Unvaccinated pup - so scared

[WorriedPupOwner]

Our pup is 8 weeks. Just got him, and cannot find anywhere he can get his vaccinations. Nowhere will do it as it's routine. Obviously, we're keeping him in. However, we're letting him out on the lawn for brief periods just to toilet train. Once or twice, he's ended up sniffing round the flower beds before being scooped up. I've now read about how puppies can get parvovirus from foxes, and am terrified. We have had foxes in our garden in the past, and I've no idea if they've been there recently. It's quite possible. I'm keeping him in a tiny area of garden for the time being, just to wee/poo, but I'm so scared he's been exposed and will get really ill. Has anyone got any words of reassurance for me? Spinning out a bit here...

TIA

[JustSplendid]

Don't worry!! There's actually an awful lot of evidence to suggest vaccination is a lot more beneficial after the age of 12 weeks as maternally derived anti bodies can actually render early vaccination useless. Therefore potentially early vaccination equals simply toxins with no benefit.

I have bred dogs for 25 years and get first vaccinations no earlier than 10 weeks and very often after 12 weeks of age and never had any problems.

[WorriedPupOwner]

Oh @JustSplendid you've slowed my heart rate quite a bit there.

Is it terrible that he's been out in the garden a bit, though? Not for ages, but he did sniff around some areas as well as just wee/poo....

Thank you so much for your reply.

[Soubriquet]

Honestly the pup will be fine in the garden!

Don’t worry too much

[JonHammIsMyJamm]

The garden is fine, provided no other unvaccinated dogs or rats hang around there.

[BiteyShark]

Mine went into the garden until he was vaccinated.

I wouldn't have walked mine on the roads with unvaccinated dogs etc but out in the garden was such a small risk that I was fine with it and we live in an area where we get lots of foxes and other wildlife.

[WorriedPupOwner]

Thank you so much, @Soubriquet, @BiteyShark and @JonHammIsMyJamm. Hugely helpful to hear that others have done this and been fine. I'm thinking that before vaccines, most well looked after dogs were probably OK...?
And presumably if it was that dangerous not to have the vaccines, the vets would still be doing them as urgent care?

Thanks again. This is quite scary!

[WorriedPupOwner]

Definitely no unvaccinated dogs in the garden (no dogs at all), and I've never seen any rats. Foxes, yes - sometimes, certainly. Not for a while, though, but they're not always obvious, are they?

[Soubriquet]

I will say, I was naughty and one of my dogs wasn’t even vaccinated until she was 15 months old when we got a new puppy.

[Wolfiefan]

The garden is absolutely fine. I swear I worry more about a new pup than the kids.

[FairfaxAikman]

Not that I'm an advocate of it as such, but there are people who "naturally rear" pups with no vaccinations.
Some use nosodes, others nothing, and then titre test to check immunity.

(I advocate titre testing after puppy vaccs in normal circumstance, but these aren't normal circumstances)

[WorriedPupOwner]

@FairfaxAikman - thank you. That's very reassuring to know. Certainly not a route I'd want to go down myself, but helpful to know at the moment that people do do that... and I've now learned what "nosodes" are, thanks to Google.

@Wolfiefan and @Soubriquet - that's very, very useful to hear. Really appreciate it.

[FFSFFSFFS]

Try and replicate as many solicitation experiences as you can indoors - will be good isolation game!

eg loud environments, different clothing s(hats, sunglasses), different sounds, plastic bags - and do try to take the pup out during your exercise whilst carrying him to get as much socialisation as possible!

You are behaving very outrageously by not providing a puppy photo...

[Wolfiefan]

There’s a great FB group dog training advice and support. Useful until you can get to classes?
And freeze carrots. For teething pupper!

[FFSFFSFFS]

socialisation not solicitation!

[Wolfiefan]

[WorriedPupOwner]

@FFSFFSFFS - solicitation games... will just Google that, shall I?
Thank you, though - excellent ideas...

I'm still fruitlessly ringing round vets, with the stupid idea that one might actually do the vaccines by classing them as essential. Doesn't seem to be the case, though. Can't find stats about how likely it is that a puppy will catch something from foxes. Maybe best not to know, and just to be as careful as possible.

[WorriedPupOwner]

@Wolfiefan - freezing some carrots as we speak! Thank you!

[FFSFFSFFS]

yep - the solicitation games is a whole other thread...

oh also - in complete opposite to my advice to take pup when you go out - I would also try to remember to make sure pup has tiny amounts of time on their own. Just so he realises that you're not always going to be there 24/7!

[WorriedPupOwner]

@FFSFFSFFS - thank you, yes. I'll try to do that, too.
We've only had him for 3 days, so this is a bit of a whirlwind. Been so scared about the fox thing that I've neglected the psychological adjustment elements. Will have to think hard about all of this. We'd arranged to get this puppy before all the coronavirus kicked off, and things have changed a lot, making this a bit of a whirlwind.

[FFSFFSFFS]

Having a puppy is overwhelming in normal circumstances!!

[Soubriquet]

There’s one thing missing...

PUPPY PICTURES!

[WorriedPupOwner]

@FFSFFSFFS - yes. Good point.

Preparing to possibly take him out carrying him on my walk this evening (obviously won't put him down at all, or go near anyone else, human or canine). Or perhaps this should wait (if only to prevent getting covered in his wee or poo because I can't put him down!!).

[WorriedPupOwner]

@Soubriquet - bit worried about outing him ...

Hang on....

[BiteyShark]

Or perhaps this should wait (if only to prevent getting covered in his wee or poo because I can't put him down!!)

Mine used to pee if he got excited. Of course that used to happen if someone came to fuss him when I was carrying him. Trust me you get used to that kind of thing

[WorriedPupOwner]

Here you go, @Soubriquet