Ask Dr Claire

Can I take my new puppy (8wks with 1 vaccine) out into my back yard? She is a Dogue de Bordeaux and needs a bit of space to run and play.

Provided your backyard is healthy (ie there’s been no dogs sick with parvovirus in it for the last 12 months) it’s fine for your puppy to go into your yard. In fact, with a Dogue de Bordeaux I think you absolutely need to!!

Until she is fully vaccinated she can contract parvo from sick dogs and it does live in the environment for up to 12 months. She should only be socialised in safe environments (a healthy confined space, with fully vaccinated dogs, or reputable puppy schools etc) not at dog parks or in public areas that are regularly frequented by other dogs.

Socialisation is really important at this age but needs to be done safely. It’s also worth checking at your local veterinarian if there are many cases of parvovirus in the area.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire