My 8 week old basenji just had her first vaccine yesterday and I'm wondering when would be a good time to socialize we with other dogs. Should I wait another 4 weeks until her second vaccine or is she ready now?
We began socializing Loki with other dogs at 9 weeks old. But it was in a controlled setting where all the other puppies were up to date on shots and healthy and the same for any adult dog allowed to join in. You may want to search in your area for some puppy socialization groups run by trainers or vet clinics that meet on a weekly or biweekly basis and who actually check health records.
There are many who would argue that it is too risky due to health concerns, but many vets agree that so long as they are all healthy and where they should be shot-wise, the earlier the socialization, the better.
Start now, the sooner the better. And it's not just other dogs that is needed but different people and lots of different environments. Here is the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's position on early socialization. Just don't go around strange dogs in uncontrolled situations. If your puppy is around a lot of other puppies in a class that are all on vaccination schedules the risk is low. However if you take your puppy to a dog park where you have no idea of how the owners have vaccinated their dogs or what the health conditions of the dogs are, the risk is higher. Just be mindful of the situations.
http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/puppy_socialization.pdf
Do you have friends whose dogs you know have their vaccinations and are friendly for a puppy? Definitely keep them away from the dog park for a while. If you want people socialization take t hem to a grocery store parking lot where there aren't a lot of dogs but you will see lots of people. That way they get hands on with people but its a low risk situation. Just a thought.
Hi, Socialization was one of my worries and I wanted to get it right, get your friends over and have them wear hats and bags and anything and everything at different times, what we did at home was just getting the household socialization such as umbrellas, pots, rubbish bins etc started and if you have friends with vaccinated and friendly dogs get them around. There is a lot of socialization you can do before your pup is fully vaccinated at home, rubbish day is a good day for standing at the gate watching the big noisy trucks go by, picking up the bins and banging them down, watching the mower, hearing the motorbike being started. Just remember let your pup take it's time don't force it when it is uncomfortable. Our 6 month old boy is doing great and is quite a confident fella. At 14 weeks we did puppy class for 7 weeks and only started going to a dog park at 4 months and he automatically knew how to be a dog when he was with the other dogs. Good luck.
