# Can I walk my 9 week old lab puppy?



## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

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I have a 9 week old lab/cocker spaniel puppy with lots of energy. He has had shots and unfortunetly has just got done surviving parvo. He finished his antibiotic and is all better and the doctor told me to wait 2 weeks to take him out and about (which will be when he is 10 weeks.) is he still contagious to other dogs? is it wrong of me to walk him when other people who have dogs should get their dogs vaccinated ? 

See I got my puppy when he already had parvo (partially why I adopted him because his owner couldn't afford to give him proper medical care for this) and he got his shots, and I would feel bad if another dog caught this from my dog but he is all better and needs to burn some energy.

So far all I can do is take him in my yard to run around and play with him with lots of toys/kongs, he chases this cat stick toy I have, I am working on teaching him tricks but he still has sooooo much energy and I do not know what to do. Is a bad idea to walk him? around the block? is he contagious?


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## Pekinchick (Jun 11, 2012)

You shouldn't let him walk where any dogs have been unless he's gotten all of his shots, including a rabies shot. If you do, he may get other diseases.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

He is getting his next set of shots soon, I wasn't planning on walking him til he is 10 weeks old. He needs exercise and socialization. It makes me worried to wait for him to socialize with other dogs, i don't want him to become aggressive or mean towards other dogs. He is good with my cats but I know he needs to play with other dogs. I just don't know what to do, playing in the yard and house seem to be getting old for him.


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## Pekinchick (Jun 11, 2012)

If he seems bored, you can get him toys, like puzzles and play different games with him.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Parvo, I believe (confirm with your vet), if survived, gives life long immunity. Because of this, after confirming with my vet that it is the cast and that my dog is no longer shedding/spreading the virus and is completely and totally over it *and *speaking with him out the presence of other vaccinated for diseases within my community, I _might_ do some short walks around my neighborhood. Maybe. After doing all that and being sure. 

That said, your vet is saying 'no', so ain't no way I'd go there. 

You can't socialize or exercise a dead puppy. Play games inside or your own yard for a while. Do some training. Bond. Even indoor fetch will get you more exercise than the speed a 9 week old can go, on a walk around the block.


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## ManyRoses (May 28, 2012)

If the vet doesn't give the go-ahead, I wouldn't do it. 

Bear in mind as well, that although YOUR puppy may be finished with vaccines and have gotten over the disease, he could still be a carrier for other young pups who do not have fully developed immune systems. 

This is actually a question that we specifically talked to our vet about - our pup has one booster to go, and we got the go-ahead from the vet to socialize her with other dogs, as long as they are fully vaccinated themselves, and in a one-on-one environment (no dog parks yet). However, we asked her about taking the pup to our friend's house, where his two dogs had parvo as puppies. Despite the fact that they were long recovered from the illness (they are now around the 6 months mark) she gave us a BIG NO until all the vaccines were done and her immune system was fully developed. She said that the chance was small that there would be an issue, especially as she is aaaaalmost totally vaccinated, and ok to meet other dogs who haven't had health issues, but that it wasn't worth the risk. 

So its not just about your pup - he may still be a risk for younger dogs!! Listen to the vet, and keep it up with the yard work. And be very grateful that you have a yard, and aren't dealing with a 9 week puppy and all that energy solely inside the house!


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## begemot (Feb 1, 2011)

Call the vet and ask whether your dog is still contagious, and that's why s/he recommended waiting two weeks. Easy solution.

If he's contagious, it's completely unethical to walk him where other dogs will be exposed. Some people don't get shots -- do you think their dogs deserve to suffer because they are irresponsible? Some people do get shots, but maternal antibodies prevent them from being effective, so they are vulnerable to parvo anyway. Bottom line: if the vet says the risk of contagion is the reason you shouldn't walk him yet, don't walk him.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

begemot said:


> Call the vet and ask whether your dog is still contagious, and that's why s/he recommended waiting two weeks. Easy solution.
> 
> If he's contagious, it's completely unethical to walk him where other dogs will be exposed. Some people don't get shots -- do you think their dogs deserve to suffer because they are irresponsible? Some people do get shots, but maternal antibodies prevent them from being effective, so they are vulnerable to parvo anyway. Bottom line: if the vet says the risk of contagion is the reason you shouldn't walk him yet, don't walk him.


The vet told me to wait 2 weeks, which is when he turns 10 weeks and thats when i planned to walk him. While I really would hate to see any other dog suffer it isn't fair that my dog who has tons of energy can't be walked. Why should he have to go through that when other people who don't get shots are being irresponsible? Like I said I feel bad for the dogs believe me, $1000 later and so much emotion but it isn't my dogs fault that people don't get there animal shots. He has energy and needs. I will talk to my vet though.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Silentgirl490 said:


> The vet told me to wait 2 weeks, which is when he turns 10 weeks and thats when i planned to walk him. While I really would hate to see any other dog suffer it isn't fair that my dog who has tons of energy can't be walked. Why should he have to go through that when other people who don't get shots are being irresponsible? Like I said I feel bad for the dogs believe me, $1000 later and so much emotion but it isn't my dogs fault that people don't get there animal shots. He has energy and needs. I will talk to my vet though.


WHY would you put someone else through what you just got done with? It's not a matter of whether they have gotten shots or not, Parvo is a VIRUS just like the flu, dog with a compromised immune system (young pups especailly) could be exposed to your pup, who is still shedding the virus, and get sick. Keep the pup home, excercise in the yard and TRAIN the pup to wear him out mentally. You have PLENTY of time to get socailization done after the pup is no longer contagious.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

He's only 10 weeks old and recovering from Parvo. Slow down a bit. I was personally petrified of Molly catching Parvo and so she didn't leave our property until her final booster was administered & considered effective, meaning her first walk didn't happen until after 17 weeks. We did a lot of walking on leash around our property to get her used to the leash & we invited friends over to help socialize her with people. I may have been extreme in my caution but as others have said, you can't work with a dead puppy. At now just over a year old, Molly is an absolute delight who loves to say hello to people & other dogs & she doesn't have an ounce of aggression or reactivity so I don't think my holding her back from walks when she was a tiny puppy had any long term ill effects.

And just to echo what others have said, out of consideration for all the other dogs out there don't walk him in public until your vet gives the go-ahead.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Silentgirl490 said:


> The vet told me to wait 2 weeks, which is when he turns 10 weeks and thats when i planned to walk him. While I really would hate to see any other dog suffer it isn't fair that my dog who has tons of energy can't be walked.* Why should he have to go through that when other people who don't get shots are being irresponsible?* Like I said I feel bad for the dogs believe me, $1000 later and so much emotion but it isn't my dogs fault that people don't get there animal shots. He has energy and needs. I will talk to my vet though.


The BIG reason being that a dog can have been fully vaccinated and still be vulnerable since no vaccine is 100%. All vaccines, in humans and dogs, rely on herd immunity to prevent the spread of disease and outbreaks. There will always be a few people (or dogs) for whom the vaccine just doesn't take effect and their protection depends on other people (or dogs) not exposing them to diseases. For example, a number of the people catching whooping cough lately have actually been vaccinated but either never had full immunity or it had waned over time since childhood shots. Once vaccination rates drop below a critical mass in a community, disease spreads.

The second reason is that some dogs (and people) cannot be vaccinated due to other health problems. So they are stuck taking their chances and hoping that people won't be jerks and intentionally expose them to disease. 

My friends have a parvo survivor dog- they were told NO dog guests and NO walking her for (I believe) a full month because she was still shedding the virus. Their vet might have been a little more cautious on the month thing and if your vet says 2 week then I would listen to your vet. But just to be clear, their vet included fully vaccinated dog guests in that prohibition because of the reasons I mentioned above. 

Don't be a jerk. Wait.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

Shell said:


> The BIG reason being that a dog can have been fully vaccinated and still be vulnerable since no vaccine is 100%. All vaccines, in humans and dogs, rely on herd immunity to prevent the spread of disease and outbreaks. There will always be a few people (or dogs) for whom the vaccine just doesn't take effect and their protection depends on other people (or dogs) not exposing them to diseases. For example, a number of the people catching whooping cough lately have actually been vaccinated but either never had full immunity or it had waned over time since childhood shots. Once vaccination rates drop below a critical mass in a community, disease spreads.
> 
> The second reason is that some dogs (and people) cannot be vaccinated due to other health problems. So they are stuck taking their chances and hoping that people won't be jerks and intentionally expose them to disease.
> 
> ...


I am not being a jerk. My poor pup has already been through enough in his little life. He has lots of energy and needs exercise, he should be able to get it. It is't my fault that people don't want to get there dogs shots. People with younger dogs shouldn't even be taking them out till they have gotten there shots like my dog. I plan on waiting until he is 10 weeks old but it isn't fair for him to be cooped up in my yard/house. I would feel bad if another dog caught it but my dog should be able to enjoy life too. I always pick up his poo and i don't plan on letting him play with other dogs, just walk. I am not intentionally infecting any dog with the disease. I will wait the 2 week like my vet said, i will clean up the poo, i wont let him play with other dogs but I will walk him because he deserves and needs the exercise. I can't be constantly worried about other people who are to irresponsible to get there dogs vaccinated, I have my own pup to take care of and worry about.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Silentgirl490 said:


> I am not being a jerk. My poor pup has already been through enough in his little life. He has lots of energy and needs exercise, he should be able to get it. *It is't my fault that people don't want to get there dogs shots.* People with younger dogs shouldn't even be taking them out till they have gotten there shots like my dog. I plan on waiting until he is 10 weeks old but it isn't fair for him to be cooped up in my yard/house. I would feel bad if another dog caught it but my dog should be able to enjoy life too. I always pick up his poo and i don't plan on letting him play with other dogs, just walk. I am not intentionally infecting any dog with the disease. I will wait the 2 week like my vet said, i will clean up the poo, i wont let him play with other dogs but I will walk him because he deserves and needs the exercise. I can't be constantly worried about other people who are to irresponsible to get there dogs vaccinated, I have my own pup to take care of and worry about.


While your dog is still contagious, he can infect VACCINATED dogs!!!! Not every vaccine works! You are putting a minor inconvenience to your dog and you up against the LIFE of other dogs and potential major expenses to even responsible owners.

There are ways to exercise him that doesn't involve walking him in public AND really, walks aren't all that much exercise anyway. Walking is more about sniffing, exploring etc than physical exercise (excluding very long, brisk walks which you shouldn't be doing with that young of pup anyway). 

Wait until the vet says he is not contagious. There is no other responsible and ethical alternative.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

Shell said:


> While your dog is still contagious, he can infect VACCINATED dogs!!!! Not every vaccine works! You are putting a minor inconvenience to your dog and you up against the LIFE of other dogs and potential major expenses to even responsible owners.
> 
> There are ways to exercise him that doesn't involve walking him in public AND really, walks aren't all that much exercise anyway. Walking is more about sniffing, exploring etc than physical exercise (excluding very long, brisk walks which you shouldn't be doing with that young of pup anyway).
> 
> Wait until the vet says he is not contagious. There is no other responsible and ethical alternative.


Like I said before I can't be constantly worried about other peoples dogs, I have my own pets to consider. I have done literally everything to drain his energy and I think he would definetly benefit from a walk. I don't like the idea of other dogs getting parvo but I am doing what my vet said, I clean up after him, and I am not letting him play with other dogs. I feel it unfair to him that he doesn't get to be around other dogs since he seems to love them. I just hope not socializing him now isn't going to effect him later on. 

I have my own problems to worry about and believe me when I say I have been through enough in this life, I can't constantly be worried about everyone else, I put my dog first as selfish as that sounds. But I am literally doing everything my vet has told me.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Wow. I'm pretty appalled by your attitude, and not entirely sure why you're asking us if you can walk your pup when it sounds like you're going to do what you're going to do no matter what anyone tells you. We all deal with hardships in our lives, you don't have any idea what other people are going through or have been through. I would hope that would give you more empathy for other people instead of just feeling entitled to do as you please. Yes there are irresponsible owners who should vaccinate their pets, but various other posters have pointed out other factors at play that could make the dogs with responsible owners still vulnerable to parvo. There are also irresponsible owners who take their contagious dogs out and risk the health of other dogs. It's ok for you to be irresponsible but not for others?

My puppy didn't leave the yard until he was 12 wks old. He didn't start social groups until he was about 14 wks. He didn't suffer at all for this delay. Maybe you just need to be more creative in how you're tiring your dog out. I found having a second person around and playing "Keep away" with our puppy really tired him out. So does actually just running in circles around the yard with an old towel for him to grab and tug. If you have friends with healthy, vaccinated dogs, ask them if their dog can come over and play with yours, explaining to them the possible risks involved with doing so. If a person is informed of the risk and accepts it, then I find nothing wrong with the dogs playing together. It's an entirely different thing for you to put other dogs at risk without their owner's consent. I get it, having a puppy is exhausting, you want to do all the right things, you want your dog to be happy and well socialized, you want your dog to be tired too so you can get some rest, but waiting a few weeks isn't going to negatively affect your dog's development, and isn't going to hurt you or anyone else either.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

Silentgirl490 said:


> Like I said before I can't be constantly worried about other peoples dogs, I have my own pets to consider. I have done literally everything to drain his energy and I think he would definetly benefit from a walk. I don't like the idea of other dogs getting parvo but I am doing what my vet said, I clean up after him, and I am not letting him play with other dogs. I feel it unfair to him that he doesn't get to be around other dogs since he seems to love them. I just hope not socializing him now isn't going to effect him later on.
> 
> I have my own problems to worry about and believe me when I say I have been through enough in this life, I can't constantly be worried about everyone else, I put my dog first as selfish as that sounds. But I am literally doing everything my vet has told me.


Wow, just wow. You're going to do what you're going to do but it would be beyond irresponsible to have your pup out in public until completely cleared by the vet, and completely vaccinated against everything life threatening, not just Parvo. And it's not just about you and your pup's needs. We all have to live together in a community and, frankly, your attitude toward the rest of the dogs in your area is appalling. Many pups don't get out until they're much older than yours and they do just fine in terms of socialization, mine included. You're rushing things. Slow down and remember it's an INFANT dog you're dealing with. Take baby steps.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Silentgirl490 said:


> Like I said before I can't be constantly worried about other peoples dogs, I have my own pets to consider. I have done literally everything to drain his energy and I think he would definetly benefit from a walk. I don't like the idea of other dogs getting parvo but I am doing what my vet said, I clean up after him, and I am not letting him play with other dogs. I feel it unfair to him that he doesn't get to be around other dogs since he seems to love them. I just hope not socializing him now isn't going to effect him later on.
> 
> I have my own problems to worry about and believe me when I say I have been through enough in this life, I can't constantly be worried about everyone else, I put my dog first as selfish as that sounds. But I am literally doing everything my vet has told me.


It sounds incredibly and appallingly selfish actually.

But if you want to look at it only from your selfish (and unreasonable) terms, then you know that you could still be exposing your dog to distemper right? While you are out busy spreading parvo, you are also putting your dog at risk for other diseases which he hasn't gained immunity from.

That said, if you are "I am literally doing everything my vet has told me" then you are keeping him on your private property and away from other dogs until he isn't contagious in which case this entire discussion about whether or not you can walk him BEFORE the vet told you that you could is a moot point.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Very selfish. You wont only be subjecting dogs with irresponsible owners but dogs with immune systems that simply did not respond to the vaccine the way its "supposed to". So someone out their walking their fully vaccinated dog comes across a spot your puppy pooped (even when you clean up, the virus will be left behind in the soil). That dog ends up sick but since he/she was fully vaccinated, and even boostered yearly, no one suspects parvo....you've just killed that dog.

While battling a virus, your dogs immune system will be lowered (this is why its easier for us to pick up another "bug" while we're already sick). So not only are you out there knowingly spreading a deadly disease to others, you're putting your own puppy at risk for other fatal diseases.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

LuvMyAngels said:


> (even when you clean up, the virus will be left behind in the soil).


Yep- a good way to think of this.... if your dog pooped on your lunch and you picked up the poop with a plastic bag, would you still eat the food? I'll assume not and yet, by your rational, picking up the physical poop is enough to also take away any virus being left behind? Pick up poop cleans up the majority of the physical (and stinky!) object but bacteria and viruses are left behind. 

Parvo can live for quite some time in the soil and while a bleach solution can clean in well from hard surfaces within the home, there isn't really anything effective to clean up the soil; meaning, there isn't anything that you can pour over the spots after you pick up poop that will reliably kill the virus. 

Parvo can also be tracked in on a person's shoes.... so if you take a dog out for a walk that is shedding parvo (which is generally considered for at LEAST the two week time frame after complete recovery) it can be spread to unvaccinated puppies that are being kept indoors and away from other dogs- as in, puppies with responsible owners that you still don't seem to care about.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

I just got off the phone with my vet, and she said that taking him for walks when he is 10 weeks would be fine. That is also when he will be getting his next set of shots. I appreciate all the advice and I am sorry if what I said offended anyone, but I have gone my entire life caring so much for other people/animals and for once I am putting my dog first. I know what is best for my pup I just wanted opinions. I wont be bringing him around any other dogs anytime soon but he deserves to be able to walk around the darn block. Don't get me confused by an uncaring person, I have rescued many cats/dogs and several small animals my entire life, I care deeply for animals, but I also have to consider my dog and what he needs at the moment.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

At ten weeks, you can't really take a pup for a long walk to tire them out. Without risking joint damage in the long run. So while I get it that puppies are hyper energy balls of fluff, that's what puppies are. Long walks aren't going to teach your dog to behave in the house, trust me, mine can go for a long walk, take five to regroup and then trash the house if I let them!

I do however teach them not to jump on the furniture, chew things that aren't theirs, stand in the window and bark at things or run after the cat. Most people call that sort of thing 'house manners' which your pup needs to learn anyway. Most pups I've had here go onto a rough schedule of play and nap times and just settle into the routine, it means they're in a crate some of the time, in an xpen other times and loose too, depending on what's going on. I'd be exhausted if I didn't have the option to pop them into a crate for a nap while I got other things done, or into the pen with a bone and some toys to amuse themselves while we have dinner. What they learn is to behave and not have me as the primary amusement ALL the time, so when I do leave the house they're not having a fit because I'm not right there.

And yes, everyone should vaccinate their dogs and kids so they're immune to everything but that's not real life. How would you feel if you took him to puppy classes and the dog next to you coughed the whole night and the owner said 'oh he's got a cough but he NEEDS to get trained' and you find a week later your pup is sick with kennel cough? We've all been there with the stuck at home because we can't go out with a sick dog, or a dog in season. When you have kids and they start in school/daycare you'll appreciate it even more.


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## NozOnyCalAur (Jun 6, 2012)

I take my 11 week old puppy for a daily long walk. Long being ten minutes and the walk being laps around my house (I used to go down the block with her, but I didn't know that I should keep her at home until she has all her shots.) To really burn off energy I have my child sit at one end of the hallway, while I sit at the other. We put the puppy in between us, each with a treat cup (so it rattles, with a hole in the lid so I can shake a treat out) we call Auriel back and forth between us. There are lots of ways to amuse a dog indoors.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

I just got off the phone with my vet, she said I should be able to take him out and about next week. She said places like dogs parks or anywhere where dogs already have been there probably is already parvo pretty much there, since it seems to be everywhere these days. She says as long as I pick up his poop, he should be fine, since parvo is already all over the place


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Silentgirl490 said:


> I am not being a jerk. My poor pup has already been through enough in his little life. He has lots of energy and needs exercise, he should be able to get it. It is't my fault that people don't want to get there dogs shots. People with younger dogs shouldn't even be taking them out till they have gotten there shots like my dog. I plan on waiting until he is 10 weeks old but it isn't fair for him to be cooped up in my yard/house. I would feel bad if another dog caught it but my dog should be able to enjoy life too. I always pick up his poo and i don't plan on letting him play with other dogs, just walk. I am not intentionally infecting any dog with the disease. I will wait the 2 week like my vet said, i will clean up the poo, i wont let him play with other dogs but I will walk him because he deserves and needs the exercise. I can't be constantly worried about other people who are to irresponsible to get there dogs vaccinated, I have my own pup to take care of and worry about.


Again, YOU PUP IS STILL CONTAGIOUS!!!! By walking him YOU are being irresponsible and risking being the reason SOMEONE ELSE ends up with a sick OR DEAD dog or puppy.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

> Don't get me confused by an uncaring person, I have rescued many cats/dogs and several small animals my entire life, I care deeply for animals, but I also have to consider my dog and what he needs at the moment.


If this were true, you would NOT be putting other people's dog's health at risk, purely for your benefit, especially since your pup is too young to be able to walk long enough to make any reasonable impact on his energy anyway. Wait until he is 10 weeks, AS YOUR VET TOLD YOU, and be a responsible dog owner. You will have more than enough time for walking and socializing. 1 week won't make much of a difference there, but it could be life or death for someone else's dog.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Coming back to your dog... We've been talking about Parvo... But Distemper is a completely different disease. If your pup is not up to date with all vaccinations, and has a weakened immune system due to recovery of Parvo, then he could get Distemper, if exposed. Verify that your Vet also OKs your pup with respect to distemper.


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## begemot (Feb 1, 2011)

You say your vet says to wait until he's 10 weeks before walking him, and that you're following all the vets instructions... then you say you are going to go ahead and walk him now. So what is it? Are you walking him out and about before 10 weeks or not?


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

Kuma'sMom said:


> If this were true, you would NOT be putting other people's dog's health at risk, purely for your benefit, especially since your pup is too young to be able to walk long enough to make any reasonable impact on his energy anyway. Wait until he is 10 weeks, AS YOUR VET TOLD YOU, and be a responsible dog owner. You will have more than enough time for walking and socializing. 1 week won't make much of a difference there, but it could be life or death for someone else's dog.



Omg have you not read my like 5 responses about how I am waiting till he is 10 weeks like the vet said or did you just skip over that? Clearly you should read all responses before chiming in with your opinion. I have already stated many times I am waiting 1 more week till he is 10 weeks old.


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## begemot (Feb 1, 2011)

Silentgirl490 said:


> Omg have you not read my like 5 responses about how I am waiting till he is 10 weeks like the vet said or did you just skip over that?


Silentgirl, you ALSO keep saying you're going to walk him regardless, because you've had a tough life and you want to put him first and not worry about getting other dogs sick.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Silentgirl490 said:


> Omg have you not read my like 5 responses about how I am waiting till he is 10 weeks like the vet said or did you just skip over that? Clearly you should read all responses before chiming in with your opinion. I have already stated many times I am waiting 1 more week till he is 10 weeks old.


You've contradicted yourself just as many times.


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## Silentgirl490 (Jun 5, 2012)

No I haven't, I haven't said I am taking him for a walk this week since my first post, ever since i talked to my vet and stated many times clearly for you to see I am waiting until he is 10 weeks old. I said those things meaning after he turns 10 weeks I can't constantly be worried that some other dog may catch parvo.


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