 A
German shepherd puppy NOT be removed
from its mother and littermates before 8 weeks of age (THIS IS THE LAW IN
COLORADO AND ALL OTHER 50 STATES). If you get a puppy earlier then 8 weeks
old, then you're robbing your puppy of
the most important socialization building period with the mother and
siblings. Yes, the pup may be capable of leaving at 6 weeks old but if you
want a well socialized puppy then it should remain with mom and littermates
for another 2 weeks for a better dog social skills throughout the dog life.
That's when dog socializing goes on - during these weeks and with its
littermates and other attending adult dogs, not with strange dogs from
outside the pack during the next 2 months. There is no reason or need to
trust other dogs at this point.
This leaves you with a total of 8 weeks that the puppy must be kept from
other dogs (between 8 weeks and 16 weeks). This isn't a very long time to
"ruin" a dog in terms of dog socialization. This, as a matter of fact, is
the most important time in bonding with YOU, not other dogs. The nice side
effect of keeping your pup away from other dogs at this point is that it
makes you spend more direct time with the dog. If you feel that you
absolutely must have the pup socialize with other dogs during this period,
reunite the pup with its littermates, its dam, or other members of its
direct pack. If this isn't possible, any other dogs in your own house will
be sufficient. If you don't have other dogs, then you shouldn't go any
further.
Pet fairs, dog events, contests, and doggie parks are the worst
place to bring your pup before 16 weeks of age precisely because they have
so many other dogs. I cringe every time I see a young one at any of these
events. These are prime places for the communication of nasty diseases and
increase the pup's exposure 1000-fold. (Remember what happened when one kid
in school got chicken pox?). There is almost always no vaccination
requirement for these events. Infectious diseases such as kennel cough and
the like run rampant at these places. Ask regular pet-event travelers how
many times their dogs have "picked up" some cough or diarrhea at one of
these affairs. For an adult dog, kennel cough is merely a nuisance. For a
young pup, it may be life-threatening.
 Just
because any particular dog is vaccinated doesn't mean it isn't a carrier of
a serious canine disease. The dog may be an asymptomatic carrier. Or,
remember, disease agents can travel on, in, or with a dog, immunized or not.
An immunization prevents a dog from getting a disease - it doesn't
prevent it from carrying it. My dog may be vaccinated for parvo but still
may harbor it in its feces, intestinal tract, in its paws, on its coat,
wherever. Vaccinated dogs tend to go everywhere - especially where other
non-vaccinated dogs roam.
Your neighbor's dog may seem safe but when you consider that it goes down
to the local park where all the non-vaccinated dogs wander, and defecate,
and sneeze, etc. and then comes back to your house, your pup isn't safe at
all. Even people can bring parvo in on the bottom of their shoes or on their
hands. This is why very few outside visitors should be allowed in the house
when there is a litter present - you never know where they've been.
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