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  • 1.  Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 03-01-2023 06:00 AM

    Hi, All,

    What is your shelter policy regarding taking young dogs out on walks by volunteers? Would you please share your policy and any resources to support what you do?

    I am volunteering at a county shelter that has many young dogs under 6 months and new puppies soon to populate the adoption floor.  For me, this is asking for trouble for the dogs' adoption potential futures if they are stuck in a kennel for x number of months.

    The current policy at the shelter is that no dog under 6 months can be taken outside except to a cement cage to potty while the room/kennel is cleaned. Like many shelters, there are too many dogs that are staying long term due to not enough adopters, fosters, dog walk volunteers, or other orgs to take them.

    Our environment options are small concrete yards that are disinfected, gravel/dirt yards next to the concrete yards, a fenced parking lot next to the shelter, and an open field along a road next to the shelter. Periodically dogs and puppies break with parvo now and that is the biggest worry I hear of, along with coccidia.

    Thank you for helping out with answers to my question. to make sure we have the best program for the young dogs and for the shelter and staff.

    Augusta


    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #CaseManagement*
    #Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization

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    Augusta Farley
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  • 2.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 03-01-2023 11:55 AM

    The need to keep puppies isolated till they've had their shots is both realistic and problematic. The shelter I volunteer at has a waiting list of people who are approved for adoption and are hoping for a puppy. Puppies are adopted quickly once they are past the isolation stage.

    In the two years I've volunteered there, I have worked with two sets of  puppies that move into the adoption kennels. Both sets had been quarantined due to parvo outbreak. The least timid were adopted quickly, the most timid took time to adjust, but with focused attention they all came around and found good homes. (I wish I could say the same for their moms. I've been working with one for a few months now - she's beautiful, and very trainable, but she's reactive in her kennel and we haven't had any interest in her.)

    More to your point, there are enrichment activites that can be done in small spaces. I've been focused on working with the longer-term dogs to help them be more adoptable, and it is amazing what can be accomplished in a shelter setting. I do hope to add on work with the puppies, and would love ideas and will share what I learn as I go along. 



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    E W
    Volunteer
    Potsdam Humane Society
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  • 3.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 03-06-2023 05:17 AM

    I'd be interested in anything you want to share to help entertain really young puppies under 4 months and those 4 to 6 months. Puppy enrichment is good and maybe what you do covers the range of experiences puppies need to have during the early months to make up for not being in homes and out into the big world.

    My worry is that the older ones (4 to 6 months), which are less likely to quickly get adopted,  should be experiencing different environments that include traffic (the shelter is near a road), neighborhood noises (there is a county yard next door with machinery going full time), and different people (not just staff) to come out of the sheltering experience well balanced. If those were owned pets, many would be walking around neighborhoods and going to classes already.



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    Augusta Farley
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  • 4.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 07-05-2024 03:57 PM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    I have a similar issue. Our veterinarian does not want us to walk any dogs until 2 weeks after vaccination when they get a booster shot. We need to balance chances of disease with dogs developing severe behavioral issues. I have never waited more than 3 days after vaccination to start working with shelter dogs. What are some protocols regarding this? 




  • 5.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 07-05-2024 05:10 PM

    Hi anonymous,

    You're talking about ANY dogs, not just those under 6 months.?  The answer really depends on your shelter's risk of disease  (do you have a lot of parvo or distemper or other  life threatening infectious disease) vs. risk of behavior challenges (which is such a big issue these days).

    I'd recommend you ask your shelter vet to reach out to the university shelter medicine program that is closest to where you are, to talk about how to balance this risk.

    Here's a few resources: 

    https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/canine-parvovirus/balancing-parvovirus-risk-and-puppy-socialization

    https://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2013/dec/puppy-socialization-priority-over-puppy-vaccinations-31103

    This is a SUPER old article I wrote (prob around 2004?) ,that definitely needs updating, but might be helpful: https://jerseyshoredogtraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Socialization-and-Parvo-Risk.pdf



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    Sheila Segurson, DVM, DACVB
    Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist
    Director of Community Solutions
    Maddie's Fund
    Pleasanton CA
    9258608284
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 07-06-2024 11:12 AM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Yes she is asking this for all dogs, not just puppies. We are not in a high parvo area and do quarantine dogs longer when they are transferred from areas with a higher incidence of parvo. 


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 07-08-2024 09:07 AM

    At our shelter dogs that are under 4 months old are not allowed to be walked by our volunteers. If they are old enough to get spayed/neutered they will still go through to the adoption floor even though they can't be walked yet, and they get adopted crazy fast. If the puppies are too little to get fixed, usually they go to a foster home until they are at the right age/weight or if they are on track to reach that threshold fairly soon they just stay in our stray kennels until they are ready for surgery.  We also try to give our animals enrichment twice a day which helps with dogs who cannot get taken on walks yet.



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    Laurel Nelson
    Cat Welfare Supervisor
    Nebraska Humane Society
    NE
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  • 8.  RE: Policies re limits if any on socialization and walking of dogs under 6 months

    Posted 07-08-2024 11:43 AM

    We have the same policy for puppies under 6 months - no walks outside - BUT they are allowed to go to our indoor meet-and-greet room for playtime/enrichment. We mop in between animals in that space and can easily sanitize it.  Most of our puppies get adopted quickly, but if they're taking awhile, we will try to get them out a couple times of day to that room for playtime.  



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    Erin Dams
    Community Relations Coordinator
    Roanoke Valley SPCA
    Roanoke VA
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