When is it safe for my new puppy to go outside for potty training?

You can get started right away! Consistency is the key to house training, so be sure to take Emmitt outside often - after eating, napping, playing, or at least every 2-3 hours. Reward appropriate potty behavior with praise and a small treat. If you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house, say "no" and take him straight outside. If you find an accident around the house, there is no need to scold or punish him. The main concern at this point is that Emmitt is not fully vaccinated against some highly contagious viruses, such as parvovirus. Until he has received his full distemper/parvovirus vaccine series, keep him away from other dogs. This includes areas where other dogs may have previously eliminated, such as parks or around your neighborhood. Keep Emmitt confined to your backyard until his vaccine series is complete.

Congrats on your new puppy! Because you will not have a private yard and cannot be sure that your area will be virus free, Niko should stay confined from public areas until at least two weeks after his final shots at 16 weeks of age. Parvovirus can live in the environment outside for up to a year, so it's extremely important to make sure he has no contact with that, or any other potential life threatening viruses. You can train Niko to use pee pads instead until he is fully vaccinated, and then work on house training him.

Congratulations on your new puppy! Copper looks like such a sweet pup! Unfortunately, puppies should not be taken outside until they are fully vaccinated. Typically puppies require three sets of shots at least 2 weeks apart, starting at 6-9 weeks. Until Copper is vaccinated, he should not go outside or have contact with other dogs to protect him from viral infections such as distemper, parvo, and rabies. You can begin potty training him to use a wee-wee pad before he can go outside. For his flea prevention, you can use a product that is labeled for puppies, and follow the directions on the box regarding the minimum age (most products are labeled for puppies at least 8 or 12 weeks of age). Good luck with your new puppy!

It honestly depends on how many other pets are in your apartment complex. Some viruses, such as parvo, can stay in the environment for several months. If you are taking him out, making sure to use paths that aren't frequented by other pets, or even bringing out a potty pad for him to go on (to get used to the routine of going out to go potty, but remaining safe) can help. As for socialization, socializing with people or pets whose vaccine history you know is the best option until your vet gives the OK to be around strange pets.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Odysseus. He will only be old enough to have had one or two sets of vaccines at 10 weeks of age. If you take him to the same spot every time and make sure there are no unvaccinated dogs around, it should be ok. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and congratulations on your new puppy! Unfortunately, Maximus is not fully vaccinated at this point, so he should not be going outside. Depending on your state, he can be fully vaccinated by 12 or 16 weeks. If this was his first round of shots, he will need a booster in 2-4 weeks and then his Rabies vaccine at 12-16 weeks as well as his last booster. Maximus should have minimal contact with other dogs (even where other dogs have gone to the bathroom) as you can’t be sure they are not carrying any of the viruses that Maximus is not vaccinated for that can make him very sick. I know it is difficult to keep a large active puppy inside, but your vet can work with you to have Maximus fully vaccinated in a reasonable amount of time.

It depends on your area. I do recommend outside training with dogs that were vaccinated once. Although, still caution people because the puppies are not fully vaccinated. Make sure he does not come into contact with other dogs unless you know the people and their dogs are healthy and up to date on vaccinations. I would also recommend wiping his paws off when he comes in from outside. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.