[Bonnie33]

Hello,

I recently got a puppy (Mini Schnauzer x Mini poodle) who is 11 weeks old today and very small. We have started training him and he's doing pretty well and walking on the leash too. I want to make sure he's well socialized so when my husband and I walked to the bank today we took him with us carrying and a few times he was squirming to get down so we let him down walking on the pavement for probably about 15 mins in total. I'm not sure if that's too much for him, he seemed to keep up ok but I'm worried we overdid it. He's been flat out sleeping in his crate since we got back.

Also he only has his first shots so I'm not sure how much risk he's at being taken around town? Have been avoiding parks. We just moved here so can't invite people over to socialize him as we don't know anyone yet.

Any thoughts?

 

[GitaBooks]

He sounds so cute! My Aunt and Uncle have a Mini Schnoodle. : )

As far as walking is concerned, at 12 weeks most puppies can go for 10 minute walks pretty well. There is no science to it, its all in how the puppy behaves, the surface they are walking on, when they last ate, when they slept, and so much more. Schnauzer are tough little guys with sturdy bones and tons of energy and needs lots of exercise. Poodles, on the other hand, are more delicate and often have blood sugar issues if walks for a long time and need treats along the way to keep up their energy.
If your puppy seems to be enjoying the walk and isn't lagging behind, whining, asking to be picked up, or suddenly sitting or laying down when you stop, he should be fine. 10-15 minute walks on soft surfaces (cement may hurt little paws) helps to get access energy out, which is why they snooze so much when they get home. Puppies love to sleep and cuddle, and they do so much better when they get all that pent up excitement out of their system.

I'm not an expert as far as shots go, so you can try talking to you vet about when it is safe to walk on areas that may carry diseases. Sidewalks should be fine though.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck with your new puppy! : )

 

[Bonnie33]

yes he is adorable thanks for your reply! I'll keep it in mind during our outings

 

[yoshiposhi]

I would avoid pet stores as well, or at least carry him and don't put him on the floor or counters.

I was very conflicted when I got my pup (at 8 weeks). Being a pit bull, I really wanted to start her socializing early but also didn't want her to get sick/catch something outside. My neighborhood is filled with dog parks, dogs walking EVERY where. At first I walked her in the middle of road, avoided sidewalks and then I had chanced it after her 2nd set of shots and walked on the sidewalk. If a dog came by I would just quickly pick her up, wait for the dog to walk by and put her back down.

I figured since I couldn't socialize her with other dogs yet, I would take her with me any time I could when running errands, at least she would get exposed to strangers, traffic/car noises, different surroundings etc but she didn't mind being carried so that made it easier. I would just make sure your pup doesn't come into close contact with other dogs (especially nose to nose), avoid areas where dogs like to pee like fire hydrants, building corners, grassy areas. You don't want your pup to get too close to another dog's urine or feces that may be contaminated.

I took the risk and let my pup run around in a high school field (because running on concrete is too hard on their joints) after her second set of shots (she got her rabies and lepto early) and so far she hasn't gotten sick. I avoided all dog parks and high dog traffic areas though. I'm not saying you should take the same risks, I just got lucky. Some people think the risk of not socializing is greater than getting parvo or vice versa.

 

[MrsCunningham]

Normally puppies need to have all their shots before being walked outside the house, so avoiding high dog traffic areas is ideal but take care where you walk your pup Parvo can stay in an environment for up to 6-12 months, Check with your vet what their advice is and what areas to avoid (they will know where the high parvo areas are)