12 weeks old As long as it has been more than two weeks since their first vaccine, you can take your puppy for a walk along roads, pavements or the beach, as viruses have a hard time surviving in these areas.
When can I start taking my puppy outside? 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!
If dogs aren't vaccinated at a young age, they will be vulnerable to diseases such as rabies, canine distemper, hepatitis, canine parvovirus, Lyme disease, canine influenza, leptospirosis, and kennel cough.
The very best person to advise you on when your puppy can go outside is your vet, but generally they'll recommend not taking them into any public spaces until around 2 weeks after their second vaccination.
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.
Do not let your puppies walk outside as the risk of parvovirus and leptospirosis with unvaccinated puppies is high.
We recommend puppies receive 3 vaccinations, the first at 6-8 weeks, then at 12-14 weeks and again at 16-18 weeks. Please be aware that your puppy is not fully protected until all 3 vaccinations have been given within the recommended intervals.
What if I wait too long to get the next set of vaccines? You can wait between three to five weeks between each set of vaccines. Your puppy's immune system is not strong enough to have antibodies that last more than six weeks between vaccines.
When can I socialise my puppy? With our newest vaccination pups are able to head out and socialise 1 week after their 2nd Puppy Vaccination. For puppies it is a compromise between adequate socialising and preventing them from coming into contact with any of these diseases, particularly parvovirus.
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).
Avoid places where your puppy or unvaccinated dog could be exposed to parvovirus from unvaccinated dogs. Dog parks, pet stores, play groups, and other public areas should be avoided until your dog or puppy is fully vaccinated.
Not Only CAN You Socialize Your Unvaccinated Puppy, You Absolutely MUST!! Did you know that a puppy's primary socialization period is from 3 to 12-14 weeks of age?? That's WEEKS not MONTHS! During this phase your puppy is primed to learn about the world around them.
Puppies are particularly vulnerable to serious diseases like parvovirus and canine distemper, so it's vital they receive their initial course of three vaccinations.
Vets tend to recommend not taking your puppy into public places until about a fortnight after your puppy has had its second vaccination, at around 14-16 weeks. This is because they can easily pick up nasty viruses like parvovirus and distemper.
Do puppies need vaccines? Yes! While there's debate around this in the media, any qualified veterinary professional will tell you that puppies absolutely need to be vaccinated. They should be given an initial course of vaccines, and then booster injections throughout their lifespan to ensure they stay protected.
The short answer is, after their final rounds of vaccines are completed, at about 16 weeks of age or whenever your pup's veterinarian suggests. Once the vaccine regimen is complete, your puppy should be ready for adventures in the great outdoors and ready to socialize with other dogs safely.
The good news is that socialisation can begin even before your pup has been vaccinated, you just need to be safe and sensible about it. 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.
After each round of vaccinations, there is a five to seven day waiting period until they are fully effective. Contrary to the advice of some more traditional vets, puppies can, and should, go out five to seven days after Round 1 of their vaccinations.
Some of the signs of parvovirus include lethargy; loss of appetite; abdominal pain and bloating; fever or low body temperature (hypothermia); vomiting; and severe, often bloody, diarrhea. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration, and damage to the intestines and immune system can cause septic shock.
Unvaccinated puppies are especially at risk of contracting parvovirus, since their immune system is weaker than an adult dog's, hence the likelihood of puppy's death being at 91% chance. If your dog has not finished receiving their first round of parvovirus, avoid taking them out unless absolutely necessary.
The disease most often strikes in pups between six and 20 weeks old, but older animals are sometimes also affected. A rare variant of the disease may be seen in very young (neonatal) puppies is myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle).
Don't crate your 8 week old puppy for more than 2 hours during the day. As she gets older you can increase the amount of time she spends in the crate. Associate as many positive experiences with your puppy and the crate as possible.
When to start leash training your puppy. You can start teaching leash lessons as soon as you bring your puppy home. Ideally puppies will remain with their mothers for the first eight to 12 weeks, so you'd likely be starting around this time, but you can introduce basic principles earlier.
Puppies should receive a dose of canine parvovirus vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age, regardless of how many doses they received earlier, to develop adequate protection.
Once your puppy is fully vaccinated, the general rule of thumb, is to exercise them for five minutes per month old – so if your fluffy bundle is 12 weeks old they can be walked for 15 minutes a day.