7 week old pup

[medsecslave]

Is it safe to allow a 7 week old pup to play on grass in our own back garden until he's had his jabs? Thanks.

[andy-hughes]

No.

Just because it's familar to you does not mean every disease known to vets hasn't decided to park there and wait for a vulnerable pup to come along and get infected.

[medsecslave]

Thanks.

[lankeela]

What the hell are you talking about andy-hughes?

The first thing you should do with a pup when you get it home, when it has been fed, when it has woken up, when it has been playing for a while, is to let it out into your garden so it associates the garden with doing a wee or a poo, which he will want to do. Easiest way of house training. Stay out there with him and make lots of fuss when he does do something.

I also always advocate taking even a baby puppy out with you,, carry him where there are people or dogs, but put himdown where there have been no dogs, such as a field near your home. Provided you don't take him to the local park where all the local dogs wee he will benefit from the experience. Far more dogs die through lack of socialisation (i.e. are put to sleep) than ever die from catching anything.

Jules, back me up here please!

[fredpuli47]

While we're waiting for jules, and for what it's worth, I'll back you up Lankeela. It is possible to go to extremes of avoidance!

[kita1]

I'm not Jules, but I back Lankeela up!!!!

Do you honestly think the breeder has kept all the pups in their house since the day they were born?

Plus has the mum not been out for a walk (and brought everything in on her feet). People have been coming and going around the pups and carrying goodness knows what in on their shoes.

What happens when you take the pup to the vet for his vaccination? You go into a waiting room full of sick dogs!!!!

Please don't make the mistake I made with my first GSD, I did not take her out and I even called the vet out to the house to give her the first vaccination. Result: one GSD that had no socialisation until she was 16 weeks old. She NEVER accepted people and took alot of very hard work all her life. She had to be muzzled every time I took her to the vet and was a real liability.

My present dog was taken out and about from the age of 7 weeks old and is the perfect dog with people and other animals.

Pups inherit some antibodies from their mum anyhow and have a certain extent of natural immunity.

[missrandom]

Our vet said we could also take our pup to other peoples houses, as long as there are no unvaccinated dogs around. Very good for socialisation.

[lankeela]

Phew, thanks folks, thought I was having a senior moment.

[fredpuli47]

Never ,lankeela, a senior moment would be my driving a dog to the vet's for a vaccination and realising, half way there, that I'd gone without the dog. When I went back, he was still sitting in the hall with his collar and lead on.

[jules77]

I here Lankeela.

It would be silly to try and keep a puppy in the house until it is 13 weeks old after all its jabs. As Lankeela says, mine go out in the garden as soon as we get them, at 8 weeks. And every hour throughout the day when housetraining, sun, rain or snow.

As Lankeela says, I also take them out in the car with me, and carry them, hels them socialise and get used to the car.

[horselady]

We made exactly the same mistake with a GSD we once had as you did kita1. As you said, one dog who hated people the rest her life and was really hard work, although we loved her to bits.

Fredpuli47 did you really do that? lol!

[fredpuli47]

Yes, horselady,I did really do that. And I'd driven two miles before I realised. What got me, on returning, was the sight of the min. poodle still waiting in the hall, all ready to go.He probably thought "Daft old devil. Better stay right here to prompt him in case he comes back, having completely forgotten what he went out for !"

[Velvetee]

Why are people so aggressive on here. Surely a better way of responding to Andy Hughes's answer would be something like "Sorry, but I have to disagree with you Andy Hughes". Instead of "What the hell are you talking about". That was so downright rude and aggressive.

People here never cease to amaze me and I wonder how they behave towards others in everyday life.

[medsecslave]

So relieved to hear he can play on our grass. We only got him yesterday, he's a ball of fluff border collie who's been looking out of the window and crying to go out and play! I was worried about how I was going to house train him but having spent most of the morning taking him outside, he's already getting the idea. Thanks to you all.

[fredpuli47]

medsecslave, he'll 'get the idea' fast enough ! That is an understatement! Have you had a border collie before? If not you're in for a surprisingly entertaining life because they aren't like any other breed when it comes to learning fast or , come to that, needing to find something to amuse them.Great fun to have around.

[Marijn]

Velvetee, I agree with you. I hope people don't talk to each other in person, the way they do on here.
Medsecslave, that must be lovely having a little seven week pup, very exciting!

[medsecslave]

Hi Fredpuli - yes I had a border collie previously, we lost her ten years ago at the age of 15 so it's a long time since I did the puppy thing!! Love border collies, so quick to learn and we've only had one 'accident' today - 24 hours from leaving his mum!

[Kleiber]

I agree with lankeela (and the others) - it's perfectly OK to let your pup out in your own back garden. The main risk to a little pup who hasn't had his/her innoculations, is coming into contact with an un-innoculated dog, who could be carrying disease. Don't get paranoid about it, though - they're like human children - if we don't expose them to a limited bit of disease, they'll never build up any immunity!

[lankeela]

The answer the original poster gave to the first reply worried me into thinking that they were taking this bad advice as gospel. I don't know anyone who would recommend not letting a pup into their own garden, and that is exactly what I would have said if I had been face to face with andy-hughes at that moment, although I would say he(?) has often given good and relevant advice on here. I didn't call him a ******* **** which is probably what I was thinking, so I think he got off lightly.

[lankeela]

And for a real senior moment, this morning when I went to read something I could not focus on the small print so started to look for my glasses, which I then realised I was already wearing! Shoulda gone to Specsavers!