When is it safe to touch a young pup?
 

Hello everyone!:D I am going to visit my little Lyra today at the breeders! I am so unbelievable excited. She is 3 weeks and 4 days today. Now I have not been able to get my breeder on the phone today so I wanted to ask everyone opinions here. I am not even sure she would let me handle the puppy but is it safe for me to do so? I have a feeling she will allow me to handle just mine if I asked. I stopped volunteering at the dog shelter I was at because of the unvaccinated dogs 1 1/2 months ago. I am around no strange dogs just two malteses who have all of their shots. I will be showering and putting on freshly washed clothes and I always hand sanitize... If however this isnt safe I will gladly just observe the litter. Also, for the breeders and people that have bought from a good breeder do you think she would be offended if I examine the dog? (If it is safe to hold her) I would like to examine her mouth/ears/eyes (I am a nursing student and i do this at the shelter often). I really doubt this would offend her but I wanted to ask you all how you would feel about this. I have no doubt she is a healthy puppy, but she is the runt and i tend to be a little overprotective/nervous :D Thank you all so much for your answers.

Congrats on your soon to be pup- I honestly never heard of a breeder letting outsiders visiting puppies that young.. If I were you I would just let her send you pictures. It kind of makes me nervous she is letting visitors so soon… Parvo virus can be carried on your shoes!! Just be cautious. Hopefully some YT breeders will come on here and educate a little more!

Have you researched this breeder?

I don't know the official party line, but my uneducated self started picking up and holding my Huey before his eyes opened. . Of course, this was before YT and it was a byb,(sorry, sorry, sorry, I didn't know better) but my little one turned out just fine and didn't catch any dreadful diseases while I was holding him.

Good question. I was too nervous to touch anyone or anything when I picked up my boy. Take off your shoes before entering the house, if you go.

In terms of wanting to examine the pup to determine fitness, it would be better if you waited a few weeks anyway. A lot can change. A show breeder, for instance, wouldn't make bets on a 3 - 4 week pup.

Thanks so much. I had no idea it would be a bad idea to visit. I would definitely be taking my shoes off before entering the house. She told me before that noone may visit before 4-5 weeks but I am very very busy with school so she said 3 1/2 would be alright. But since you've said that I am sure she will not allow me to touch the puppies. I was unsure she would and wanted to clarify before. She had told me before when I placed by deposit that since she was claimed noone else would be allowed to handle her or visit her. Oh dear, now I am quite nervous. I was very confident with this breeder, she's done all the testing and has 20 years experience with yorkies and she bred poodles even before that and I know people with 5 generations of her dogs. She is very adamant about the 12 weeks wait for pick up,which I do not mind at all. Maybe I should just cancel my visit all together.

If she is okay with it I would go the important thing is she is keeping the pup untill 12 weeks

Oh no, sorry for scaring you- I personally just never heard of breeders letting people visit that young. I could be wrong. Before you do anything let some of the breeders come on here and hear what they have to say!! :D

Don't be nervous. Sounds like you have done your research.

Thanks. Yes I have. Living in Ohio and working in a shelter I get to see the lasting effects poor breeding and puppy mills have on these poor poor babies :(

To me, it sounds like you have a responsible breeder, especially with not letting pups go before 12 weeks. I would visit, even if unable to touch. You need to meet your baby girl. How else do you know she is a Lyra? She might tell you her name is something else before you take her home. You never know ! Good luck and let us know how the visit went! Exciting times....

I know, I am wayyyyyyyy overprotective. I waited 2 weeks after waiting the time to get all Peanut’s vaccines before I took him anywhere LOL.

It does sound like she is a good breeder, and I guess she made some arrangements since you work so much- I’m just a worry wart. 3 weeks is just a tiny little baby, and I’m sure the puppy isn't going to have much of a personality at that age.. So the only good out of seeing her this young would be to see how she looks at 3 weeks LOL which will change anyways.. It’s better to be educated than not, so hopefully I didn't make you feel like I was jumping on you. I wasn't- I would just hate to see something happen especially if it could have been prevented..

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
This is just me....and I am a crazy, over the top breeder.....and I have already HAD parvo brought in to my home on a puppy visitors shoes and it almost wiped me completely out!! That was close to 8 years ago....and I stopped allowing people onto my property to visit with their babies until those babies have 2 vaccinations in them...and then it is like being a member of a hazmat unit...shoe covers, hand sanitizer, walking across rugs that have been sprayed with Virkon prior to the shoe covers, and the foyer is as far as anyone is allowed to enter. It is just not worth it for me to risk EVER AGAIN, the lives of my babies and even loosing my business....the most expensive babies I have ever sold, combined together, does not come close to what it cost me to save the litter of puppies that came down with parvo, as well as throw out every single item those babies had come in contact with, have my home and yard treated and "sterilized"....plus then not breeding for almost 2 years just to be certain that any trace of that horrific disease was totally obliterated from my property. And remember, if YOU are allowed there to handle and walk around her property/home, so is anyone else....and she really does not know for sure where any of you have been or walked or handled...she is taking each persons word for it. And you KNOW parvo virus lives on surfaces and is quite capable of transfer for a LOT LONGER than the 6 weeks you have been away from unvaccinated dogs.....and may have picked up the virus working around parvo infested dogs!

Well actually... she has 3 possible first names and 4 possible middle names. :rolleyes: My parents have two maltese's that I have grown up with and we name them after constellations. (Big into astronomy) Lyra is the greek root word for Lyric. I am very very very into music, I did theatre and musicals all through highschool and i play the piano and have seen 8 musicals on broadway. Im leaning towards Lyra because of her pictures, and the breeder says she is the most vocal of the group. Also my nickname is lexi so i think the L&L are a cute match! But honestly its 60/40 between Lyra and Calypso. Once I meet her it might change all together. :D I appreciate everyone's responses so very very much! And yes she had to work with me. I used to volunteer at the shelter 3 8 hour days a week but stopped because I don't want any traces or unwashed clothes around when visiting or bringing her home. But I am in nursing school full time with clinicals and I work a lot to put myself through school. But I am cutting back this summer so I can have as much time as possible with my girl.

That is positively horrific and heartbreaking, I could only imagine! Well I left a message for my breeder to discuss it with her. If I go I have decided that I will not handle the puppy. I do know that Parvo lasts longer on surfaces, we are very careful at our facility. We wear scrubs that do not leave the facility and are washed daily and I wear shoes there that stay in the trunk of my car and do not enter my home along with sanitizing everything often. However, we can never be too careful. But you have a very very good point about other people not being honest or careful. I very much appreciate your reply... and actually I have multiple infection suits , and I could even wear shoe covers going there over my socks, but with them being so young it still seems too much to risk.

Visit her, but take the opportunity to talk to the breeder about any questions you might have, get to know the parents if possible and sort out any admin you still need to do. Don't even ask to touch the puppies - the breeder might say yes after you've washed your hands, but it's not a good idea. It shows a lot of understanding, restraint and selflessness to NOT try to touch a puppy when you see a whole litter of cute puppies.

I personally think that the only foolproof time that you can touch someone else's dogs or puppies is when they approach you. Then it would be rude not to. They tend to do this from about 6 weeks onwards.