Will it be okay to bring my puppy to an out-of-town trip (e.g. beach/hiking trail)?

[kens]

@brave_heart Yeah it was about 4 months old for us. But I know vets can clear a pup earlier or later depending on the risk in the area they live.

 

[jamestherabbit]

@brave_heart As others have said.. You gotta remember your puppy is a baby. A hyper little carpet raptor, but still a baby. When we got ours out took us three weeks to get her acclimated to our home. And WHEW what a time that was, it was a lot of work... exhausting, aggravating but also fun. I didn't think we'd get through it. But we did. She's still learning and so are we. We are still learning her little quirky personality.... So I wouldn't think going on a day trip with your new puppy would be something you'd physically be up for. The puppy wouldn't be ready for it either.

 

[lcgixxer87]

@brave_heart We rescued a puppy and planned a trip to take place after she had been vaccinated/settled in. This trip involved a small road trip with about a day in the car. Her adoption day got delayed because she was hospitalized at the shelter and it would have resulted in her going on a trip after less than a week of coming home. We decided to reschedule our trip and it was a great decision.

Of course, it gave her time to recuperate, get well, and receive her vaccinations, but it also gave her time to settle in with us and work on training. Thanks to her being a little older and not needing constant potty breaks, the car ride was great. She slept pretty much the entire time and was able to actually go out and adventure when we took breaks since her vaccines were up to date. Her being older also made it to where we could get her on flea and tick preventative which, in my opinion, is absolutely integral if you plan to take a pup on walks or hikes of any kind. Tick born diseases are not only not fun for your pup, but identification and treatment can be pretty expensive.

Aside from health and physical comfort concerns, I think the extra 1:1 time with us and our home also helped her gain some confidence to meet and love our family that she met, and their dogs too!

 

[throughaglassdarkly]

@brave_heart I'll go against the grain here and say dogs are incredibly resilient and will most likely be fine. My pup is 2lbs and has been coming with me to outdoor brunch with friends etc. Honestly I do not let her feet touch the ground so I carry her the entire time. She slept the whole 3 hour car ride home from the breeder as well.

Remember humans will do way more to avoid a loss or problems than to have a positive experience that actually turns out well.

It is called our loss bias.

I actually think she'll have a more positive experience tiring herself out and smelling nature.

 

[mclovindaboss11]

@brave_heart I took my puppy basically everywhere with me for the first 6 weeks, I had him (after that I couldn't easily carry him so he had to wait until fully vaxxed before going out places other than puppy class). I wouldn't do anything to strenuous if you are packing a puppy along, in the first 2 weeks i went on 1 hike with mine, i did have a travel carrier for that. I also made sure that I wasn't away from my vehicle more than 2 hours. I had a dog hammock seat cover and the entire middle row for him. I placed a puppy pad down that he could use and just expected accidents if I was out very long as I wouldn't set him on the ground until he was fully vaxed while we were out. If you were doing a beach trip a pop up playpen that has its own floor and cover to provide shade would work.

You may be too tired to be up for it. If you plan it well ahead of time I do think it's possible. Different dogs also have different temperaments and needs. My other 2 dogs I wouldn't have considered taking camping until about a year for one and 2 years for the other. My current puppy I plan to take on a weekend camping trip this weekend. I do think it largely because he went so many places with me that I can get his attention no matter what now and be confident in going with him. His breeder had invited tons of people to be around her puppies so he never had a fear of strangers.

 

[brave_heart]

@mclovindaboss11 Thank you for the advice! One related question. I read a lot about not letting puppies touch the ground outside your home. But how are you potty training them if they cannot go potty on the grass or pavement? I live in an apartment building.

 

[mclovindaboss11]

@brave_heart I'd talk to a vet in your area is to see how prevalent parvo is and how concerned you need to be. For me I used my back yard. If I was in an apartment I would probably have gotten a potty patch or other grass based potty area I could put in my house or on the balcony to use. If you have a balcony that would be my preferance as it's still outside instead of confusing your puppy with inside being okay sometimes.

 

[calathea]

@brave_heart I wouldn't do it without the puppy being vaxxed.

It's just too easy for the pup to catch something.

You should try and get the pup after your guests have visited.

 

[brave_heart]

@calathea It would be hard to reschedule the visit, but for sure I won’t be doing any short trips after all the advice I got today. (Which I do appreciate!)

 

[alivia]

@brave_heart No. If you go, have a trustworthy dog sitter nanny the dog at home while you’re away. I’d see if you can delay picking the puppy up a week until after this trip. First 3 weeks with a new puppy are very intensive and HOME is important.