Socialization and Vaccination

Before I get too far into documenting my socialization process for Kanyon, I think it would be valuable to talk about my socialization philosophy for puppies. There is quite a bit of conflicting information available on this topic, and while everyone may approach it differently, I want to make sure readers understand my own approach and philosophy.

First of all, it’s helpful to understand the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement regarding puppy socialization. Please take a moment to read over the statement – it is short, helpful information. Of particular note from their statement: “While puppies’ immune systems are still developing during these early months, the combination of maternal immunity, primary vaccination, and appropriate care makes the risk of infection relatively small compared to the chance of death from a behavior problem.”

Each time I get a new puppy, I re-visit my stance on this issue because there are still breeders, rescues, and veterinarians who will recommend not allowing your new puppy to be around other dogs until they are fully vaccinated. This includes training classes, group or individual play, or daycare environments. Some will even go so far as to say you shouldn’t put your new puppy down on the ground so they do not get any illnesses.

There are a number of reasons I do not agree with this stance. I do believe puppies should be vaccinated on the appropriate vaccination schedule as recommended by the puppy’s veterinarian. However, I believe pet professionals do a huge disservice to puppies by suggesting they should not be allowed to socialize prior to being fully vaccinated. Here are a few reasons I believe we should be socializing safely and appropriately well before puppies are fully vaccinated:

1. Puppies spend the first 7-10 weeks of their lives being incredibly social animals – they spend time with mom, their littermates, and in some cases, with other adult dogs as well. To suggest that suddenly and without warning we should cut off all socialization opportunities for animals that are raised as social beings is a rather cruel and unusual punishment, so to speak. It certainly speaks more to our own human fears of illness than it does to the importance of social development for the puppy.
2. I have been working with puppies and dogs for years now. While it is always possible that a puppy could get very ill and even die, and of course it does happen occasionally, I have seen FAR more cases of dogs who are euthanized for aggression or severe behavioral issues than those who have died from illnesses as puppies. In fact, we have had at least 50 puppies go through our puppy socialization program through our daycare, and not a single one has become fatally ill, or even just slightly ill in most cases (adolescent dogs who no longer have maternal immunity are the most likely to get communicable illnesses – far more likely than younger puppies). I have, however, seen far more cases in my career of puppies and adult dogs who lacked proper socialization during their critical period who have had behavioral issues, and several cases that have ended in the heartbreaking choice to send the dog over the rainbow bridge.
3. The risk of behavioral challenges (even if those challenges do not lead to euthanasia) is far higher than the risk of illness for the vast majority of puppies.

Since my own goals for my puppy involve a well socialized, well-rounded adult dog, I will always err on the side of early, proper, and safe socialization opportunities. This means choosing dogs for my puppy to meet that I know are capable of safely interacting with young puppies, and that I know are fully vaccinated. So instead of introducing Kanyon to a random dog on the street, and instead of going to dog parks, I will choose dogs that I personally know to let him play with. Our puppy socialization program at Laughing Dogs is set up to do exactly this. All of the adult dogs who attend must be fully vaccinated. We also have the ability to choose appropriate puppies and adult dogs for puppies to play with – dogs that will teach them good play and communication skills as part of their “education” about becoming a polite adult dog.

To summarize, while I of course acknowledge that there is always a risk of illness (regardless of age of a dog), and I do what I can to mitigate that risk, I also recognize the much greater risk of raising an under-socialized puppy who may not learn the valuable life skills needed to be able to be social out in public in the future. Everyone can choose what they think is best for their own puppy, but this is my choice and I will choose behavior and proper socialization every time. I have seen too many dogs suffering due to lack of proper early socialization, and it simply is not something I want for my own puppy.