It's best to wait 10 to 14 days after your puppy has received their final vaccinations before taking them on outdoor walks and exposing them to environments and other dogs.
When can I take my puppy out? You can start taking your dog out after their first set of puppy injections but be careful where you go. Your puppy is still not fully protected until their second set of inoculations so you should keep them away from areas where other animals are likely to be, such as parks and woodland.
Puppies require a vaccination course of two injections which can start from six weeks of age. We normally give the second vaccination four weeks later. We advise that your puppy is not allowed out until after the second vaccination.
Puppies shouldn't go out into public until they're fully vaccinated, but they should be socialized as early as possible. To start the socialization process, bring your puppy around friends or family members who have dogs that are vaccinated and are not currently sick.
Most vaccines are administered between two to four weeks apart. It can take up to ten days after a final vaccination before your puppy is fully protected. Some puppies might require an additional three to four vaccines for specific diseases until approximately 20 weeks of age.
How Long Should I Wait Before Taking My Puppy Outside? Due to potential outdoor biohazards, most vets will advise that pet owners wait until a puppy is at least three months old before taking them outside.
After your puppy's second round of vaccinations we advise waiting two weeks until taking your puppy outside so that they are fully protected in public spaces. Once any puppy has had their initial course of injections, they will only need one injection per year afterwards to keep that immunity 'topped up'.
Parvo can live in the ground, the grass, on bushes – pretty much anywhere (although it is not an airborne virus). Disease prevention is always less costly (and risky) than treating a condition your pet has developed.
Socialising puppies before vaccinations
Puppies usually go to new homes at the minimum age of eight weeks old when they're not fully vaccinated, so can't get fully out and about just yet. Until your puppy is fully protected by vaccination: don't allow them to mix with dogs of unknown vaccination status.
Do not let your puppies walk outside as the risk of parvovirus and leptospirosis with unvaccinated puppies is high.
Even before the first round of injections, your pup can go in your own private garden, as long as you don't have other dogs without vaccinations out there.
By receiving their first vaccination, puppies begin building up a resistance to parvovirus and can begin to interact with other dogs and explore outdoor environments with greater protection.
If you take your pup for a walk before one week from his second vaccination, you run the risk of exposing him to a dangerous virus that he will not yet be equipped to deal with.
A general guide for exercising puppies is to allow them one to two sessions of five minutes walking for each month of age, so for example, a four month old pup could enjoy walks of 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a day.
Vaccination protocols will vary so specific advice should be sought from your own vet, but most vets would advise waiting 1-2 weeks after the second vaccination before walking your puppy out in public or socialising with animals that may not be vaccinated.
Vets tend to recommend not taking your puppy into public places until about one or two weeks after your puppy has had its second vaccination.
If you live in a flat or only have access to public areas for toilet training your dog (areas where unvaccinated dogs may also be toileting) then you should not take your new puppy outside until they have completed their full vaccination course (they are usually allowed into public areas a week after completing ...
Teach your pup to potty on a designated spot outdoors, making him think. After you bring home your new puppy the first thing you need to teach the pup is to walk to the door. Do not carry it.
Unvaccinated puppies can be safely socialized with fully-vaccinated adult dogs in safe environments like your home. Most puppy classes require proof of vaccination before you can enroll your puppy.
How do dogs and puppies contract Parvo? Parvo can be found in almost any environment. It is transmitted when a susceptible dog comes in contact with the virus. This includes contact with the feces of an infected dog, or objects that contain the virus (shoes, clothes, bedding, bowls, grass, carpets, floors, etc).
While they are now much more resilient than they were just a few weeks ago, it's still important to continue to avoid things that could make them sick. On walks, keep to paved surfaces like sidewalks and parking lots. Stay off of grass or dirt trails where the urine or feces of unvaccinated dogs are harder to avoid.
Parvovirus can survive months on surfaces such as concrete so infections can still be transmitted to new dogs after your dog is recovered. This is especially important to consider when thinking about bringing another puppy into your home, either to add to your family or even if they are just visiting.
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!
Puppies should be at least 10-12 weeks old before they're ready to start socializing and going outside in public places. This allows them time to get all of their vaccinations and build up their immune system so that they're not as susceptible to illness from another animal or person.
If your puppy is sleeping soundly through the night, there's no need to wake them up to go outside to pee. However, if they're still young (under 4 months old), you'll want to take them out every 3-4 hours during the day so they can relieve themselves.