My puppy is scared outside before shots. When can he go to school?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach. Generally after the full set of vaccinations it is much safer to walk a dog out more where there are other dogs. Immunity to the major infectious diseases should be well established after receiving the vaccinations. Increased socialization with other dogs should help with that aggression and fear of other dogs. Puppy training classes can help as well. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and congratulations on your new puppy! Unfortunately, Maximus is not fully vaccinated at this point, so he should not be going outside. Depending on your state, he can be fully vaccinated by 12 or 16 weeks. If this was his first round of shots, he will need a booster in 2-4 weeks and then his Rabies vaccine at 12-16 weeks as well as his last booster. Maximus should have minimal contact with other dogs (even where other dogs have gone to the bathroom) as you can’t be sure they are not carrying any of the viruses that Maximus is not vaccinated for that can make him very sick. I know it is difficult to keep a large active puppy inside, but your vet can work with you to have Maximus fully vaccinated in a reasonable amount of time.

It depends on your area. I do recommend outside training with dogs that were vaccinated once. Although, still caution people because the puppies are not fully vaccinated. Make sure he does not come into contact with other dogs unless you know the people and their dogs are healthy and up to date on vaccinations. I would also recommend wiping his paws off when he comes in from outside. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You can get started right away! Consistency is the key to house training, so be sure to take Emmitt outside often - after eating, napping, playing, or at least every 2-3 hours. Reward appropriate potty behavior with praise and a small treat. If you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house, say "no" and take him straight outside. If you find an accident around the house, there is no need to scold or punish him. The main concern at this point is that Emmitt is not fully vaccinated against some highly contagious viruses, such as parvovirus. Until he has received his full distemper/parvovirus vaccine series, keep him away from other dogs. This includes areas where other dogs may have previously eliminated, such as parks or around your neighborhood. Keep Emmitt confined to your backyard until his vaccine series is complete.

Socialization in controlled environments is good (such as puppy classes where all puppies must show proof of vaccination) or with friends that you trust to have their dogs vaccinated. I would not recommend going to public parks or pet stores until 1 month after the last vaccination (usually at 16 weeks of age).

Yes, you can certainly socialize Marshall - it's important to start this process as early as possible. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) actually recommends starting puppy kindergarten classes and other types of socialization as early as 7-8 weeks, before vaccinations are complete - you can read their position statement on this topic for more information if you like: https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Puppy_Socialization_Position_Statement_Download_-_10-3-14.pdf It's fine for Marshall to go on walks, and to visit friends with healthy vaccinated adult dogs. You can also enroll him in a good puppy kindergarten class in your area. He will be fully protected from parvo and distemper about 7-10 days after his last booster vaccine, so after that he can go anywhere - until then, you can definitely get him out and about, just avoid areas where large numbers of strange dogs have been such as dog parks, etc. The rabies vaccine is intended to protect him from contracting rabies if he comes into contact with a wild animal, so isn't really relevant for taking him on walks, etc. - he should definitely get it when the time comes, but you can go right ahead and take him for walks, to classes, etc. in the meantime :)

Congrats on your new puppy! Because you will not have a private yard and cannot be sure that your area will be virus free, Niko should stay confined from public areas until at least two weeks after his final shots at 16 weeks of age. Parvovirus can live in the environment outside for up to a year, so it's extremely important to make sure he has no contact with that, or any other potential life threatening viruses. You can train Niko to use pee pads instead until he is fully vaccinated, and then work on house training him.