Can I take my unvaccinated puppy outside to pee?

As long as your garden is safe, enclosed with solid fences and not used by unvaccinated dogs, then your puppy can explore the garden straight away. It’ll help to build their confidence, get them used to their new home, and you can start their toilet training. Taking your puppy for their first walk is a huge milestone, but you’ll need to wait until they are fully covered by their vaccinations to be safe. This is usually a week or so after their second jab in their primary vaccination course, but this does vary depending on which vaccine your puppy has had. You’ll need to wait until your puppy is fully covered by their vaccines before they can meet most other dogs. Once you have the all clear from your vet, you can take your puppy out and about to socialise, but it’s still a good idea to stay away from any dogs that have recently been unwell just to be safe. If you have friends with vaccinated dogs, or there are other vaccinated dogs in your household, then your puppy can start mixing with them at home straight away as long as they are otherwise healthy. Just remember to confirm that the other dogs’ vaccines are up to date before arranging a meet and greet.

Puppies should not be going into the wider world before they have their immunity protection but, in some cases, where you can manage the environment like in the garden, they may be able to venture out a little earlier. Unvaccinated puppies can venture out into the garden. Not only does it build their confidence and make outside less scary, but it means you can start encouraging them to go to the toilet there and avoid as many accidents indoors. The garden just needs to be fully enclosed with no unvaccinated dogs having access to it. If you have another dog in the home, it’s still fine for your puppy to go in the garden as their older pal will ideally be fully vaccinated and your pup will be living with them anyway. If there are spaces like the front garden that aren’t enclosed and other dogs may wander onto the property, these areas are still best to avoid until they’re fully vaccinated. Toilet training your puppy is an important part of bringing them home and many owners can start this as early as day one.