a bit.

Debbie

Thanks ever so much for advice everyonwe.I think what I am going to do is speak with my vet.I havent yet got my pup but will be in the next month or soI would prefer it if te pup could get his jabs early but if not then its going to be a case of carrying him around aching arms and all *l*
Thanks once again I appreciate it
:)

Every practice, vet and vaccine manufacturer seem to have different views on this topic, but in our practice (I'm head nurse) we usually vaccinate puppies at 9 and 12 weeks, and recommend waiting 1 week after the final injection before taking them out to ensure full immunity.  Vaccinating before 8 or 9 weeks is pointless, as it interferes with the antibodies inherited from the mother's colostrum (this obviously does not apply to hand-reared pups).

However, if you have friends with healthy, vaccinated dogs then your puppy should be safe with them at any age.  You can start socialisation with these dogs before your puppy is fully immune, but I would avoid public areas until 1 week after the final injection.

Hope this helps

Hi Mistik
I wondered the same thing about you with our lab puppy the rest of her siblings went to puppy walkers where they have the first vaccinations at 6 weeks.  I asked my vet if this could be done but he advised to have her vaccinated at 8 and 10 weeks.  He told me that there is a fairly new vaccine out where they can be done at 10 rather than 12 weeks.  So I am taking Desi off on Tues for her first vaccines.  I would definitely suggest chatting with your vet about the different options available and good luck with your new puppy what breed is she!
Van