Exercise / Parvo question.

Joem8080

Good morning. I have a 8 week old bull terrier. I am told not to take him to public places Until he's five months and has had all his shots. I don't want him to get parvo but I do want to take him out to get his daily exercise. Can anyone suggest the best possible way for my pup to get his daily exercise and eliminate the chances of him getting sick. Where shall I take him? Thank you.

fullofbull

Welcome to the forum.  Do you have any pics of your new little pup??  The usual rule of thumb is don't take them any place that has lots of dogs until they've had their second set of vaccines.  Even then I wouldn't take the puppy to a dog park or busy pet store like Petsmart.  But puppy kindergarden is good for them and usually starts when they are 12 weeks old.  All the puppies have to be vaccinated, so it would lessen the odds of your puppy picking up something.  Plus it will get him socialized around humans, other puppies and cool objects.  And its fun for you and your puppy!  At that young age he doesn't need long walks, just playing with him in your back yard and in the house should be enough exercise for him at this age.

I take my new puppy, who is now 12 weeks, everywhere with me, but I carry her, so shes not in contact with other dogs that I don't know and walking on unfamiliar ground.  I like to take her to the bank and local hardware store to meet people.  She loves it and so do the staff.

Thats just my opinion and what I have done.  Have fun with your new puppy!

:x

Joem8080

Thank you so much for your feedback. I don't have a back yard because I live in a apartment. So I was thinking about walking him through the parking lot where there is no grass or dirt that way that way I can see any objects he might come in contact with (poop) ... Do you think this is a good idea? So he can run a bit. Thanks.

Joem8080

Leo

philsergeant

He is a beautiful looking kid, that's for sure... And you should take him out and socialize him AS MUCH AS HUMANLY Possible.... Just avoid packs of dogs or park areas that have concentrated dog "stain" areas until he gets his second shots... I'd take him for runs on the beach and to restaurants, fairs, stores, festivals, anywhere that he can experience occasional dogs and lots of people.... You might invest in a "kiddie- cart" or just carry him when he gets tired. We take our dogs EVERYWHERE! Home Depot, the car wash, yogurt shop, Panera... We hardly ever leave them at home.

fullofbull

Great picture Phil...........they look sooooo Happy that they are going somewhere!!!  I can't wait til my 2 can travel around without being crated in the vehicle.  Mine go everywhere too, even if its just to the store (5 min. away!)  Heaven forbid if I left them home...........LOL

Quinnofhearts

I have lived in apartments ever since I've had my dog, and in ways it does make it more challenging. Before she turned 12 weeks old, I did just walk her as normal. On the sidewalks around my complex. I'd let her walk through the grass. To be honest, I guess I wasn't particularly worried about it. However, I did have to keep a careful eye on what she ingested. A lot of parasites are caught through oral ingestion, and she ate everything from rocks to bugs to bird poop that the walks were pretty much me taking a few steps then cleaning out her mouth. 8-}

If you take him to Petsmart or other similar stores, put him in a shopping cart and wheel him around that way to keep him up off the floor. This will still allow him to be admired by all the humans that will obviously love him, but keep him away from chemicals or whatever else lurks on those floors.

So all in all, I think for now keep him away from strange dogs, but you can take him on trips if you hold him or keep him elevated, and you can take him to grassy areas if you keep an eye on him.

the4thmonkey

Your pup can play with fully vaccinated dogs. Ask around, see if any friends have a dog that they know is good with puppies. Give them a place to play where there is a known history; such as a friend who has lived in the same house for years and has never had a parvo problem. My puppy's first friend was a huge pit bull terrier that was absolutely wonderful with my little girl. They started playing when she was 9 or 10 weeks old and they are still the best of buddies.