When Is It Safe to Take a Bulldog Puppy Outside?


Longing to take your bulldog puppy outside? Before you do, read below to find out when going out into the big, wide world for the first time is safe for them.

If you’re like most new puppy parents, you’re likely chomping at the bit to take your new bulldog puppy out of the house and into the yard, park or wherever you have space for them to play, run and experience the outdoors for the first time. And let’s be honest, you’re probably also looking forward to all the “oohs” and “ahhs” your little furry bundle of joy is sure to elicit from strangers walking by. (It’s OK, we all feel like that.)

You can take your bulldog puppy outside only after he/she has received all the necessary vaccines, which is usually between 14 and 16 weeks of age. It is unsafe to take your bulldog puppy outside before they are fully vaccinated, as they could contract diseases that could be fatal.

What’s So Dangerous about the Backyard or Local Park?

Here’s the thing; just like a little human baby, your bulldog puppy’s immune system still isn’t up to snuff and able to protect them from germs, viruses and other nasty stuff. Even worse is that, if an infected dog happened to previously be where you take your pup to play, (or you encounter one while out) without a fully-functioning immune system to protect them your pup could be at risk for canine parvovirus, distemper and other dog diseases, and that includes the risk of dying.

That’s why, until they’ve had all of their shots and are completely vaccinated, you should keep your bulldog baby inside the safe confines of your house, apartment or wherever you call home. It might be a bit of overkill as well as frustrating for you, but it’s certainly better than having a gravely ill bulldog puppy on your hands.

By the way, it takes about 8 to 10 weeks for your bulldog puppy’s immune system to mature completely. Also, they do have some immunity from their mother, which she passes along to them in her milk (just like a human mom!).

Which Vaccines Does Your Bulldog Puppy Need Before Going Outside?

Frankly, as we discussed above, all of them. Without being fully vaccinated your bulldog puppy will be at risk wherever you might go, so it’s really in their, and your, best interest to simply wait until they’ve had all of their shots, including;

  • Canine Distemper
  • Canine Hepatitis
  • Canine Parainfluenza
  • Canine Parvovirus
  • Kennel Cough / Bordetella
  • Leptospirosis
  • Lyme Disease (In certain areas where ticks are prevalent.)
  • Rabies

Not only should you wait until your bulldog pupper has had all of their shots but veterinarians recommend that you wait approximately 2 weeks after the last shot was administered before taking them out to play and explore their new world.

And yes, it might be frustrating but, frankly, now is the best time to really get to know your new bulldog and start teaching them some life-skills, training and socialization skills. Right now they’re all yours but, once you take them outside, the whole world will have access to them, so cherish this time together before that happens.

At How Many Weeks is it Recommended to Give your Bulldog Puppy Each Different Vaccine?

This can change slightly from veterinarian to veterinarian. Below we’ve put together all of the recommended shots and the week, more or less, that they should be administered.

  • Canine Distemper 6 to 8 weeks
  • Canine Hepatitis 6 to 8 weeks
  • Canine Parainfluenza 6 to 8 weeks
  • Canine Parvovirus 6 to 8 weeks
  • Kennel Cough / Bordetella 6 to 8 weeks
  • Leptospirosis 9 to 11 weeks
  • Lyme Disease 9 to 11 weeks
  • Rabies 16 weeks although this varies from state to state

Please keep in mind that these are only the times for the first round of shots that your puppy will need to get the full effect and be the most protected. They’ll need a booster shot for most of the diseases above at 12 to 14 weeks and then another booster every 2 years. (For the rabies vaccination it is every 1 to 3 years as determined by the state where you and your pup live.)

If Your Backyard is Fenced Off is it Safe to Bring Your Bulldog Puppy Outside Before they’ve had All their Vaccinations?

The answer to this is no, sorry. The problem is that some viruses can be transmitted through feces. Some can even be transmitted through parasites that aren’t even on the host that was infected and if either of these is in your backyard and your bulldog pup comes in contact they could get infected too.

Now, you might think that there’s very little danger since there maybe aren’t any other dogs around or your yard is small and has no grass. That might be the case, and they might go outside and be fine, but it’s still a risk. If you decide to take it you can at least minimize the risk by following some basic rules.

  1. Never let your bulldog puppy run-up to and touch another dog
  2. Do your best to keep everything outside out of your puppy’s mouth (Not an easy task!)
  3. Don’t let your bulldog pup play in or around any wet/damp places in your yard

Again, until your bulldog puppy has had all of their first vaccinations it’s risky to expose them to the outside world, much the same as it’s risky to expose a newborn baby to the same.

If Your Town or City has Many Dogs Can you Take your Bulldog Puppy Outside before they’ve had All their Vaccinations?

No, please don’t do that! Here’s a fact; many towns and cities have problems with dog sicknesses, especially if there are a lot of dogs (and a lot of strays). If the place where you live is one of them, taking your bulldog pup outside before their vaccinations are completed and their immunity is strong could literally be a death sentence for them.

Like we said before, even if there are no actual dogs nearby when you go out there could be viruses and diseases lurking in dog doo and on parasites that are in the grass and on other surfaces. If you live in a place where there are a lot of other canines running about the chance of encountering poo and parasites is going to be much bigger and thus the risk much greater for your pup.

Once they’ve been completely vaccinated you’ll be able to take them out and explore every nook and cranny of your city or town but, until that time, do them a big favor and keep them protected and safe inside your home.

What Can Happen to your Bulldog Puppy if you Take them Outside Before all of their Vaccinations are Complete?

Many things could possibly happen and most of them are very bad. The vaccinations we’ve been talking about protect your bulldog puppy from some very bad stuff that can cause some very serious sicknesses. For example, the canine parvovirus, which is incredibly virulent and dreadful, can kill them quite quickly if they contract it.

Canine hepatitis is another potentially fatal disease that your bulldog puppy can contract if they’ve not been correctly vaccinated and you bring them outside. It causes their internal organs to shut down and causes their eyes to turn blue from the pressure.

Parainfluenza and kennel cough are both highly contagious and, if your bulldog puppy gets either one, they can transmit it to other puppies and dogs quite easily. And trust us, you don’t even want to hear what distemper can do to your little furry buddy or, heaven forbid, rabies.

In short, bringing your bulldog puppy outside before they’ve had all of their shots could potentially make them very ill and, in a worst-case scenario, end their little life, which would be a sad situation for everyone involved we think you’ll agree.

How To Deal with Potty Stuff Until your Bulldog Pup Can Go Outside

OK, so the big question that many new bulldog parents have is a simple one that’s just a little bit gross; how to deal with puppy poo and pee until they can go outside? The thing is, you want to make sure that, in the future, your bulldog will hold off from relieving themself until they are let out or taken for a walk, but here we are saying that they can’t go outside, making things a bit…hairy…until they can.

The best way to deal with this is to get them a ‘potty pad’, which is basically a small/medium-sized pad made from an absorbable material. Some potty pads are made with fake grass to look like the outdoors. It’s kind of like a cat litter box but without the box (since dogs aren’t nearly as shy as cats about this stuff).

Now, frankly, you can just use some newspaper and place it in the same spot every day, or place them in a pen and keep the paper in there with them. But, if you’re not a fan of that idea, there are a number of products available that will tide you over until your pup can finally go outside.

Bliss Pets Klean Paws Indoor Dog Potty

Petmaker Artificial Grass Bathroom Mat

Loobani Dog Grass Pee Pads

Fezep Artificial Grass Dog Pee Pads

PuppyGoHere Dog Litter Pan

Fresh Patch Disposable Dog Potty (With real grass!)

Piddle Place Indoor Dog Toilet

Conclusion

Your new bulldog puppy is a bundle of furry joy who will give you and your family years of pleasure, fun, and companionship. Take a few weeks to protect them so that they can make it to their full doggy potential by keeping them inside and safe until all of their vaccinations have been given.

Sources

https://pupford.com/

https://petdt.com/when-can-puppies-go-outside/

https://bulldogguide.com/bulldog-puppy-vaccination/

https://www.caninejournal.com/

https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-to-know-about-puppy-vaccinations-2804982

https://www.pattvet.com/services/dogs/dog-vaccinations

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