Public places, puppy with only first set of shots

[Anonymous]

9 week old chihuahua, will get 2nd set of shots in a week or two.

Can I take him into pet stores but just keep him away from other dogs? Or is it better to wait? Are puppy diseases spread bodily or on surfaces? Just wondering what I can/can't do safely & what the risks are so I can be appropriately cautious. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

No you must wait he could get very sick very quickly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No you must wait he could get very sick very quickly

Thank you. Best to not bring him in public at all until after all shots (3 sets?) or just not in places dogs are/go? I will ask vet more info but haven't been there yet

[Anonymous]

I would ask your vet.

Ours told us to avoid places with lots of other animals (pets stores, dog parks obviously, parks that other dogs frequent) but that taking her to friends/family homes, short walk on our own street, walking at quiet/lesser used parks was fine. I think it was a “lessens risk” set of advice rather than complete elimination of risk. However: ours is a German Shepherd (really needs to be socialized earlier) and vets advice was that benefits outweigh risks- but to be smart about it.

But definitely ask vet- really common question.

[Anonymous]

The one you really need to worry about - parvovirus - can live on the ground for a while so you don't want to let your puppy walk anywhere that has a lot of dogs of unknown vaccination status. The pet store and dog parks are definitely out, and I would also avoid parks that get a lot of dogs visiting from different areas like the National Mall or Roosevelt Island.

That said, it's definitely important to socialize your dog early and often. Your own street is probably reasonably safe if you live in an area where people take care of their pets. In my neighborhood the biggest risk would come from another very recently adopted dog who might be carrying parvo. The resident dogs are all vaccinated. Talk to your vet if you aren't sure about what would be a reasonable level of risk to accept to socialize your puppy. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone for your input, appreciate it!