Question on when you should allow puppy viewing? - Page 1

I was just wondering what the general policy on allowing potential buyers to view puppies for the first time. I have had a stream of potential buyers who want to see the puppies prior to 6 weeks and in my opinion I feel this is not good I prefer to wait until they have had at least 1 shot at 6 weeks better yet 8 weeks when they have had 2 shots. Am I being paranoid ??? or should I allow them to choose there puppy at six weeks and come back at 8 weeks to take home. Thanks for any advise???

Yup,  2nd shot in Fact 4 days post the 2nd vaccine is even better.  Our pups are not allowed to leave until 9 wks of age.    Can't tell a darn thing at 6 weeks anyway by the time they reach 8 or 9 weeks drives have changed (sometimes)  Color is definately changing, and they come in all sizes. LOL.

Stick to your guns !!!  If you feel 8 weeks then go with that,  Do NOT let anyone push you around,  I allowed that once, Let me tell you I never got so RailRoaded in my life.

I let my pups go at 12 weeks, 3rd vaccine given at least 5 days before leaving.  I let visitors in around 8 weeks after 2nd parvo, but still make them scrub, put on a set of clean clothes when they arrive and remove shoes, sounds paranoid, but have never yet had parvo or any other disease.  I do not allow a new family to bring their other dog to see how it will work, I take a pup to the park that they have previously liked and decided on and then allow them to meet, if their dog doesn't accept, I do take the pup home, but he/she is quarantined for 2 weeks before being allowed back with the other pups, I have only had this happen 1 time.  Also when a pup is returned after a year or two for "family reasons" dog is quarantined and revaccinated.

Hope this helps. 

Blitzen it is highly viewed by the general VetMed community that 6 wk vaccination is highly ineffective because of pups still nursing,  However I'd rather be a little safe than alot sorry.

I know the vaccine will likely not provide a whole lot of protection,  But if it provides any at all it's worth the cost to do it anyway.

I let people come see my puppies anytime they want.  Usually I avoid letting people come in the first week, not because the puppies are in danger, but because the mom needs the time to settle in with her new litter before I expect her to accept strangers (or anyone) peering at her puppies.  But IMO healthy puppies are healthy puppies.  They aren't going to get sick from people coming to see them - the holding and handling is IMO good for them - I've never had a problem with sick puppies from visitors coming to see/handle the puppies.  Now, I do have people wash their hands before handling very young puppies - and if they are coming from another kennel, then shoes are off and hands scrubbed before coming in the house.  I never ever take rescue puppies or pregnant (rescue) dogs - don't want parvo coming here, ever.  So far so good.  My puppies are handled daily by myself and anyone who wants to come, from the time they are 2 weeks on.  They get their first shots at 7 weeks - very healthy and never a problem. 

molly

Echo wrote: 'Blitzen it is highly viewed by the general VetMed community that 6 wk vaccination is highly ineffective because of pups still nursing,  However I'd rather be a little safe than alot sorry.

Sorry, but that's not quite correct and not what the VetMed community believes.  Maternal antibodies are transferred to puppies ONLY in the first 24-48 hours after birth.  Nursing beyond 48 hours gives no additional immune (passive antibody) protection.  It does, however, benefit puppies to have the ideal nutrition dam's milk provides since  proper nutrition and good health go hand in hand (or paw in paw in this case LOL).  In addition, small exposures to the normal flora the dam carries in to her pups will help stimulate the pup's own immune system as well as populate their bodies (GI tract, upper respiratory tract, etc.) with the "good" microbes all healthy dogs carry.  For example, a GI tract that is well-populated with healthy bacteria is less hospitable (and therefore less vulnerable) to invasion by pathogenic bacteria.  Living in a totally sterile world would be less ideal and being TOO protective of pups can sometimes cause more harm than good.

Vets who recommend vaccinating puppies generally wait until 6-8 weeks to do so.  This is because at 6-8 weeks old, most puppies will have too little maternal antibody left to fully protect them from disease AND too little antibody to block a vaccine from working.  Again, this is true whether an individual pup nursed for 2 days or for 8 weeks.  Maternal antibody in either case was only obtained in the first 24-48 hours after birth.

Regards,

Diane Seaman