Until Fully Vaccinated – Puppy Socialization

 

I often talk to puppy owners who have been told by their vet that they should not take the puppy off their property, and even that the puppy should not touch the ground outside until they have been “fully vaccinated.”

This advice presents a dilemma for new puppy owners who are also told that their puppy needs to be socialized. So, let’s talk about what both of these terms mean and what are safe practices for you and your puppy.

Fully Vaccinated – typically this means that your puppy has had what are considered the “Core” vaccines. These include Parvo, Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, and Rabies. The first three are often administered as the combination DA2P shot.

Good breeders give the first DHP shot at about 6 weeks of age. Your vet will typically give a booster at about 12 weeks and one more at 16 weeks.

The Rabies vaccine is usually not given before 16 weeks. Dr Jean Dodds recommends giving this at 20 weeks.

So, a puppy would not be considered “fully vaccinated” until after 16 – 20 weeks of age. This presents a problem as proper socialization needs to be well underway before a puppy goes through a juvenile fear period that often starts at about 16 weeks. This fear period coincides with the puppy beginning to lose puppy teeth.

The severity of this fear period will vary from pup to pup. In some it is very pronounced with puppies becoming afraid of almost anything and everything, especially any new people and sounds. Some pups will not show much fear and can sail through this period with little change to their daily routine.

However, early, careful introduction to many new sights, sounds, smells, and surfaces can help even the pups in a pronounced fear stage have a bigger library of good experiences to draw on during this time.

Puppies with little or no early exposure to the world outside the home will have a harder time during this fear period as they will not have those previous good experiences to remember.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. You can read the full position statement here, www.AVSABonline.org

in their position statement on Puppy Socialization states, “Behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age. “

 And Robert K. Anderson DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVB, wrote over 10 years ago, “In fact; the risk of a dog dying because of infection with distemper or parvo disease is far less than the much higher risk of a dog dying (euthanasia) because of a behavior problem.”

So, what is a new puppy owner to do? I suggest following the recommendations of both the AVSAB and Dr Anderson which is to enroll in a good puppy class ASAP. We, at The Puppy Nanny like to start puppies in class at about 10 – 12 weeks of age after they have had their 2^nd DHP shot. This gives your puppy a chance to safely experience new sights, sounds, smells, and surfaces in their puppy class. We often have a short play session after class so puppies can interact with other healthy, vaccinated pups.

In addition, We suggest carefully planned socialization outings for your puppy.

1.Take her to places where there are not a lot of other dogs. Stores like Tractor Supply, Cabella’s, and the garden centers of Lowes or Home Depot can be good.

2. Go to a park and sit on a bench away from walking paths and kids’ playgrounds. Let your puppy watch and listen.

3. Set up play-dates in a fenced yard with other puppies from class or a friend’s or relative’s nice older dog.

4. You can rent a Sniffspot for an hour to let your puppy explore a new environment. (Get the Sniffspot app to find locations near you.)

Early, careful socialization is not only vital for your puppy’s emotional wellbeing, but it can be a lot of fun for both of you. And, if your puppy is hit particularly hard by that juvenile fear period, you can take a few weeks off knowing that as your pup returns to his regular, happy self, your socialization journey can continue with only a slight interruption.