- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Adopting a puppy comes with lots of excitement and questions. One of the most asked-about parts of puppy care is their vaccination schedule. Pet parents want to get their puppies socializing early for their development, but they don’t want to risk them getting sick. So when can puppies be around other dogs?
To get a clear answer, we spoke with Rhiannon van Lidth de Jeude Roemer, a certified dog trainer at Raintown Dog Training in Vancouver, CA (KPA-CTP).
Is There A Specific Age Puppies Can Play With Other Dogs?
It’s less about a puppy reaching a certain age to play with other dogs and more about your pup’s vaccination schedule. Van Lidth de Jeude Roemer says a puppy is considered fully vaccinated and able to socialize with any other dogs one week after their third set of shots.
“Usually this final round is given between 12 and 18 weeks of age, but [that] can vary depending on your vet and vaccination schedule,” she says.
Until your pup is fully vaccinated, you should avoid letting them interact with dogs who aren’t vaccinated—or dogs whose vaccination status you’re unsure of.
That likely means avoiding everything from small walks around your neighborhood to bigger expeditions like hiking in the woods. You should also refrain from taking your pup to a dog park before they are vaccinated due to the potential for contact with unvaccinated dogs.
Can a Puppy Play With Your Own Dogs?
As long as your other dogs are up to date on their vaccinations, van Lidth de Jeude Roemer says it’s perfectly fine for your puppy to interact with them.
“Letting your young puppy meet other dogs who you know are up to date on their vaccinations is perfectly safe and important to begin their socialization,” she explains.
When Can a Puppy Play With Other Puppies?
Most vets agree that puppies can play together in clean, supervised spaces one week after their first round of vaccinations. Having one round of shots completed is a common requirement for puppy training classes.
You can also bring your puppy out in a carrier or while holding them to allow them to see the world and other puppies, but van Lidth de Jeude Roemer advises pet parents not to get too close, either to other dogs or unsanitary spaces. “Ensure the interactions take place in a clean environment, not a location where unvaccinated dogs may frequent,” she advises.
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When Can a Puppy Play With Other Dogs?
If you are 100% positive the other dogs are vaccinated, puppies can start socializing with other dogs in a clean, safe environment, like friends or family members’ houses. However, it’s important to talk with your vet to confirm, as they can provide more personalized advice depending on your pup’s needs and the area in which you live.
How Do I Socialize My Dog Before They’re Vaccinated?
A lot of pet parents are anxious to introduce their puppy to other dogs, and for good reason. Dog introductions are part of puppy socialization.
“A puppy’s socialization window starts as early as three to six weeks of age, and it ends before they reach twenty weeks,” van Lidth de Jeude Roemer says. “Exposing your dog to other pups, humans, environments, sounds, and activities in a positive way at this age will prevent them from developing fears later in life.”
So how do you socialize your puppy if they can’t interact with other dogs for a good chunk of that window?
First, remember that your puppy can interact with dogs you know are vaccinated. If you have friends with vaccinated dogs, you can introduce your puppy in clean spaces.
Next, it’s important to understand that puppy socialization is about more than interactions with other dogs and humans. It’s about getting them used to the world at large. There’s a long checklist of things you can start socializing your puppy to before they’re fully vaccinated, like:
- Body handling
- Introducing grooming tools and gear like collars and harnesses
- Taking them on car rides
- Playing with new toys at home
- Starting short and sweet basic training sessions
- Introducing them to new sights, environments, and textures (this could be as simple as letting them experience hardwood and carpeted floors)
- Exposing them to different smells and sounds (cooking in the kitchen, noise from the television, car noises outside, ringtones)
- Carrying your puppy outside to expose them to new sights, sounds, and smells
