puppy shots

[Hutchebs]

Is it abnormal for a puppy to be sold at 8 weeks without their first set of shots?

[Wonka & Nilla]

I would say it's abnormal for a reputable quality breeder who sincerely cares about their pugs to sell one at 8 weeks without first shots.

I don't think it's abnormal in puppy mills or other similar settings.

[shaynapug]

YES!!!!!!

No reputable would sell a pup without any shots! Most hold their pups til at least 10 wks if not 12 weeks unless they really know the person that is getting the puppy!

[Hutchebs]

Thanks for reminding me what I already knew to be true. Almost got sucked in by a really cute face... but my gut told me not a good idea. I have never taken home a pup without a vet check, first shots and a health warranty- sometimes it is so tempting when you see those sweet faces!

[Pugpillow]

There's 2 issues here:
- the age of selling the puppy
- the age of giving the first shots

A good breeder will not let the puppy go until 10 or 12 weeks because the puppy needs to go through a socialization phase with its mother and litter mates. Second, it is illegal for puppies to be transported across state lines in the US before the age of 8 weeks. This is why many puppy mills/wholesalers lie about the age of the puppies on the paperwork - a disproportionately large number of puppies seem to be "born on Monday", so the wholesaler's truck can pick them up later in the week rather than wait until the next week.

A puppy should not have its first shots until at least 8 weeks old. 8 weeks is considered to be the earliest possible time that the mother's colostrum can start to lose its effectiveness (can be effective until about 16-18 weeks, depending on the dog). As long as the mother's colostrum is effective, the vaccine will not "take". This is why puppies get 2 or 3 shots of the same thing between 8 and 20 weeks of age - so that one of the shots will "take" as soon as the colostrum wears off.

[shaynapug]

Here's another thing....

When you get a pup...you should get their vet records....and be able to take the pup to YOUR vet within 72 hours to check for anything major wrong!

No more than 1 shot at a time....with at least 3 -4 wks behind!