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The catch 22 to socializing young puppy

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Dolce

1230103		 
 
Barked: Sat Feb 4, '12 5:47pm PST 
Dolce is about to turn 9 weeks very soon. Ive done alot of reading and watched alot of trainer videos. It seems like everyone always says that during this age is when they should be 'socialized' with other dogs and other people. In the video's they take the dogs to the dog park, they walk them and basically really drill in that they should meet alot of dogs/people.

Well how is this possible?! Both from my breeder and vet I was told that Parvo is a very real danger and our puppy shouldn't be walked or taken outside(we live in condo so no personal yard) until he has had his 3rd shot which is in like another month.

They also said that they shouldn't play with any other dog unless the dog has had all his shots for a while now(like a 1 year old).

So basically its a huge catch 22! Our little guy is supposed to meat and play with everybody out there, but because of health precautions he isn't allowed to. I'm setting up a 'play date' with a couple we know that has a 1 year old dog, so that should help, but other than them we don't know anyone with dogs.

How come noone ever takes this into account in any of the training videos(by respected world famous trainers) or books.
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Boudin

1195090		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 5, '12 8:05am PST 
I think 9 weeks old is much to young to take your puppy out anywhere. We never take our puppies out anywhere or let any one come in until our puppies have had all their shots, which normally end when they are 16 weeks old. You have to be very careful with these small puppies as parvo is very easy for them to catch. We take our shoes off when we come in our home also when puppies are under the age of 16 weeks, so we don't track in parvo from outside. Please be very careful with you very little one.
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Prince

1192778		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 5, '12 3:40pm PST 
I can understand the points you made. I felt the exact same way when I got Prince.

I did carry him around with me sometimes when I went out so he got used to the big outdoors and new people who would want to come up and say hello or stroke him. I did not let him mix with other dogs until 4 weeks after his 2nd set of puppy vaccinations.

They do tend to say at that age it's important for socialization reasons, I didn't let Prince 'mix' with other dogs until he was about 16 weeks old and he's done fine.
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Theodore- "Theo" Albus-

The Most- Interesting Pom- in the World		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 8, '12 12:42pm PST 
I had the same issue with my dog! I found an awesome solution to this. To socialize him with people, I would bring him to my friends’ apartments and have friends come over a lot to play with him. That way he got comfortable starting at 9 weeks old with men, women and children.

As for dog socialization, I signed him up for puppy preschool at the Zoom Room. They offer a once a week class where other dogs that are your puppies age, who aren’t allowed outside, can play together. They bleach the floors before each class and make sure each dog has the proper vaccination for their age. Check out their site here to see if one is near you: www.zoomroomonline.com You also meet nervous new puppy owners and you can trade stories and advice. They have a trained professional on staff that shows you neat little tricks and gives you awesome tips. As soon as Theo hit 16 weeks and had all his shots, we hit the dog parks and walks with a vengeance and I am proud to say he gets along with EVERY person and dog he meets. He is always one of the faves at the park. No aggression whatsoever.

If you have no Zoom Room near you, you might be able to find other pet training facilities that do the same thing. You can also schedule playdates with your friends that have dogs in an indoor setting, as long as their dogs are vaccinated.

I truly believe Theo is so well behaved because of this so definitely don't keep your baby hidden!

Edited by author Wed Feb 8, '12 12:46pm PST

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Nicky

jumbo shrimp		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 10, '12 10:10am PST 
I would absolutely NOT recommend taking a puppy that young to a dog park. Most dog parks with rules don't even allow puppies under 6 months anyway. You could take the puppy to stores and either hold him or put him in a little carry bag. Do not put him on the ground or in carts. When people pet them I would also have them use hand sanitizer first as well. Setting up a play date with adult dogs you know and trust is a good start to dog socialization. You should also look into enrolling in a puppy class so he can socialize with other puppies his age. Just remember they are quite impressionable at this age so making sure they have positive interactions is the most important.
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Peach

Your princess is- in another- castle.		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 10, '12 7:57pm PST 
It's not much of a catch-22 anymore. Many vets and behaviourists agree that there more dogs that are irreparably damaged from under-socialisation than there are that die from parvo.

I wouldn't take a puppy to a dog park, period. But I would take them to a regular park, a pet store, a vet's office, or down the street, after they have their first shot. The idea with the vaccinations is to catch that magic period between the mother's immunity wearing off, and the puppy catching the illness. Sometimes that's at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks... It's random! It's the only reason puppies get so many rounds of shots. If mom's immunity is still kicking at the 8 week shot, maybe it's gone at the 12 week. If it isn't, it's probably gone at 16 weeks. I think the rate of success at 16 weeks is in the 70%s, whereas earlier is much lower. Most research suggests that 6 and 8 week shots are basically useless.

By 12 weeks of age, a puppy should have been exposed to 12 of everything it may possibly encounter. That includes other dogs and people, things to walk on, places to go, strange sounds... Lots of stuff you'd find outside. Don't let your puppy sniff or walk in visible feces, and keep their outdoor exposure low, but don't keep him completely sequestered until he's 4 months old. He'd be the equivalent of a five year old who's never been outdoors.
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