Age to socialize - tied to rabies? So five months?

[Melt1109]

Guess I missed this in my reading but Emilie is 8 weeks and had puppy 1 a week ago. Vet won't do rabies until puppy 3.

I feel really stupid but can I really not let her meet any dogs before then? 4 months? Isn't that late to start introducing her to other dogs?

Thanks!
Melanie

[take4roll10]

I wouldn't let my dog meet any strange dogs until a week after her last puppy and rabies vaccines. However, I did introduce her to my friend's and family's dogs because I knew they were up to date on their vaccines.

[Tagg]

Start taking her out next week in your arms to meet people and to see the world. If you have friends with vaccinated, puppy savvy dogs, you can take her for in house visits. I wouldn't expose her to places where strange dogs have urinated or defecated which is why I keep them off the ground when out and about. Don't forget when at the vet's keep her off the floor there too.
There's also puppy socialization classes at many obedience places for puppies that are a bit older than she is. Be prepared to leave half way through a class if she gets overwhelmed - it happens and it won't help if she is left that way. You want her to learn to play with other dogs and then settle to work when asked. Don't make the mistake of making it all play - do a little bit of sits, recalls and lead walking so that she learns to be with other dogs but ready to focus on you as needed.
Work on handling her whole body, gently opening her mouth for oral examinations, gently pulling on her toe nails with your fingers as if you were clipping them then touching them with the actual toenail clippers, introducing the clippers by just having them on the table working to turning them on and laying the body of them on her to accustom her to the vibrations and noise. Handle her ears and softly wipe the inside of the leather with a cotton ball. Introduce scissors up by her ears by slowly working to opening and closing them near her ears. Grooming lessons are important. Make each session short. A few minutes here and there are better tolerated than a long one by baby pups. A trick I always used was to have a good play session then when they were tiring I would put them on the grooming table and groomed the part that wasn't moving.
Puppyhood is the time to keep reminding yourself what you want her to be like when she isn't a cute little ball of fluff anymore. It's hard to be religious about this but it is a necessary part of ending up with a civilized dog that you and her vets enjoy.
Good luck with Emilie. I look forward to reading about her.

[Melt1109]

Thank you so much. I have two possible places I wanted to take her. Both have dogs with up to date shots. Meanwhile, I am abiding by no paws on the ground except our backyard.

There are no available classes without rabies vaccine (plus the be safe week).

I guess I just was shocked and am now adjusting to the idea we are only going to be doing work at home although I do think I am going to take her out for some up in my arms visits.

I am handling her all over. Hadn't thought about clippers, scissors and cotton balls as an aid to familiarize her with grooming.

Thanks for helping me through this senior moment I had...and everyday is a better day in terms of love, maturation and fun. Right now I think she is very bored so I am reading posts to learn what we can work on. She is clearly bright and affectionate and I just don't want to let her down! I know I am fortunate that she is learning so quickly - especially about her crate and the cats and even the problem areas like cords or the small trash can - I just never dreamed an eight week old could be such a voracious learner as to have exhausted all my learning at the end of our first week together!

Speaking of learning....what are the best treats as all I have are freeze dried liver (I think). I know I need something small since it is used often and contributes to weight. Just go with bits of hot dog or chicken or commercial dog treat such as???

Thanks again for the help - I'm playing 'ketchup'!

Thanks,
Melanie

[Tagg]

If she is able to eat her own kibble then you can use a portion or all of her meals as rewards. Just measure out to make sure you don't overdo. Liver should never be more than 10% of a dog's daily diet and will cause the scoots if fed too much.
I put the recipe for Tuna Fudge on the site so you can do a search but if you don't find it, then let me know and I will send it to you.

[Melt1109]

Thanks Tagg!

I'm not a cook but may give them a try. In addition to finding the recipe portion of the site, I learned something else important! Her liver treats are made in China! OMG!

Sooooo....to the kitchen I go.

Also going to try the sweet potatoes treats as well!

Y'all are life savers!

Thanks,
Melanie