R K Anderson DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVB.
Puppy Vaccination and Socialization Together?:
What Are The Risks and Benefits? (an open letter)
http://www.sicsa.org/pdfs/rk-anderso...ion-letter.pdf



Dr. R. K. Anderson's Socialization Letter:
_____________________________________

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 VACCINATIONS 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


____________ END COPY _________________________



The Rule of Sevens

http://www.lrcgb.org/files/rules_of_twelve.pdf

______________________________

American Veterinary Medical Association
see JAVMA Index, JAVMA online; article titled
"Evaluation of Association between retention in the home
and attendance at puppy socialization classes"; pubd July 1, 2003

Abstract
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
July 1, 2003, Vol. 223, No. 1, Pages 61-66
Doi: 10.2460/javma.2003.223.61


Evaluation of association between retention in the home
and attendance at puppy socialization classes


Dr. Margaret M. Duxbury , DVM; Julie A. Jackson, DVM; Dr. Scott W. Line, DVM, PhD, DACVB; Dr. Robert K. Anderson , DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVB;
Center to Study Human Animal Relationships and Environments, College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
(Duxbury, Anderson);
Present address is College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108.
(Duxbury);
Animal Humane Society, 845 Meadow Ln N, Golden Valley, MN 55422.
(Jackson, Line);
Present address is 2100 Creek Top Way, Richmond, VA 23236.
(Jackson);
Present address is Merial Ltd, 3239 Satellite Blvd, Duluth, GA 30096.


Objective:
To evaluate associations between retention of dogs in their adoptive homes and attendance at puppy socialization classes and other factors.

Design: Epidemiologic survey.

Animals:
248 adult dogs that were adopted as puppies from a humane society.

Procedure:
Owners completed questionnaires regarding demographics, retention of the dogs in the homes, and the dogs' early learning events.

Results:
Higher retention in the homes was reported for dogs that participated in humane society puppy socialization classes, were female, wore headcollars as puppies, were handled frequently as puppies, were more responsive to commands, slept on or near the owner's bed, or lived in homes without young children.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance:
Results suggest several practices that veterinarians may recommend to enhance the likelihood that puppies will remain in their first homes, such as enrolling 7- to 12-week-old puppies in early learning and socialization classes.
The lower rate of retention of dogs in homes with children emphasizes the importance of helping owners develop realistic expectations, knowledge, and effective tools to manage interactions between their children and dogs. (JAVMA 2003; 223:61-66)


___________________________________________

Interdisciplinary Forum for Applied Animal Behavior:
ABSTRACTS FOR IFAAB 2005 MEETING

R. K. Anderson, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVB

Puppy Vaccination and Socialization Together?:
What Are The Risks and Benefits?

Some veterinarians tell clients that puppies should not be exposed to other puppies or dogs until after 16 weeks of age when regular vaccination is usually completed. Some want clients to keep puppies isolated in their own house and yard without benefit of any socialization or learning in puppy classes or even with other individual puppies and dogs. They believe the risk of infectious diseases is too great and unacceptable.
This has made it very difficult for trainers and behaviorists who are concerned with the need for early learning and socialization to convince owners of puppies to enroll in classes or even have puppy interactions with friends.
For several years, I have been working with colleagues to collect data that would be useful to better document the risks of disease and the benefits of early learning and socialization for puppies. These data may be helpful to promote the concept among veterinarians that vaccination and early learning/socialization go together.
_______________________________________


many trainers feel that U do pups + their families a disservice if U wait -- that 9-WO to 10-WO is fine, they just need their first-shots. there is research that shows aggression is much higher in dogs who did not attend a puppy class.

pups have PASSIVE * IMMUNITY per the antibodies that cross the placenta,
and those ingested via the dams breastmilk, particularly in the colostrum - the first flow, 24 to 48-hours post-birth, when large molecules can pass thru the gut-wall of the neonate. AFTER 48-hours, the neonate bowel closes that Swiss-cheese barrier from bowel to body to further absorption, and the opportunity for an initial passive acquired-immunity has evaporated; the pup has aged-out of that window of potential.

in Australia, *puppy-preschool* is pups from 8-WO to 16-WO *only*.
post-16-WO, pups move into normal group-classes, with teen + adult dogs.

cheers,
--- terry

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Very interesting, when I have bred I kept the pups til they were 12 weeks so that they could go straight into classes, many puppy classes do not allow pups not vaccinated locally, during their time with me, I have family frinedns and work collegeues come to visit with their children, we are talking a LOT of people, they are all dog savvy and play handle the pups on a regular basis, the pups are also living with other dogs and meet/play/annoy the other dogs and learn manners by doing so, the pups get introduced to many floor surfaces, noises, and stresses. I also before they are ready to leave take them along with some of my friends to the local market, (carried) so that they hear lots of different sounds, and scary things. I think you need to do as much as you can to get the pups used to everything possible I try my best, but do realise not everyone feels keeping the pups til 12 weeks it correct but I have found because I do a lot of socialising with them, that they settle in to the new homes with minimum of stress(they already know their new owners because I insist they visist regularly) and new noises dont freak them out.


just realised I should have done a spell check lol
Mo

I got my pup Kite at 7 weeks - she was a farm collie so I knew she'd need a lot of socialising. I carried her everywhere with me from day 1, took her to town, to work, to an agility competition and training I was doing with my other dog. She met loads of (vaccinated) dogs, loads of people, all the different sights and sounds. So far she's seemed quite bombproof, is friendly and readily approaches any person or dog she is comes across.

Until her vaccinations had taken, I kept her off the ground. I don't know how important that was. I walked on the ground where other dogs had been, and so did my older dog. When we got home we all walked on the same floor in the house. I've seen it written (Sophia Yin) that in the US they say it's OK for pups to walk on pavement before their jabs have taken, it's obviously safer than grass in the park, but how do you know an infected dog turd hadn't just been hosed off?

It seemed a bit silly to me to take the safety so far, after all dogs as a species have survived thousands of years before vaccinations were invented, and even if a pup does catch parvo or something it can usually be cured these days - to say nothing of them having a built-in immune system - if they're healthy to start with they ought to be able to meet disease and NOT get infected. I just couldn't take the risk, and there is also all the social pressure.

re burrowzig -


hey, ziggy! :--)

it sounds as tho U and the puppy did very well - being careful, but not carried away with worrying. Good on ya!

i do not know how many folks here recall when Parvo first broke out?
i was too young to know anything about the details, but as a NOVEL disease, it killed many dogs - adults,
teens, pups - everybody. NO * One was immune, yet - as the microbe was a new organism, just like H1N1 flu -
or the 1915 Spanish flu - or HIV when it first showed in numbers, in the 1970s.
NOVELTY means low to no resistance.

Parvo now is a threat primarily to neonate pups - not pups of 4-mos and up, and not adults.
the general popn already has some acquired immunity - neonates are at great risk PRIMARILY because of the tissue
that Parvo targets preferentially: the intestinal lining - rapidly dividing, critical tissue for any puppy -
a pups primary job is to GROW, which requires NUTRIENTS - a sloughing bowel lining cannot digest properly,
nor absorb nutrients; the accompanying DIARRHEA dessicates young pups, with their small body-volume.
the younger the pup, the greater the risk. 75% of pups of 5-wk and under, will DIE -
no matter how competent the nursing, no matter how much $$ U throw at treatment, despite sub-Q fluids
and 24-hour nursing. by 9-WO, the stats have flipped: 75% of pups with decent nursing and early diagnosis recover,
without any long-term damage.

since ethical breeders never separate pups before 49-days minimum (and i would PAY * EXTRA to keep
my pup with their dam for 7 more days!), they are past the truly-terrifying age for this virus.
reasonable precautions should keep the pup pretty safe - and if i was paranoid, LOL,
i would put the pup in BOOTIES every time we went outside, ...
but we would still be out there, meeting, greeting, looking, listening, sniffing...
and learning just as much as Pup can, and just as happily as possible.


the dog-flu is another new virus - but altho extremely contagious, over 80% of dogs who actually get it, never go to the vet;
they have such minor symptoms.
H1N1 is approx 80% contagious - but very few ppl will DIE of it - the problem is that H1N1 kills an entirely
DIFFERENT popn than the seasonal flu: not elderly or infants, but healthy older children and adults.


social-pressure is another factor entirely - this can be very difficult, indeed -
especially family members who are SURE we are going to kill the puppy.
the best U can do, is mitigate the risk; make opps like a fellow puppy-owner for a play-date in their yard,
offer Ur own yard for a meet and greet once a week...
join a dog-training club and take the pup for a group-play session with other social dogs + pups...
find venues like a puppy-garten at the local vets in a non-exposure area...
play in tennis-courts, go to the seaside below the tide-line, and etc.

happy training, + congratulations to all the new-pup parents!
U lucky dogs, U... green with envy,

--- terry

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

I actually do remember when I first saw parvo, it was I would say somewhere late 70's very early 80's nearly everyone on our street had dogs, it was a time that many dogs just wandered in and out of our homes, there didnt seem to be as much risk of getting run over or anything in those days way back in the when lol, anyway, I remember many of the dogs in our street coming down with parvo, and a lot of my friends lost their dogs to it, strangely enough both our dogs never caught it? dont know why, but it was a very upsetting time because no body knew what to do and how to deal with it, I remember our neighbours dog lay in the garden, having bled out not the nicest thing to see, I was about 22 at the time, and it seemed as if there was a certain smell hanging in the air one I never wanted to smell again.

Mo

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Properly Socialized by Pat Schaap. Socializing by the rule of 7's
this is what the BREEDER should do for pups before they depart their litter + dam -
its a foundation for everything to be built on, as Pup grows.

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

I took a very careful and calculated risk with Merlin as a youngster. Before I got him at 9 weeks, I knew his breed needed extensive and very thorough socialisation right from the word Go.

Just before I got him I was at the stage of calling up local training clubs and tringto find the right class for him. I got into conversation with a lady who had run classes here for the last 20 years or so, and she impressed on me the need for thorough socialisation - more to the environment than other dogs.

"More dogs" she warned me, "get put to sleep from behavioural issues due to lack of socialisation, than ever die from parvo or distemper."

It really made me think. So I asked her what she thought the risks would be in this area, as she of course would know.... especially as the other trainer at her class is a vet nurse.

Parvo is rare here, she said; distemper even more so. And either of those you could bring in on your shoes anyway. Now that really did make me think, because when I was breeding cats I once brought home a Chlamydiosis infection on my clothes from a cat show, and also once walked salmonella in off the street.

When Merlin did eventually go for his vaccs I had my wrist slapped by the vet for doing so - but he'd been out & about on the pavement for a couple of weeks by then, getting used to everything. We avoided parks and other dogs, but we did get out & about in our local area on the ground, so he had quite a head start compared to many other dogs.

It has to be personal choice and an informed, educated choice at that.... not something I would recommend for everyone but I did my homework.

__________________
‎

I had Merlin just before he was 8 weeks old and took him out in my arms and in the car as much as possible prior to his innoculations. He saw tractors (we are semi-rural) cars, lorries, other people etc and took it all in his stride. He also got used to the lead in the house and I would take him out onto the street just to stand at the side of the road and watch the world go by - not where any dogs toileted and not on grass of course. As soon as he was innoculated, he met cows, sheep and
horses (ignores them all now) plus other dogs and people. Anything he seemed to be worried about was worked on straight away as was recall on a long line and he also learned to walk with a wheelchair, tri-walker and mobility scooter as I occasionally use either one of those. So by the age of 4 months he was au fait with pretty much anything. I even took him down to the local railway station to watch trains! He also went to classes until my illness got worse and I could no longer drag myself there in evenings. I also did similar with Chucky when he was a pup 9 years ago - the other dogs I have I had as older dogs though I still worked on them as much as possible.

To educate a pup takes time and commitment and it is important for pups to have someone around much of the time, especially in the daytime to teach them right from wrong and to take them out for socialisation lessons. It should be an ongoing thing for at least the first 2 years of a dogs life in my opinion but how many bother to continue pups education that long or indeed put themselves out that much?

Puppy Training | Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle | Dog and Puppy Tips from Seattle |
lots of good stuff here!

also scroll down -
margaret hughes Rule of 12 for what OWNERS need to work on, between weeks 8 and 12,
with happy exposures for their pups - exposure to objects is habituation,
and meeting living-creatures is socialization if we are being specific.

happy training!
--- terry

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007