Olivia just got her 16 week shots and I've kept her in until she was done. Until your baby has had all of his or her shots, I would wait just to be safe. As someone else said- it's easier to prevent than cure! It's taken Olivia quite a while to get used to wearing her harness and she still is definitely not fond of the leash. (She sits right down when I put it on her.) Until the shots are complete, I would work on getting your puppy used to the harness, the leash, and walking with both around the house. You have years and years worth of walks ahead of you- I would wait until it's completely safe.
If your puppy is still young, I would make sure that you have a matress pad if you plan to have him sleep with you. Don't get frusterated with messes on the bed, either- he might be too young to hold it at times. Depending on his size, I would also think about how deeply you sleep- God forbid you roll onto him in the middle of the night. You also need to be careful that he isn't flung off the bed- if he's sitting on the edge, you could accidentally knock him on the floor by adjusting the covers, moving, etc. Some babies do well right from the start on the bed. Olivia tends to go toward the edge and I have a cat that provokes her to play mid-night, so I'm waiting until she's a little bigger. She doesn't mind sleeping in her crate. If you play with your baby and allow him to run around the house for a few hours before bedtime, he should be ready to go to sleep when you put him in there. Olivia has to stay in a crate while I'm at work, but I have her out for about 8.5-9 hours a day while I'm home. (Before work, during lunch, after work) They can't play 24 hours a day, so don't feel guilty about leaving him during work or having him sleep in a crate at night- they need sleep. Your puppy can't tell time, and if he's sleeping the whole time you're sleeping or while you're at work, he won't know how long he's been left alone. I mean, it's not okay to leave him "caged" for 24 hours a day, but he also can't tell time and doesn't know if he's been sleeping for an hour or 6 hours. |