Hi all

We picked up our 8 week old black lab pup Maddie on sunday. We are keen for her to go to puppy classes and started enquiring in our area. A lady I have spoken to runs puppy classes but they start this week and Maddie has only had her first jab. The lady said that she is happy to take her at 8 weeks as all the puppies are very young and at the same stage with their jabs so she will not actually be socialising with older unvaccinated dogs. She did stress that it is my own personal choice whether I decide to take her along. I'm not sure what to do now, I am going to ring my vet and get his advice but wondered if anyone else could offer any advice. I know that vets are starting to hold puppy parties which I'm presuming would be a very similar situation for puppies of this age. I don't want to take any chances so any advice given would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Sophie.

As you have been informed it is down to you.

Personally I take my puppies out from the day I get them, i never wait until their first jab let alone their second; but that is my personal choice and I am careful about where I take them.  For me the risks of under socialisation far outweigh the minimal risks of infection; in any case my older dogs or even my shoes will bring back all the germs from the outside world anyway!

You have to make a risk assessment and do what you feel comfortable with; if you don't feel comfortable about the risk, don't go.

Hi Sophie

Personally I would not do it.  I take my pups out and about with me and to friends houses where they either don't have dogs or I know they are friendly and vaccinated but I would not risk it amongst a group of unknown pups.  It would only take one pup whose litter had something like Parvo or kennel cough and although they don't have it could be carrying it to pass it on to everyone else.

I start taking mine to classes a few days after their second vaccination but start training either when they are still in the nest if I have bred them or as soon as I get them home if I have bought one in

I would personally steer clear of "puppy parties"run by vets unless the person taking them is a dog trainer & not a vet(unless the vet is a DT as well)

We are happy for people to bring puppies to sit on knees or in a crate until the have had their jabs at our local DTC. I personally take my puppies out asap as I feel inless there is a local outbreak of a disease

My puppies are always pitched straight in with my older dogs, who obviously are out & about in the real world.

One of my dogs actually helped an older dog by him socializing with her & changing her from being iffy with other dogs to being a tart(literally)with all dogs. He gained by seeing other dogs than mine & accepting that they may not all want diving on etc

I'm working with a young dog that had been to a local vets PPs & its hard work when the puppy has been allowed to run riot & allowed to play with all the dogs in the PP. He has basically become a thug mugging everydog he sees instead of greeting them in a natural dog way

I only took my pup out in my arms until she had her final jab and we had waited the week following :) We waited for training classes until then.

If you can guarantee that ALL the other pups at the class have ALL had their jabs, as has every dog that has walked on the grass, floor where the training is held than fine. If you can't, then I feel you could be risking your pup

At the end of the day it is your decision though :)

Watch out for vet puppy classes as they often seem to allow the pups to just race around willy nilly for an hour which teaches them to ignore their owners and in some cases to think other dogs are more fun, also to learn that it is easy to be a bully or to get defensive. If you go check what they do; remember, vets and vet nurses are not necessarily experienced dog owners/trainers/behaviourists.

Later classes usually are more structured and may allow play but will not for example allow a strong staffie to scare a shy sheltie.

Lindsay
X

I started my pup at training classes the first week i got her, she had only had one jab. I definately don't regret it and will do it again. All the pups have to show a vaccination certificate and so are healthy as they have been seen by a vet. In my area, very few dogs are unvaccinated and so it is relatively safe. I think the extra boost it gave to her training and socialisation was definately worthwhile. As it has been said, vets are happy to hold puppy parties before the pups have had their second jabs so the risk must be minimal. However a training classes is better as it is more structured, my dog started off doing recalls and offlead heelwork in her very first lesson at 8 weeks. However as it has been said it is up to you.

Puppies are born with a high level of inherited immunity from their mothers (So long as the mother has immunity herself) - vaccines are generally timed to replace that level as it's starting to decline, so very young puppies have a higher level of immunity than you might imagine ;)