[AshleyB]

Hi Guys-

Just got our new puppy 2 weeks ago and he will be 10 weeks old on Saturday. He is starting to act really crazy during the day by running around in circles and "digging" in my carpet. I want to be able to take him out for walks, but I heard it was unsafe if they haven't had all of their shots. He has already had his first round of shots and is scheduled for his second round in 2 weeks.

Do you think it would be okay if I walked him around the neighborhood on his leash for 10-15 minutes? This is my first Vizsla so any advice is appreciated! My little man is sleeping on my lap as I type this

 

[fiona long]

ermmmmm no. i personally think you should wait till they have all their shots and i'm pretty sure thats what every vet will recomend too. i know its a hard time just now with all that excess energy to burn off and the little one being stuck in house but try to persist!! i know i was so tempted to let my pup out for a wee while but would have felt awful if anything had happened to her!

 

[Mercutio]

It might depend where you live. We were told (both by breeder and by vet) that after the first lot of needles, which they got before they left the breeder, they had some protection and that although it would be a little bit risky, we could take him out. We were told to only let him play with other vaccinated dogs.

We thought the risk of missing out on valuable socialisation time while he was still a baby was a greater risk (or more likely) than catching something. And I can't imagine having him just cooped up at home till 12 weeks - we would all have gone crazy

BUT ask your vet, we have very few diseases here (what with being an island at the bottom of the world) so what might have been OK for us might not be OK for you.

 

[Mischa]

I agree with Merc. They have some protection from their mum's milk and also their first vaccination. If you can find a safe place I would say go for it. Also bringing him or her to meet friend's dogs who are vaccinated is a great way to tire them out.

I am a firm believer in socializing your dog. The first few weeks are really really critical to your pup's development. It's also in a vizsla's nature to be timid if not socialized properly and it is heart breaking to see a fearful and unhappy.

After Mischa's second shot I felt even more confident about taking her out. I still had to watch her like a hawk (ienscanning a sidewalk and if anything is missing from what I've surveyed it's probably in her mouth lol) but I'm really glad that I did. She's a confident happy go lucky V.

 

[Tulip]

We carried ours around in an old blanket to take him to different places to hear and see new things. He loved it for the first 20 minutes of every trip and then turned into a wriggling worm!! Great fun for us and the dog though! It got him used to noisy buses and mototrbikes etc., and he loves the car.

 

[deeco3307]

We mostly walked our V around the yard until he got his last shots. After that we began walking shorter distances, just around the block or so. Quickly you'll progress to longer distances. I personally don't agree with the minute per week old rule. If you try walking a 4 month old V for 16 minutes your liable to get the opposite reaction your desiring. I think there is some talk on this board of "overexercise." Personally I haven't experienced this with our V. I know how far he can walk and what it takes to get him tired. Anything less can cause some excess energy for a bit. All breeds are different. Each individual dog is different. The minute rule is meant to be very general I believe. A V puppy is a lot different than a toy poodle puppy...

I would also HIGHLY suggest practicing walking in the house first. Teaching him to stay by your side by using treats. It will make your walks much more enjoyable when he is able to stroll the neighborhood.