Hello Shannon

We fetched our new Rottweiler puppy last week, at the age of 8 weeks. I was all set to start taking her to socialisation classes until the breeder suggested that she doesn't go off our property until her next set of vaccinations due to the risk of her contracting Parvovirus. Her next set of vaccinations will not be for another 3 weeks, and on reading your articles on socialisation it seems that the earlier we start, the better it will be for all concerned. We have 2 small children, and I have never owned a dog before, so am really concerned about inadvertantly doing the wrong thing and creating bad habits, but also do not want to put the puppy at risk. Do you have any suggestions?

Kind regards
Social Liza

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Dear Social Liza,

Rottweilers do appear to be more prone to parvovirus than most other breeds. This appears to be more of an issue in an environment with lots of Rottweilers. It is indeed a problem, as Rottweilers certainly need good quality socialisation as puppies. Waiting until their vaccination schedule is complete actually puts them outside of the optimal socialisation period of 16 weeks.

In my puppy school I am happy to accept puppies after their second vaccination, which should be given at around 10 weeks of age. The small risk of illness in a properly run puppy group is far outweighed by the risks of owning a large unsocialised dog. But I am not in the situation of having a large number of Rottweiler puppies in each class, so I can afford to relax my vaccination protocol.

New research has proven that puppies attending a puppy school actually cross immunise one another. The exposure to mild bacteria and viruses also stimulates their immune system and these puppies are thought to be ultimately healthier as a result.

Of course it is imperative that the owner of the puppy school ensures that only healthy puppies and dogs are allowed onto the premises. A dog coming from a suspect background, such a pet shop or a flea market (no pun intended), should not be allowed to join a puppy group until he has been in his owner's possession for two weeks and then given a clean bill of health by a veterinary surgeon. Unfortunately these pups can often be incubating diseases, hence the two-week period before being allowed to join the group.

I operate my own puppy school on these guidelines and in the past six years we have never experienced a problem with a contagious disease (touch wood). In this time we have had nearly 1000 puppies through our school.

Disease is a risk when dealing with puppies that are not fully vaccinated, but I would rather face that risk than end up with a pup that never received his "behavioural vaccination" thanks to puppy school.

Regards
Shannon