# When can puppy's go for their first walk



## sammypenny

I have read a lot of different advice and will ask the vet when he has his second injections. But that isn't until 12 weeks. So do i really need to wait till 14 weeks to let him go for a walk?


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## Pezant

You can carry him around outside if you like but yes, really you do need to wait until after the second injection to walk a new pup. There are just too many risks of a major infection (like parvo) that their immune system can't deal with to chance it. 

Besides, think of it this way - you've got to wait a couple of extra weeks now, but you've got somewhere around another ten years of walks to come.


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## Redice

My vets gives first injection at 8 weeks and 2nd injection at 10 weeks and then advises waiting one week after that before Puppies are allowed to be out and about 'on the floor'. So my puppies have always been 11 weeks. Until that time I carry them around in my arms or a sling to various places and also park up and sit in the estate part with the back up to watch the world go by. Oh and let them meet vaccinated dogs if possible - in their own home.


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## Misi

Interesting you should bring this up as it was a topic of discussion on my dog training course at the weekend. The trainers said that it was really important for a pup to be socialised in this important window between you getting them at 8 weeks and them completing their cycle of vaccinations. As long as you frequent places where dogs are likely to have been vaccinated and only fraternise with vaccinated dogs, it's crucial that pups are exposed to as many different dogs, situations and people as possible, so people of different ethnicities, people with hats, beards, sticks, wheelchair users, etc, etc, etc... The importance of this socialisation far outweighs the very small risk of infection. I was surprised but they were really adamant about this.


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## foursmith

Yes we had to wait til fourteen weeks it seems forever at the time, we practised lead walking at home and Elvis met a few dogs that had been vaccinated, he is s upper sociable little fella now.better safe than sorry.


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## Sarah1983

I'm fully in agreement that the small risk of illness is massively outweighed by the importance of early socialisation. If you're not comfortable putting pup on the floor then at least carry him around, get him used to the things he'll be expected to cope with as an adult, different types of people, traffic, sights and sounds of the general area. If he's going to be expected to ride on buses and trains then get him used to those.


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## Wiz201

Redice said:


> My vets gives first injection at 8 weeks and 2nd injection at 10 weeks and then advises waiting one week after that before Puppies are allowed to be out and about 'on the floor'. So my puppies have always been 11 weeks. Until that time I carry them around in my arms or a sling to various places and also park up and sit in the estate part with the back up to watch the world go by. Oh and let them meet vaccinated dogs if possible - in their own home.


I'm the same although I couldn't lift Bonnie cause she was a big puppy and I was recovering from a broken arm.


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## koolchick

I've had 2 pups not at same time and none were took out apart from carried to vets to have the 2 needles til after a week after 2nd needle. I can't understand people saying the benefits of socialization outweighs risk of illness. even if there is only a tiny risk that could cost a dog its life I don't think its worth it. None of my dogs have suffered through not going out til a week after 2nd needle.


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## sammypenny

OK, i read that by the time they can go out on the floor the window for new things has gone, so it made no sense, He's already getting a heavy chap lol, but i will take him for a carried walk around the village then  Our drive is on the road everyoen uses to take the kids to school so i lety ihm sit by the gate and watch the school buses and be petted by half a dozen kids every day lol


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## IndysMamma

Biggles was carried around a few times before his jabs but there was a parvo outbreak in the area so we were all pretty much housebound to prevent risk of bringing it in to him (had parvo effective disinfectant in a cat tray by the door) - I have social anxiety/mild agoraphobia anyway so was fine for me but my brother had to go out to work 

but because we *knew* parvo was in the area and several pups and dogs had died it was worth it to us.

if you find carrying is tough - try popping the pup in a backpack wrapping him in a fleece blanket first, leaving it unzipped and then wearing it back to front so you are using it like a baby sling.

Oh Biggles went for walks properly 1 week after jabs, so was out and about at 13 weeks old


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## Redice

sammypenny said:


> OK, i read that by the time they can go out on the floor the window for new things has gone, so it made no sense, He's already getting a heavy chap lol, but i will take him for a carried walk around the village then  Our drive is on the road everyoen uses to take the kids to school so i lety ihm sit by the gate and watch the school buses and be petted by half a dozen kids every day lol


If you can make a bit of a sling for him then that should help with being able to carry him if he is getting heavy.


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## Sarah1983

sammypenny said:


> OK, i read that by the time they can go out on the floor the window for new things has gone, so it made no sense, He's already getting a heavy chap lol, but i will take him for a carried walk around the village then  Our drive is on the road everyoen uses to take the kids to school so i lety ihm sit by the gate and watch the school buses and be petted by half a dozen kids every day lol


They reckon the critical window for socialisation closes at around 16 weeks so yeah, by the time the vets say they're safe to be taken out you've got very little of that window left. You can get an older dog used to new things but it's a hell of a lot more difficult and more stressful than it is with a young puppy.

There's no way I'd wait until after injections to start getting a puppy used to the outside world. I've seen tons of threads on here alone where people have done just that and then it comes to the time pup is allowed to go out and it's absolutely terrified and overwhelmed. Obviously not all puppies are affected that way but it's not a risk I'd take personally.


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## IndysMamma

that's why despite the parvo outbreak Biggles was carried out and about to get him used to the sights, smells and sounds of traffic, birds, people and so on.

The village we lived in had a lorry route right though it so he was carried along there and was taken to the news agents and the kids park to hear the kids playing...

by the time he was able to go on his lead and walk he wasn't scared of any of the noises and was just super excited to smell *everything* lol

remember you can practice leash walking in the house first anyway so pup is used to the restriction and following you and direction before facing the outside world


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## sammypenny

OK i took him outside onto the front garden, on his leash for the first time, he wasn't too bad and mostly wanted to run like a wild dog and pounce on all the grass, first time he's ever walked on it.

My front garden is right on the road where all the buses and school kids walk as we live round the corner, so he got to meet lots of kiddies today and busess and cats and other dogs, but i didnt let him too close to them cos you can hardly start questioning everyone....IS YOUR DOG VACCINATED???

Front garden....









The result is a pooch out cold in his bed lol


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## Meezey

Carried my pups everywhere until they were allowed on the ground, and I have a knackered back and they were Rott's and GSD's  and I took them everywhere I could... In the end my last Rott was such a big bugger, it was like carrying a sack of spuds over my shoulder 

But we did lots of training and lead work in my back garden, where there was no chance of any other dogs being out there ever


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## tabulahrasa

I carried him everywhere until a week past his last injection - but that was 11 weeks...The thing is though that you can take them way more places and stay out for longer if you're carrying them anyway if you're actually walking them you're not going to get to go very far.


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## Sarah Dawson

tabulahrasa said:


> I carried him everywhere until a week past his last injection - but that was 11 weeks...The thing is though that you can take them way more places and stay out for longer if you're carrying them anyway if you're actually walking them you're not going to get to go very far.


Hi I'm just about to get my first puppy. If you carry them around with you then what do you do if they need the toilet if you cant put them on the ground?


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## Wiz201

you can pop them on the ground for a few minutes if they're really desperate. They catch parvo from dogs faeces anyway so just choose where to walk your puppy. They can go on the ground in private gardens with vaccinated dogs.


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## melannie

op's original old post was march 2013, just saying.


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## Guest

melannie said:


> op's original old post was march 2013, just saying.


2012 hun. So yes old thread.


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## Wiz201

I noticed that but thought the newbie could get an answer to her question anyway


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