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Puppy socialization/walks??

2K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  GSDmax 
#1 ·
At what age can you begin to take your new pup to parks to walk around, (not necessarily dog parks) walk around the neighborhood, petsmart...that kind of thing? Thanks in advance. :thumbup:
 
#2 ·
I generally try to wait until all rounds of vaccines are finished before going into public places where other animals/wildlife may have been. This way they have at least their basic barrier protection against illnesses. If you don't wait until all round of shots have been completed don't let the puppy eat, drink, and pick up anything in their mouths from any of the places you bring them and try to at least wipe them down when you put them back in the car to prevent transferring any germs.
 
#3 ·
I'm a bit careful before all the shots.

That said, I do not wait. I take my pups to my friends homes with no dogs. Or with dogs I know are vetted and healthy.

There are also puppy classes that need vet records and truthfully, everyone I've found who cares enough to pay and attend puppy classes is as health concious as I am about my puppy :)
 
#4 ·
I socialized with friends dogs who I knew were not sick until he had his second round of shots from the vet. I also took him for daily walks out in public. When other dogs came on the path or sidewalk I would force him to sit and hold until the other dog passed. It's been good training for Gunnar as he has gotten older, he is less likely to rush other dogs when we are walking on the the leash, and when other owners see me trying to het him to sit and stay they tended to keep their dogs away too which prevented disease transmission.
 
#6 ·
I did not wait for all the shots this time like the vet always recommends. We limited outings with our 1st gsd mix and she missed a lot of socialization and was shy and a bit fearful. Our current dog we walked around the neighborhood at probably 8=10 weeks, I've lived here long enough to know that most dog owners in my immediate area take good care of their dogs. We also took her to visit the breeder once in a while to watch training classes. After another round of shots I took her our local park 2 blocks away, it kept very clean. There we met another family with a husky puppy and for the next 3 months we would meet almost every evening. The pups had lots of fun and are still best friends 2 years later.

The breeder advised us not take the pup the beach or our downtown (busy public places). I also avoided the pet stores until she had all her shots.
 
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