Is my 9-week-old puppy safe for hiking after two parvo shots?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My 9 week old Australian shepherd has had two parvo shots. Can I start taking her hiking with me?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 3rd, 2019
No, not yet. She needs three shots each given four weeks apart in order to be fully vaccinated. Puppies aren't old enough to be vaccinated until they are at least 6 weeks of age, so if she has had two shots by nine weeks, either she was given one shot too early or the two were given too close together. Due to this, she will need two more vaccines each given four weeks apart until she is protected. Do not take her hiking until then. Best of luck.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on December 20th, 2016
I think that sounds like a very reasonable plan :) Although nothing is ever 100% foolproof, I would not consider a campsite like this to be a "high-risk" environment like a dog park, and most puppies are fairly well-protected by their vaccinations as long as they stay current on their booster shots.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 6 week old German Shepard girl and was wondering if I can take her for any walks yet? She does not have her Parvo shot and was wondering how soon I can get that done ?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Athena. The vaccine for the parvovirus can usually be given as young as 6 weeks of age. She can have the bordetella vaccine at this age as well. Her veterinarian will likely deworm her and start her on heartworm prevention at 8 weeks of age. Once she has had her initial vaccines and been started on parasite prevention, she can take short walks. You just will need to avoid areas that are frequented other dogs though. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello we had a puppy 6 months ago that passed from parvo. We recently got a new puppy 11.5 weeks he has had 2 rounds of the parvo shot is he covered for parvo virus at this point we are keeping him in a clean area away from anywhere our last puppy wa
While it is unlikely that there is any viable parvovirus left in your environment, you are doing perfectly by keeping your new puppy away from any sources that may be infectious. Once your puppy will have had its third set of vaccines it should be well protected against a parvo virus infection. Give the vaccine about 2 weeks to fully work (the body's t-cells will need a bit of time to make specific antibodies against all the diseases you vaccinated for) and you can then take your puppy everywhere .
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our puppy just got his second Parvo shot. Is it safe to take him outside on walks now?
As long as your puppy stays current on his [vaccination series](https://www.petcoach.co/article/vaccination-recommendations-for-puppies-puppy-shots) (boosters every 3-4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age), he can certainly go on walks in your neighborhood. In fact, it's very important to get him out and about at this age since the critical [socialization](https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy) period for dogs last from 6 to 16 weeks of age - so he needs to be out seeing the world, the sooner the better. I would recommend avoiding [dog parks](https://www.petcoach.co/article/dog-parks-fun-and-games) and other busy areas where large numbers of unknown dogs have been, but it should be fine to walk him in quieter areas.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I have a male, 11 week old Belgian Malinois who has had his 1st set of shots & his DHP shot about a week ago. We have not taken him out anywhere other than our own backyard, but he is getting STIR CRAZY being cooped up. My question, is he abl
I recommend to wait until after the second set of vaccines (although he still will not be fully protected). If you back yard is fenced in, inaccessible to stray dogs/wild canids, and no dog who survived parvo has been in your back yard for the past 2 years, it should be fine to take him there to play. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Is it safe to take my 3 month old puppy to the park he has his first parvo and deworming shots only though
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! For his own safety and the safety of other dogs, it would be best to wait until he has received his complete first year round of vaccines including the second parvovirus vaccine which usually is given at around 4-5 months of age though that depends on when they received the first set of vaccines. This should be soon anyway so you should be able to take him to the park fairly soon. He is adorable!!! Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
OK. I have a puppy that is 10 weeks old and has already had 3 parvo shots because the breeder...i guess, is paranoid. Her last shot was on 4/12. so my question is, what do i do now? I think the breeder is wrong to do it every two weeks...so should I
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Malika. Puppies in high risk situations can actually be vaccinated every 2 weeks, but it is generally safe to give the vaccine every 3-4 weeks. The vaccines need to be continued until 16-18 weeks of age as this is when the antibodies from the mom wear off. It is important to start her other vaccines as well. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Hi. I have a German shepherd puppy 3 months and 13 days old he had his second vaccination less than 2 weeks ago can i take him for walks i already took him once after I trained him for the collar and the leash he really liked to go out there he even
Hello, yes you can take your puppy out for walks however, you increase the likelihood that he may become sick. Because he has been vaccinated it makes it less likely, however, you should consider only allowing your puppy around other pets whom you know are fully vaccinated. We are most concerned with diseases such as Parvovirus, distemper, influenza, and kennel cough. Continue to follow the recommended vaccine schedule for your puppy and be cautious about which other dogs come in contact with your puppy. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 14 week old puppy had his second Parvo shot two weeks ago. Is he safe to take camping to a remote campground? We will likely be the only ones there.
Yes by now he can be considered completely covered for parvovirus. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
If my puppy was vaccinated at 6 weeks of age can she get her next needles as soon as she’s 8 weeks or wait a little longer? And how long after her second dose should we wait before taking her for a walk
Great questions! Vaccines should be given four weeks apart for them to be effective, so you need to wait until Skylar is 10 weeks of age before getting them again. Puppies are not fully vaccinated until they have three rounds of vaccines, so I would not be taking her for a walk after her second vaccines. You will have to wait until at least 10 days after her third series of vaccines is given at 14 weeks of age before it's safe to take her for a walk. While that does seem like a while away, until that time she will still be susceptible to contracting very deadly diseases such as parvovirus and distemper. You want to avoid that at all costs, so definitely wait until 10 days after the third series of vaccines is given before taking her for a walk. Good luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, we are getting an 8 week old puppy that had his first round of shots at 6 weeks. At 9 weeks, we have a long road trip planned. How can we limit exposure to other dogs / illnesses? Can we/should we get his 2nd round at 9 weeks? Is a road trip a te
Yes, you can give the vaccine at 9 weeks. As long as the vaccinations are 3-4 weeks apart he should mount an immune response. You should still limit his exposure to other dogs until he is fully vaccinated at 16 weeks of age. He can play with and be around dogs with a known vaccination history only. Don't take him to dog parks or pet shops where there are too many other dogs. The road trip is fine to do. Don't worry too much!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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