Robert K. Anderson DVM
Diplomate ACVB and ACVPM
Professor and Director Emeritus, Animal Behavior Clinic and
Center to Study Human/Animal Relationships and Environments
University of Minnesota
1666 Coffman Street, Suite 128, Falcon Heights, MN 55108
Phone 612-644-7400 FAX 612-644-4262
Puppy Vaccination and Socialization Should Go Together
TO: My Colleagues in Veterinary Medicine:
Common questions I receive from puppy owners, dog trainers and
veterinarians concern: 1) what is the most favorable age or period of
time when puppies learn best? 2) what are the health implications of
my advice that veterinarians and trainers should offer socialization
programs for puppies starting at 8 to 9 weeks of age.
Puppies begin learning at birth and their brains appear to be
particularly responsive to learning and retaining experiences that are
encountered during the first 13 to 16 weeks after birth. This means
that breeders, new puppy owners, veterinarians, trainers and
behaviorists have a responsibility to assist in providing these
learning/socialization experiences with other puppies/dogs, with
children/adults and with various environmental situations during this
optimal period from birth to 16 weeks.
Many veterinarians are making this early socialization and learning
program part of a total wellness plan for breeders and new owners of
puppies during the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life -- the first 7-8
weeks with the breeder and the next 8 weeks with the new owners. This
socialization program should enroll puppies from 8 to 12 weeks of age
as a key part of any preventive medicine program to improve the bond
between pets and their people and keep dogs as valued members of the
family for 12 to 18 years.
To take full advantage of this early special learning period, many
veterinarians recommend that new owners take their puppies to puppy
socialization classes, beginning at 8 to 9 weeks of age. At this age
they should have (and can be required to have) received a minimum of
their first series of vaccines for protection against infectious
diseases. This provides the basis for increasing immunity by further
repeated exposure to these antigens either through natural exposure in
small doses or artificial exposure with vaccines during the next 8 to
12 weeks. In addition the owner and people offering puppy
socialization should take precautions to have the environment and the
participating puppies as free of natural exposure as possible by good
hygiene and caring by careful instructors and owners.
Experience and epidemiologic data support the relative safety and lack
of transmission of disease in these puppy socialization classes over
the past 10 years in many parts of the United States. In fact; the
risk of a dog dying because of infection with distemper or parvo
disease is far less than the much higher risk of a dog dying
(euthanasia) because of a behavior problem. Many veterinarians are now
offering new puppy owners puppy socialization classes in their
hospitals or nearby training facilities in conjunction with trainers
and behaviorists because they want socialization and training to be
very important parts of a wellness plan for every puppy. We need to
recognize that this special sensitive period for learning is the best
opportunity we have to influence behavior for dogs and the most
important and longest lasting part of a total wellness plan.
Are there risks? Yes. But 10 years of good experience and data, with
few exceptions, offers veterinarians the opportunity to generally
recommend early socialization and training classes, beginning when
puppies are 8 to 9 weeks of age. However, we always follow a
veterinarian’s professional judgment, in individual cases or
situations, where special circumstances warrant further immunization
for a special puppy before starting such classes. During any period of
delay for puppy classes, owners should begin a program of socialization
with children and adults, outside their family, to take advantage of
this special period in a puppy’s life.
If there are further questions, veterinarians may call me at 651-644-7400 for discussion and clarification.
Robert K. Anderson DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
and Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Animal Behavior Clinic
December 4, 2002
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter’s purpose is to define Purdue University’s recommendations for Puppy Class protocols.
The main objectives of puppy classes are exposure and desensitization
to potentially frightening stimuli, socialization, and the
teaching of appropriate dog-owner interaction. Although simple commands
are trained as well, obedience training is not a main objective
of puppy classes.
Puppies go through well-defined developmental stages. Puppy classes are
designed to utilize the sociability of young puppies. However, the socialization period of dogs ends at around 12-14 weeks of age.
Up to that age, puppies can readily learn not to fear new things,
and to develop appropriate social behavior. If this opportunity to
shape puppy behavior is missed, the puppies are likely to show
behavior disturbances later in life. Therefore,
in order to maximize the benefits of puppy classes, puppies
should be enrolled at 7-10 weeks of age if possible, the sooner
the better.
The puppy classes at Purdue
University’s Animal Behavior Clinic start any time between 7 and 14
weeks of age and at least 10 days after initial vaccination for
the Distemper/Parvo combination and Bordatella. We
encourage the use of an intranasal Bordatella/Parainfluenza (+/- Adeno)
combination and the use of a high-titer, low-passage Parvo
vaccination. These should be vaccinations administered after a thorough
veterinary exam. Several vaccines are currently on the
market, which meet these requirements.
Trainers and veterinarians have had concerns about placing puppies at
risk in an environment where they may pick up an infectious
disease. As with anything, one must always weigh the risks and
benefits. “Puppy cuteness” only lasts so long and many more
puppies currently lose their homes due to behavior reasons than die of
viral diseases.
We are aware of only one Parvo problem in a puppy preschool class in
Minnesota in the early 90's and none since high titer Parvo
vaccines gained mainstream use in 1995. There have been no Puppy Class
participants infected with Parvo virus in any puppy classes
offered at Ohio State or Purdue University. These are both
facilities that treat high humane society caseloads and numerous
Parvo cases annually.
Preliminary investigations underway at the University of Pennsylvania
suggest that low-level exposure to pathogens, like what might
occur in a clean although not completely sterile environment, may
actually promote a “stronger” or more responsive immune system.
(verbal communication with Dr. Karen Overall, dipl ACVB
1998)
Let's welcome new puppies into our society by showing them what we
expect, not dispose of them because we failed to communicate our
expectations at a time when the puppies are most
impressionable.
Sincerely,
Andrew Luescher, D.V.M., PhD.,
Diplomate ACVB
Director of the Animal Behavior Clinic
Purdue University
Steve Thompson, D.V.M,
Diplomate ABVP
Certified in Canine/Feline Practice
Director of The Pet Wellness Clinic
Purdue University
Ericka Mendez DVM 386-585-0233 Located in Palm Coast, FL
