Originally Posted by
taysel
We will be getting our 8 week old puppy this Sunday! I am pretty nervous about doing everything right, and one of my biggest fears is over the puppy getting sick before his vaccines are up to speed. I've read some horror stories about puppies dying because the owner let them go outside, and other stories where people took their fresh puppy on all sorts of walks in areas with other potentially unvaccinated dogs.
How serious is the risk of infection? I've read that we shouldn't let him walk on the floor of the vet's office, but if it was such a serious concern, wouldn't the vet have stressed that to me on the phone when I made the appointment?
I'm also a little concerned because our neighbor's dog wanders into our yard every so often. It's a totally friendly dog with county tags (indicating it's had it's rabies shots), but I haven't been able to get in touch with the owner to ask her whether it's vaccinated (although believe me I am trying!).
I appreciate any and all guidance! Thank you!