Until your puppy is fully vaccinated
Take these precautions
Since deadly diseases like Parvo and Distemper are transmitted from dog to dog or in fecal material, you should NOT take your puppy anywhere that they could come in contact with an unvaccinated dog or fecal material from an unvaccinated dog like parks, dog parks, grassy areas around stores, etc… where an unvaccinated dog may have been.
Unless you absolutely know that a dog has been fully vaccinated – do not allow your puppy to be around them!
When will my puppy be able to be around other dogs?
Your puppy will require 3 more vaccinations that are normally spaced 3 weeks apart so your puppy will be around 15 – 16 weeks old before they are fully vaccinated. Many vets recommend that you continue these protective measures 2 weeks after the last vaccination so your puppy might be 17-18 weeks old before they can interact with other dogs, go for walks, or visit places where other dogs may have been.
Which activities are safe for puppies?
- Dog Parks – NO
- Dog relief areas – NO
- Walks – NO
- Playing with other puppies – NO unless you absolutely know that the puppies have been fully vaccinated
- Playing with other dogs – NO unless you absolutely know that the puppies have been fully vaccinated
- Playing in a fenced backyard where other dogs can not enter – YES
- Playing with other dogs that have been fully vaccinated – YES
What about potty training?
Your puppy will be litter box trained when you get it. Litterbox training teaches puppies that there is a place to go to the bathroom and a place not to go to the bathroom. This trains puppies to be clean and want to keep their living space clean.
Litterbox training is not a substitute for potty training. You can keep a litterbox in the puppy pen if you are going to be gone during the day but you will want to start training your puppy to go to a specific place to go to the bathroom and to hold it.
Your puppy has been using a litterbox filled with Alfalfa pellets since the age of 3 weeks. They associate the smell of Alfafa with a bathroom so I will send home a small baggie of clean Alfalfa pellets that you can sprinkle where you want them to go to the bathroom. This will work whether you are training in a backyard or somewhere else.
So how do you work on potty training when your puppy can not go where other dogs may have been?
If you have a backyard: As long as your yard is fenced so that no other dogs can get in, start right away by taking your puppy out into your fenced backyard. Remember to sprinkle the Alfalfa pellets in the area where you want them to go.
I have had people line the inside of their balcony with fencing (to prevent the puppy from getting out) and use a litter box or a grass pad on the balcony. Others will place the litterbox or grass pad near the door on top of a waterproof surface. Either way, it can be successfully accomplished.
