A friend sent a message to the joyofpuppies@gmail.com mailbox that brings up a very good point that too often goes overlooked. Puppies more often than not shouldn't go to dog parks.
Just like everyone else, when I get a cute new puppy, I want to show him off...share him with the world! But as it is with human infants, taking canine infants out into the world is taking a huge risk with his health and maybe even his life! Puppies need a series of vaccinations so they can build up immunity to the common diseases such as Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Bordatella and Canine Leukemia. If you take your little puppy out where other, unvaccinated dogs are playing before the puppy's own immunity builds up, he can become infected and become VERY ill. Your puppy doesn't even have to come into contact with the unprotected dog. Viruses can live on the ground, especially in grass, so a dog park can be infected even if there are no other dogs there when you and your puppy visit it.
I started looking up various recommendations for how long after your puppy receives his shots that he will be safe to meet dogs you aren't sure are vaccinated. But the truth is (just like everything else it seems!) every puppy is different. Even puppies from the same litter may need different lengths of time to build up immunity after vaccination. So, it is best to refer to Rule #1. Get yourself a good veterinarian and ask her to let you know when it will be OK for your puppy to go out into the wide, unprotected world.
In the meantime, a dog park is one of the worst place to take a young puppy, along with other public places like a grooming salon or dog washing stand where numerous dogs can visit in succession without thorough sterilization. This is even true of the sidewalk in front of your vet's office, so keep your puppy in his crate and don't set it down outside, or keep him in your arms until you reach the examining table. Even if a business has a rule that proof of vaccinations is required for dogs to be there, you can't be sure that every owner has complied and the vaccinations are up to date, or if a sufficient number of days have passed for their dogs to become fully immune. And some dogs can carry and spread a virus after he is vaccinated, even though he doesn't show any symptoms himself.
You love your new baby puppy. So keep him safe. Stay away from dog parks and socialize your pup at home under very controlled circumstances. He'll have plenty of time playing with other dogs when he gets a little older.
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