# Potty training puppy outdoors before full vaccination



## Enkidog (Nov 20, 2020)

Hi everyone,

Thanks for letting me join this great community!

I live in a first floor flat (or second floor in US) with no terrace and will soon receive a Dachshund Smooth Standard puppy of 8 weeks old. My plan is to potty train him to do in the street, but I am a bit concern about how to do this considering that at this early age he will not be complete vaccinated.

I live in London and in my area I have never seen a stray dog. However, there are a few cats roaming around and in the night there are some red foxes. I was wondering what do people do when they receive a puppy of this age and need to potty train him outdoors? Should it be fine if I carry him on my arms until we reach some grass and then bring him in my arms again? Or should I start teaching him to do in an indoor toilet and after he has been fully vaccinated I teach him to do outdoors? I am afraid this last option could be too confusing for a dachshund puppy and he may never understand this change.

(I will ask about this to my vet, but first I need to receive the puppy, so is better to know if I need to buy an indoor toilet before he arrives or not)

Many thanks in advance for your help!

Martin


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Call your vet before you get the puppy and ask about your local risks for parvovirus.

Risk varies a lot from one area to the next. No stray dogs is a good start but the real question is the vaccination rate of owned dogs and the rate vets see parvo in puppies.

If the mom dog if fully vaccinated, the puppy should have some immunity still at 8 weeks and should have received his first combo shot jabs at 6-7 weeks, which are then repeated a few times over the next two months to try to capture that time frame of maternal antibodies wearing off and the ability of a vaccine to take hold. The main risk period is between those two times which vary for every dog.

Absent other information to guide you, I would aim for either carrying the pup to a low foot traffic area or carrying the pup outside and putting down a pee pad.

if parvo cases are high, i would potty train indoors with a grass patch or litter box rather than a pee pad which can seem too similar to a rug or towel.


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## pandora (Mar 19, 2010)

London doesnt have a high stray dog population but its overrun by cats, foxes and rats ..Its said youre never more that 10 feet away from a rat in London.. All of these pose threats for an unvaccinated pup as well as adult unvaccinated dogs of which there are plenty so a large litter box or clean area is essential. 
Talk to your local vet see if they have any tips to help keep your pup safe


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

Yes, first talk to your vet to determine the actual risk of a partially vaccinated puppy contracting any viruses. If the vet says the likelihood is quite low, it's probably okay.

If there is cause to worry, some people will put a puppy pad down on the grass or wherever the puppy is supposed to potty so they don't actually touch the ground or any potential germs.


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