[DAndy1987]

Hi there, I'm bringing my puppy home in just 3 weeks (longest of my life!!) and i'm starting to get really worried about him being exposed to sicknesses before he gets his full shots. I live downtown in a big city and I'm worried about taking him outside to do his business and him catching something. My building is very pet friendly and it seems everyone has a dog or two. While i know most of my neighbors keep their dogs in very good health with all shots up to date, i am worried about my little guy snarfing up something. I'm not sure if i'm overreacting because of all of the reading and reasearch i've been doing on this, but my fear and protectiveness over keeping him safe is sarting to get a little out of hand. My parents do live in town with a big, fenched-in, very desease-free backyard, so he's going to have lots of play time and won't be stuck in an apartment all the time! but there's no way i'm moving home til he gets all of his shots! I'm obviously going to stay away from the dog parks til he's good to go, but i really do not want to start him off doing his business on papers/puppy pads.

I guess after that rambling I'm really just looking for some advice on how to go about letting him do his stuff outside without the risk of exposure. Any tips on how to make sure he doesn't pick something up? Also can he catch stuff just from walking around outside? Or does he have to ingest elimination from an infectged dog? Am i just being a nut/over protective dog owner? I understand the basics of it but I'm having a bit of a freak out!

Thankyou!!! any and all advice is needed!!!

 

[EmilyB]

It's good to be safe with your puppy, but don't let it scare you from the important socialization that must go on at this time.

When we first got our GSD pup, the vet we had at the time scared us so bad that we missed out on socializing him properly, and we have never recovered.

How old will your puppy be when he comes home?

 

[DAndy1987]

Just over 8 weeks. I'm lucky and have friends and family that have dogs as well as lots of property for them to romp around together. He will have lots of socialization and once he's fully vaccinated he will be in puppy kindergarden.

 

[Badhalf]

i live in the city also, there's nothing to worry about IMO. just dont let your pup walk into any needles near the drains i guess!?

 

[DAndy1987]

needles aren't so much a concern as say.. oh maybe parvo? Also, i live in canada so there generally aren't too many needles around? i think it's the fear mongering that all of the puppy books and websites do.

 

[Sinister]

Just don't let him sniff any poop or come into contact with un (non?) vaccinated dogs. I think going out to potty he will be okay.

 

[DAndy1987]

Just don't let him sniff any poop or come into contact with un (non?) vaccinated dogs. I think going out to potty he will be okay.

beauty! that's basically all i wanted to hear!! thank you!

 

[PatchworkRobot]

He should be fine doing his business in a backyard.
You can take him out too, just make sure none of the areas have heavy dog traffic. Like sinister said, stay away from other dogs (and their droppings) until he's fully vaccinated. If you want to get him used to seeing people and stuff you can take him to places like schools and just sit with him across the street, perhaps put a blanket/towel down for him, and just watch.

 

[PorschaLei]

He should be fine, just quickly inspect where your walking him, my boy was a big city raised boy until he was fully vaccinated i made sure just to check .what grass patches i walked him in but overall he should be A ok

 

[JayDeezy]

Great advice posted by the others, just wanted to add to what the others said - be on the lookout for poop like the others said, best bet is to do some homework ahead of time and survey an area that looks good for your pup... one thing to look out for is the trademark "urine burn" on grass - definite sign of a high-traffic area for dogs.

 

[Beaumont67]

Great advice posted by the others, just wanted to add to what the others said - be on the lookout for poop like the others said, best bet is to do some homework ahead of time and survey an area that looks good for your pup... one thing to look out for is the trademark "urine burn" on grass - definite sign of a high-traffic area for dogs.

^^^^+1

IMO - with pup on a leash, you have to look for the "poopy land mines" first and plan out the best walk route.
- I look for long fresh grass, over highly travelled cut lawn

Puppy socialization, I do extensive work and outings to show my puppy, many people and places...and learn from these diverse experiences.
- searching for and meeting other dogs, is not even on my todo list...early on...and we have never visited a dog park
- puppies don't need a potential negative encounter / training, bond & confidence building..."yes, setup for success"