[myFirstlab]

Hello everyone, just got our puppy a week ago (she's about 10 weeks now) and she's already had a couple of shots (but not completely done yet) and was advised to not take her out to doggy parks or places that have lots of dogs until she's complete with her vaccinations..

So I was just curious at what age did you guys bring your puppy out to socialize with other dogs/puppies? Or is she too young, or should i wait till she gets all her shots?



Thanks =)

 

[Amber The Duck Dawg]

It is always a good idea to socialize as early as possible, but you have to be smart about it. Stay away from dog parks for now. Stay away from large groups of puppies. Introduce your pup to friends healthy dogs. Now is the best time to expose your pup to all kinds of things and the most dangerous. keep our pup from stange dogs and expose it to dogs you know are stable good dogs. There is always the chance your pup could become ill but they are greatly reduced with the first couple of shots.

Kelly

 

[Dio's mama]

We got Dio at 8 weeks and we started to socialize him with a friends dog when he was 10 weeks. We didn't start to take him to dog parks until he was 3 or 4 months old. Besides having the vaccinations, he also had to trusted to come back and listen when needed. Most puppy classes start at 3 or 4 months, since you HAVE to make sure that all the vaccinations are done, like Kennel Cough and rabies. Hopefully you have a friend or two that have dogs and that have been vaccinated and are not sick.

 

[myFirstlab]

she actually spent time with another lab 1 yr old (her half sister actually) and they had tons of fun, she was dead tired when she got home lol.


Thanks for the tips

 

[BigBrownDog]

And - since no one has mentioned it - keep your puppy off the floor at the vet's office in the waiting room. The exam rooms are probably cleaner - but the waiting room has a lot of sick dogs pass through it. I carried my puppy in and out of the vet until he was fully vaccinated.

 

[Dio's mama]

"keep your puppy off the floor at the vet's office in the waiting room"


Huh. That's a good tip. One that I never thought of... well, I'll keep it in mind for my next puppy!

 

[Amber The Duck Dawg]

That is a very good idea!
I learned to avoid vet offices as much as possible and would rather get shots at outdoor clinics put on by clubs.
Amber has had one eye infection 2-3 days after the only time she went to a dog opthamologists(SP) office for a CERF.

Kelly

 

[Amber The Duck Dawg]

One other thing you need to do is get the phone number and address of your local 24 hour emergency vet and put it in your cell phone.

Oh and get Hydrogen peroxide and have it on hand. If your pup swallows something it shouldn't then you can give the Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. doing this can prevent sometimes fatal or at least very very expensive blockages. You would be amazed at what a lab can swallow.

oh and make sure there are no electrical cords the pup can get to. pups love to chew especially when they start teething.

Kelly

 

[Deanna1002]

Congrats on the pup!
a year ago my very good friend lost a 3 month old lab from parvo he was upto date with on his shots. He got it hiking somewhere in northern nj.

I'd just be triple careful and if he shows any signs of tiredness, or anything that looks abnormal i would never over look it.

With my lab as a puppy i only had her play with dogs i new. I would also stand in front of toys r us or shop rite while i let her tell me how far is comfort so she doesn't get too overwhelmed. Didn't get her out to other parks or public places til a week after her last shot, which is about 4 months.

Good Luck and post pics! I love lab puppies!