Can I Take My Puppy to the Park Yet?

Everyone looks forward to bringing their new puppy to the park.  To make sure your new friend stays safe and healthy, Dr. Kimberly Schultz, DVM and the Primary Care Team at Friendship Hospital recommend waiting until at least 2 weeks after your puppy has completed the full series of vaccinations.  Generally, this is close to 6 months of age. Your pup needs to get through his or her full series of vaccinations to be protected against the diseases he or she could be exposed to via direct contact with other dogs, shared toys, or the environment where other dogs and wildlife have been.  Even better is to wait until after your pet has been spayed or neutered.

However, socialization at a young age is ideal. It is not recommended to let your puppy run loose in a dog park until he/she is fully vaccinated, but you can schedule a play date or enroll your new furry friend in a puppy class in a clean environment with fully vaccinated, healthy dogs. This will allow your puppy to meet new faces while minimizing the risk of disease to allow for proper socialization at a young age.

We want your puppies to play safe!

Dr. Schultz graduated from Cornell University in 1997 and joined Friendship in 2004. Dr. Schultz enjoys helping people and their pets in a direct way. Her professional interests include emergency medicine and general practice.

* Featured image courtesy of safebee.com.