Is it safe to take my 15-week puppy to the dog park after shots?

Question

My puppy is currently 15 weeks old and received his 4th round of vaccinations (including the one administered by the breeder) almost a week ago. He received his first round at 6 weeks, 2nd round at 9 weeks, 3rd round at 12 weeks, and 4th round at 15 weeks. After the fourth round, the doctor told me they would feel more comfortable with him getting another round since they cannot verify that the breeder administered the first round correctly. Do you think I am fine to take him to dog parks? Pet's info: Dog | German Shorthaired Pointer (duplicate) | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 17 days old | 31 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

I think at this time it is fine to take him to a dog park, however I am with your vet and believe that it is a good idea to get another round of vaccinations. Unfortunately breeders are notorious for getting their vaccines from feed stores or other unreliable sources where one cannot be sure that the vaccine was kept refrigerated continuously. This may have rendered the given vaccine uneffective unbeknownst to the breeder. While there is likely a basic protection after three proper vaccine rounds (by your vet), I am never comfortable with taking a dog of any age to a dog park, as dogs can pick up all sorts of diseases (including worms and other parasites) in a dog park environment. My recommendation is to take your dog to other outdoor spaces, where theree is not such a high concentration of dogs.

Is it safe to take my 15-week puppy to the dog park after shots?

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