Can I Carry My Puppy Outside Before Vaccinations? Dog Trainer’s Advice
Last Updated/Info Checked on October 18, 2023 by Linda Michaels
You can carry your puppy outside your home before vaccinations. No one’s stopping you. However, you should be careful enough to not let the pup dig or get near any stray or otherwise.
The reason for this is simple – your puppy’s immune system is at its weakest. It’s still building up in its initial phases. Unlike an adult dog, it cannot take serious invasions like that from parvovirus.
That is not the only problem. Your puppy could contract:
- Lepto
- Dog bronchitis
- Canine distemper
- Parvovirus (need to talk about this in detail)
When Can My Puppy Go Outside? 4 Diseases Your Puppy Could Contract Unvaccinated
Read about the dreaded diseases that your unvaccinated puppy is prone to.
1. Lepto
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease most common among farm dogs. The bacteria’s found in water and infected animals. It enters the wounds of another dog or even a human through the mouth and causes serious illness.
I have seen the visuals of a lab puppy going through it and it wasn’t a good sight. The puppy had a hard time breathing, fever that wouldn’t go, diarrhea, and overall weakness no matter what the owner fed it.
I was called on to check but it was far from my expertise. We had to take the poor thing to a vet. He survived luckily.
2. Dog Bronchitis
You could guess that the disease is related to the lungs from the name bronchitis. This is also called kennel cough and is another debilitating puppy disease.
Caused by a strain of bacteria and viruses, the disease is characterized by wheezing, a runny nose, watery eyes, and a periodic cough. You should also sense some tiredness in the dog.
I need to mention here that we laid a Great Dane puppy to rest because he developed pneumonia after an untreated kennel cough.
That was a heavy day for my friend. You could save your pooch from the same fate.
3. Canine Distemper
You might have heard the name “hard pad disease”. That’s canine distemper’s second name. This is by far the most serious disease and the end of it isn’t good.
I call it serious because it spreads quickly through air laden in tiny droplets that may have come out of the mouths of an infected animal when it coughed or sneezed.
Coming in contact with the fluids of the infected animal through other means could also transmit the virus.
That’s one of the reasons why I don’t use the same water or food bowl for my dogs. They each have a separate one.
As I said, the end of the disease isn’t good. The virus attacks the nervous and digestive systems. Your pooch if infected may start eating less, seeming always tired with coughs and vomiting being the other two companions.
There will be nasal discharge. If left untreated, as happened back in the days when one of my clients had an outbreak in the raccoons nearby, the dog’s nervous system takes a toll.
I saw the dog lose motor control when I was training one of their Rottweilers. That’s when I had to stop, isolate the other dogs, and advise the owner to do something about it.
4. Parvovirus
Canine Parvovirus is transmitted through the feces of the infected dog. Your puppy younger than 4 months could get it from any surface, hands, leashes, or bowls that have been used by an infected dog.
The virus attacks the gastrointestinal system of a puppy. The results or symptoms are bloody stool, vomiting, temperatures that don’t go away easily, bloating, abdominal pain, and tiredness. Your pooch could also stop eating.
Sick dogs have a lower chance of survival if they are not rushed to the hospital within the first 48 or 72 hours. The care at the clinic could end up in the ICU.
Therefore, it’s better to keep your 4 months below-aged pup away from the surfaces and all when you’re walking it. Why walk it outside when there are so many threats to its life?
Is It Safe To Take My Puppy Outside Before Vaccinations?
No, it’s not. That’s the simple answer you’re getting from this trainer.
The immune system of a puppy before vaccination is too weak to deal with the likes of the diseases I talked about. I haven’t even included rabies.
So, I recommend that you don’t take it out before vaccination at all.
If you still wanna take your pup outside before vaccination, here’s a video showing safe ways to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answering some common questions that the dog owners asked.
Can I Take My Puppy Out If I Carry Her?
If you could carry her outside until you’re inside, then the chances of her getting the 4 dreaded diseases could be reduced.
However, since we can’t see pathogens with our naked eyes, you can’t be sure if you’re keeping her safe. But if you still have to carry her out, make sure that she stays in the local area.
You should also have the knowledge that no outbreak has occurred recently in the area you’re living.
How Do I Exercise My Unvaccinated Puppy?
Exercise your unvaccinated puppy inside your house. Your backyard could be a safer place. However, before doing so, do check out manually for any fecal material lying around or any stray animal hanging out in your yard.
You could also make small hurdles for it inside your house since unvaccinated puppies are below 4 months old and don’t need that much exercise. The rule of thumb is to exercise the puppy every 5 minutes per 1 month.
Can I Take My Unvaccinated Puppy Around Vaccinated Dogs?
You could socialize your puppy with vaccinated dogs as they pose no danger. However, you should know that the dogs you’re going to invite to your house are vaccinated for sure.
Ask their owners about it and I’m sure they’ll be glad to fill you in on their vaccination routines. You could also learn a great deal from them.
Wrapping Up
I don’t recommend that you should take your puppy out before vaccination. The diseases that linger outside are beyond the scope of our vision.
We can’t see the pathogens and thus, we can’t take any chances with the fragile health of the puppy. Vaccinate your puppy as soon as possible and exercise it in safer places.
