# New Puppy Questions - Natural Reared Puppy



## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I have to start asking my puppy questions so I am ready for next weekend.

1. This is a natural reared puppy from a raw fed mother who has never been vaccinated. The pup will have a well pup exam on friday and I pick him up on Sunday. He won't have had any vaccines and won't be getting any until his mandatory rabies. The question is, when can I expose him to the big bad world to start to socialize him? I know that he probably won't be allowed into puppy kindergartens' without puppy vaccines, but can I take him to places to meet people and other dogs? I really hate the idea of taking him to a vets for a well puppy exam and exposing him to the germs there right after I get him, since the breeder is taken him in for a well puppy visit two days before so I may not do that. 

2. I got him a little 'puppy kong' for the 5 hour trip home in the car. What can I put in a puppy kong for a car ride? It is so tiny!! He will be about 2 pounds. None of my dogs have ever used a kong because I've never had a chewer before. Shade is my first chewer and he has a plastic nylabone that he loves but that is it. 

I'm sure I will have more questions in the next week. I'm just getting ready here. Mostly I'm worried about the socializing an unvaccinated puppy but I may be worried about nothing.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Chowder, I am so happy for you. Puppies are great. 

I expose my puppies like I did my children (who are also unvaccinated) - a little at a time. Getting them around your dogs and back yard, then to the front yard, then walks in your neighborhood. Basically a slowly expanding circle. 

Avoid newly vaccinated puppies as they shed the vaccines they were given for about two weeks. I don't allow any dog over who has just been vaccinated. Your pup will not suffer without puppy K and will also not be exposed to the man made vaccine shed. Remember herd immunity does not work the same with vaccines as with the natural course of a virus/disease. 

I would put maybe some ground chicken in the kong. That or take a small bully stick for him to chew. 

I can't wait to see pictures. He is so lovely.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Thank you so much!! I didn't realize that the man-made vaccine did not act the same as the virus would in the wild and other puppies would be shedding 'residue' from it. Luckily I live in a small neighborhood and I can let him expand his horizons slowly. The breeder has done a good job of letting him meet her grandchildren and some people already so he is on his way with his socializing to some extent. She has a holistic vet for his first well puppy visit so I won't be worried about him picking up anything bad there. 

As many biology classes as I've taken over the years, yet none have ever taught anything useful like this. I really wish I would have avoid the vaccines in my children but it's 20 years too late for that now. I will always wonder if the barrage of vaccines they gave my oldest son led to his type 1 diabetes but I can't live with regrets over that forever. Just keep learning all I can. 

I will get him a little bully stick when I pick him up some Primal this week for his transition stage. He was weaned on that and I will get him one bag to last him until I move him over to our food. I'm sure I will be posting plenty of pictures by next Sunday night. :biggrin1:


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Congrats, Chowder! Can't wait to see the pics!


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Chowder, just wait til you have to ask someone when their puppy's last shot was and they proudly tell you just a day or two before and you tell them your baby can't play with theirs until a few weeks from then. They look of shock is priceless. I am to the point where I think it is funny and actually enjoy it. We did the same with my kids. My Marshall is and 20 month old non vaccinated collie and Dixi is 14 months old non vaccinated Sheltie they go everywhere and anywhere with me and have since about 6 months old. before then I just carefully and methodically expanded their little horizons. Both are very happy, confident pups and are even in handling classes. They will both be shown this winter. Try to be confident and enjoy your new pup's happy little self.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I will remember that and carefully quiz all his little playmates!! I want Brisco to go to agility someday, and eventually the Havana Silk Dog conformation shows. They are 'banned' from AKC since the group was formed, when they decided to require genetic testing and full health screening in order to be bred so he can't be shown in AKC. Eventually they hope to be reinstated as a separate breed since they have many years of lines being traced, complete with DNA testing but that could take forever. It takes at least two years before all his tests will be finished but he can start to be shown in puppy classes right away if any are near me. It would be small shows of just Havana Silk Dogs, though.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

chowder said:


> I want Brisco to go to agility someday, and eventually the Havana Silk Dog conformation shows. They are 'banned' from AKC since the group was formed, when they decided to require genetic testing and full health screening in order to be bred so he can't be shown in AKC.


Not to get off topic, but that is my problem with AKC. If they did require health testing before breeding a lot of problems would be solved. Of course most BYBers would go to the Continental Kennel Club, but at least there'd be no more "akc puppies for sale" "papered puppies for sale" all over the place. 

And for the agility would it be UKC then?


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

SaharaNight Boxers said:


> Not to get off topic, but that is my problem with AKC. If they did require health testing before breeding a lot of problems would be solved. Of course most BYBers would go to the Continental Kennel Club, but at least there'd be no more "akc puppies for sale" "papered puppies for sale" all over the place.
> 
> And for the agility would it be UKC then?


According to the AKC website, all dogs can now compete in agility, rally, obedience, and coursing (even mixed breeds) so he should still be able to compete in AKC agility. He just can't be registered as an AKC dog. They separated themselves genetically and physically from the American Havanese and followed the genetic line back to the original Cuban dogs but they are not considered a 'real' breed. I guess he is a fake dog :heh:


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

No Chowder, not a fake dog, "just from the wrong side of the tracks". LOL


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

chowder said:


> According to the AKC website, all dogs can now compete in agility, rally, obedience, and coursing (even mixed breeds) so he should still be able to compete in AKC agility. He just can't be registered as an AKC dog. They separated themselves genetically and physically from the American Havanese and followed the genetic line back to the original Cuban dogs but they are not considered a 'real' breed. I guess he is a fake dog :heh:


Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong, but wouldn't he have to still have that AKC pals registration? So he would be able to register for that as a mix, but not as a breed with limited or full registration? Sorry, just a bit confused.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

SaharaNight Boxers said:


> Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong, but wouldn't he have to still have that AKC pals registration? So he would be able to register for that as a mix, but not as a breed with limited or full registration? Sorry, just a bit confused.


AKC Canine Partners. AKC program for Canine Partners.

They have the AKC Canine Partners program now. I think they realized that they were missing out on a golden opportunity to make money. There are a whole lot of people out there that wanted to compete with their dogs but were not eligible and now they are no longer restricted.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Just a FYI, the Havana Silk Dog Association just had it's southern California show and here are a few pictures from it. They are less formal type affairs then an AKC show because everyone usually knows each other and it's more like 'family', but dogs are still awarded points, ribbons, awards, and championships. The dogs are shown totally natural with no excessive brushing, clipping, or foo fooing. (my term!).


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

They are all sooo adorable!

Im a sucker for long haired dogs that get parted down the middle after growing up with Lhasas!LOL


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

:usa::usa::usa::usa::usa:


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

magicre said:


> compared to a lhasa, chowder, how much do havanas eventually weigh, approximately...are they a larger or smaller build?


They are much smaller in general, about 10 pounds with a much thinner, silkier coat that doesn't tangle or need near as much brushing or the fancy oiling and rolling that a Lhasa does. Chelsy was about 17 pounds and built like a little tank. Her hair was really thick with a heavy undercoat and needed a lot of work. The silk dog is much more like a yorkie style, although its hard to tell in those pictures. It also doesn't drag on the ground like a Lhasa's does. They are meant to be little working dogs - chicken herders originally, although family dogs now.


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