Hello,
On Dec. 16, 2012 I brought home an adorable 7 1/2 week old Australian shepherd. He got his first shots at 6 weeks, the distemper, adenovirus type 2, corona, parainfluenza, and parvo. My concern is did I take him outside too quick for potty training and for walks around the block? I let him walk around a little in my backyard also. The previous owner said it was OK to take him out, but I keep reading online that your not suppose to take a puppy out until he is over 12 weeks old. Now I'm really worried that I made a mistake this past week. What are the chances of him getting parvo? Will he be OK, since he had his first shots at 6 weeks old?

I'm going to do my very best not to scare you, but I am going to give you the facts.

Puppies need 3 sets of shots the first year of life. A puppy isn't fully protected against parvo until the last set of shots, which is at around 6 months of age. Until then, your puppy should be limited to your yard only.

Now, having said that, parvo is fast acting. If your puppy had been exposed to parvo, he would already be showing symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, disinterest in food, listlessness, etc.)

If your puppy isn't sick, don't worry about any exposure to parvo he may have already had. But, until he's fully vaccinated, limit his outdoor time to your yard only. If you live in an urban area, where all people vaccinate their dogs (like I do) then a walk around the block should be (note that I said should) okay. But it's up to you to determine that risk.

Parvo is highly contagious, and extremely fatal. The main places to avoid are lakes, or any area where there are birds, or bird feces. Birds are carriers of parvo, especially ducks. But any dog that has parvo, can spread it easily through feces. You don't even have to take your puppy out for the pup to come in contact with this disease. If you step in dog feces, and that feces is from a dog with parvo, bam, your pup has it.

When I have a new pup in my home, before he's had all 3 sets of shots, I limit visitors, I limit outdoor time to my yard, and I have a pale of half bleach half water at my door to dip my shoes in before I enter my home. Just to be safe. But I'm a bit of a control freak about all of that.

Your pup should be fine. Make sure that he gets his next set of shots on schedule, and the last set as well, and stick to the yard.

I hope I didn't scare you. :(

Hello Alty,

Thank you for responding, My puppy looks healthy to me, he has not had any of the symptoms mentioned. He is actually very playful. I will definitely limit him only to my yard. I love this puppy so much and I have scared myself this whole week thinking I have exposed him to that deadly disease. Your reply made me feel a little better. I will keep him updated with his vaccinations. Hopefully he has not been exposed.
Thanks again, your answer was very helpful. :)

I'd be willing to bet that he's okay. If you stick to the yard, keep him updated on his shots (have you contacted the vet about his next set of shots?) and you're careful, he should be just fine. Any signs that I mentioned in my first post, is an immediate trip to the vet. Parvo is treatable (although the fatality rate is high) and the earlier it's treated, once symptoms start, the better your pups chances.

I give advice on this site for free, but in the dog forum I do have a fee. That fee is pictures. :) I'd love to see this pup. :)

No, I haven't contacted the vet yet, I will though. Thank you if I have any more questions you'll be one of my first contacts. :) I can pay with pictures, that's super affordable. Here's 2 pics of my baby. His name is Zeppelin.

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He is absolutely adorable. :)

You're going to have your hands full with him. Australian shepherds need a lot of exercise, and a lot of training. But they're very smart dogs. I'd get him into obedience classes (not petsmart, but an actual training facility) or even agility. This breed is a working breed. If they're not allowed to fulfill that, they can be trouble.

He's a precious little fur baby. :)

Thank you, he is :) I' am considering obedience classes, I know it will help a lot. He is a handful and is biting A LOT. I already taught him the basics like sitting and laying down. Training is definitely at the top of my list.
So far he's been healthy, no symptoms have showed. That's a relief. :)