Would you take your puppy to a farm?

[Storygirl]

We are driving several hours away on Labor Day for an annual family picnic at BIL and SIL's farm. It's too long to leave our puppy in her crate, so we have to decide what to do with her. We don't want to board her, and it's tricky finding someone to come over to our house to walk her on a holiday, when people have plans. I'm sure I can find a professional dog walker online, but I'm not keen on that idea.

So we are thinking about taking the puppy with us. She will be just under four months old, so she has not been completely vaccinated yet. The vet said that he thinks it's okay to take her, as long as there has never been parvo at the farm, and if the dogs there have up-to-date vaccinations.

BIL and SIL have goats, chickens, and farmyard dogs and cats. They don't keep the dogs' immunizations up to date -- I asked, and I was not surprised to hear that they don't. But they said they will lock their dogs up while we are there.

DH and I can't decide what to do. One of is inclined to take the puppy with us, while the other thinks it may not be the wisest choice.

[fairfarmhand]

Nope. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Are you wiling to worm her again after?  And risk parvo? 

[Katy]

I'd take her. Parvo isn't super common, but I imagine she will need to be wormed again.

[Mergath]

I'd probably skip the picnic.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Some breeds are more susceptible for parvo.  My puppy (rottie mix) is more susceptible.  It sounds like you already talked to your vet though. 

[Pen]

Yes.

 Our pups have grown up in rural area and been on farms.  I worry more about roads, dog parks and vet offices for catching illnesses. 

[Storygirl]

I don't think there has been parvo there, though there isn't a way for me to know for sure. They've owned the same dogs there for years, but it's not unheard of for a stray to wander onto and off of their property.

My adult niece would probably be willing to watch her, but she is dog sitting my cousin's dog as well, so we would have to take our puppy to her house, which is a longish drive on a day when we will already be in the car for about six hours. And I hate to ask her to watch two dogs at once.

DD16 has some friends who are old enough to drive to our home to walk the dog, but she thinks they all have family plans. I'm going to have her ask and not just assume, but it's possible there won't be someone available. We just moved here, so we don't know any neighbors that we could ask.

I'm tempted to just stay home with her myself, but this is an annual reunion, and staying home means I won't see these relatives for another year or maybe more.

SIL suggested I hire a pro. I'm hesitant to have a stranger in my house when we aren't home, though I know many people do it and have it work out fine.

It's a quandary.

[Pen]

ETA I might not even try to keep a pup separated from farm dogs if they are all healthy and not aggressive. But that would also assume that my own pup seemed healthy and not unusually vulnerable to infection.  AND I am answering for in my own area which I am familiar with   Other places might present different risks  

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I would be more worried about worms from all the manure etc. around than the parvo.  I'd just schedule a fecal test and/or deworming afterwards. 

[PeterPan]

51 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

We are driving several hours away on Labor Day for an annual family picnic at BIL and SIL's farm. It's too long to leave our puppy in her crate, so we have to decide what to do with her. We don't want to board her, and it's tricky finding someone to come over to our house to walk her on a holiday, when people have plans. I'm sure I can find a professional dog walker online, but I'm not keen on that idea.

So we are thinking about taking the puppy with us. She will be just under four months old, so she has not been completely vaccinated yet. The vet said that he thinks it's okay to take her, as long as there has never been parvo at the farm, and if the dogs there have up-to-date vaccinations.

BIL and SIL have goats, chickens, and farmyard dogs and cats. They don't keep the dogs' immunizations up to date -- I asked, and I was not surprised to hear that they don't. But they said they will lock their dogs up while we are there.

DH and I can't decide what to do. One of is inclined to take the puppy with us, while the other thinks it may not be the wisest choice.

Your dog is a house dog and shouldn't be outside there. If they don't have an indoor dog, don't take yours. I have an indoor dog and I still dislike it when people presume to bring theirs. You can find a good boarding place and puppy will love it and be fine.

[Chris in VA]

Go through a bonded walker. That's what they are there for. Really, it is a profession and they are trustworthy. 

[Pen]

Where we are at this time of year, biggest likely risk would be drinking lake water which can have toxic algae blooms. I would keep a puppy away from creeks, lakes, etc

 

[Selkie]

No, the puppy should not go. Parvo is transmitted through feces and the germs can live for months - so even if she doesn't have contact with the other dogs, she could catch it simply from walking in areas where they have gone to the bathroom.

My puppy caught parvo right after he had received his second parvo shot. He had only been around our other dogs, who were all vaccinated, and had never been to a dog park or anywhere that parvo germs might lurk. How he caught it is a mystery, but our vet thinks that a coyote or fox may have passed through our yard and gone to the bathroom and the puppy then walked through there and was exposed to the germs. Unfortunately, the parvo shot only covers some strains, and our puppy got infected with one that isn't in the vaccine.

He was very, very sick and had to stay at the vet hospital for almost a week, and then had to be quarantined from our other dogs for another couple of weeks after that. He did pull through and is fine now, but it was scary and very $$$$. I wouldn't wish that on any puppy (or owner)!

[Pen]

How long are you planning to be away from home?

[Storygirl]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Your dog is a house dog and shouldn't be outside there. If they don't have an indoor dog, don't take yours. I have an indoor dog and I still dislike it when people presume to bring theirs. You can find a good boarding place and puppy will love it and be fine.

I agree that I shouldn't presume. I did ask if they minded if we brought her, and their only concern is that their dogs are not vaccinated. I wouldn't take her if they didn't want me to. They are more laid back about this kind of thing than I am.

Our vet does have boarding facilities, but I don't know if they will take her that young.

[Storygirl]

2 minutes ago, Pen said:

How long are you planning to be away from home?

Perhaps nine hours. Three hours of driving each way, plus three hours for the picnic.

[PeterPan]

Ive had people ask like that and they don't mean to be rude but they position it as they can't come if I don't say yes. Be polite and board your dog.

[Chris in VA]

If you trust your vet, you can ask them for a recommendation for a pet sitter/walker. Some have a list. 

If not, look up on the internet. Don't go thru Care.com or petsitter, or Rover. BUT if you do, look for someone bonded and insured, who is a member of a pet sitting society (I'm sorry, I'm blanking on the name!). 

I sit for two companies (or, have , in the past) and also do my own. A good sitter/walker should leave you a note or text, and make you sign something, and get your emergency information. You can even find companies that use GPS tech so you can see where they walked your pup. 

[Storygirl]

Selkie, thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry for your pup and I'm glad he made it through! That sounds horrible. From what I've read, parvo kills puppies, so he's a fortunate little guy.

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

Perhaps nine hours. Three hours of driving each way, plus three hours for the picnic.

Was the breeder local? The place I sent you does day care and overnight. 

[Storygirl]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

Was the breeder local? The place I sent you does day care and overnight. 

No, we got her from a breeder in a different part of the state.

[Pen]

11 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Your dog is a house dog and shouldn't be outside there. If they don't have an indoor dog, don't take yours. I have an indoor dog and I still dislike it when people presume to bring theirs. You can find a good boarding place and puppy will love it and be fine.

 

9 minutes ago, Selkie said:

No, the puppy should not go. Parvo is transmitted through feces and the germs can live for months - so even if she doesn't have contact with the other dogs, she could catch it simply from walking in areas where they have gone to the bathroom.

My puppy caught parvo right after he had received his second parvo shot. He had only been around our other dogs, who were all vaccinated, and had never been to a dog park or anywhere that parvo germs might lurk. How he caught it is a mystery, but our vet thinks that a coyote or fox may have passed through our yard and gone to the bathroom and the puppy then walked through there and was exposed to the germs. Unfortunately, the parvo shot only covers some strains, and our puppy got infected with one that isn't in the vaccine.

He was very, very sick and had to stay at the vet hospital for almost a week, and then had to be quarantined from our other dogs for another couple

of weeks after that. He did pull through and is fine now, but it was scary and very $$$$. I wouldn't wish that on any puppy (or owner)!

 

I think I missed something. @Storygirl is your dog exclusively indoors where she he could never catch anything in your own neighborhood from unknown dogs or wildlife that could pass through?

 If that is not the case, I don’t see that there is a lot more risk from 3 hours at a picnic. You could perhaps keep him her on a blanket or in a crate most of the time. 

[Pawz4me]

Absolutely I'd take her. Without a second thought. I'd be doing a huge happy dance at the socialization opportunity!! IME lack of proper socialization is apt to do puppies MUCH more harm than potential exposure to nasties.

[Storygirl]

No, we actually have some wildlife in our yard occasionally (deer, rabbits, geese, perhaps raccoons and even coyotes might pass through), and puppy has met neighbor dogs on our walks, as well as my sister's dog. We also took her to a park for DS's cross country meet, where she met another dog or two.

At the farm, the picnic is always held in a barn. The goats and chickens live in the bottom level, and their dogs will be shut up down there, but the part of the barn where we will be is just empty space with picnic tables and chairs set up. We won't go into the house, other than to use the bathroom as needed. We could walk around their property, through the corn fields and into the woods, if we wanted to, but we wouldn't. We would just keep puppy in the barn with the people, except when she needs to take a potty break.

[Storygirl]

I kind of think she would like chickens, though. ?

[Selkie]

26 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

 

I think I missed something. @Storygirl is your dog exclusively indoors where she he could never catch anything in your own neighborhood from unknown dogs or wildlife that could pass through?

 If that is not the case, I don’t see that there is a lot more risk from 3 hours at a picnic. You could perhaps keep him her on a blanket or in a crate most of the time. 

Maybe not, but I would never recommend that anyone purposely expose a young puppy to unvaccinated dogs or their habitat. This is based on my experience of the misery of watching helplessly while my deathly ill puppy fought to survive parvo. Just my opinion, though. 

[PeterPan]

42 minutes ago, Pen said:

If that is not the case, I don’t see that there is a lot more risk from 3 hours at a picnic. You could perhaps keep him her on a blanket or in a crate most of the time. 

 

34 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

No, we actually have some wildlife in our yard occasionally (deer, rabbits, geese, perhaps raccoons and even coyotes might pass through), and puppy has met neighbor dogs on our walks, as well as my sister's dog. We also took her to a park for DS's cross country meet, where she met another dog or two.

At the farm, the picnic is always held in a barn. The goats and chickens live in the bottom level, and their dogs will be shut up down there, but the part of the barn where we will be is just empty space with picnic tables and chairs set up. We won't go into the house, other than to use the bathroom as needed. We could walk around their property, through the corn fields and into the woods, if we wanted to, but we wouldn't. We would just keep puppy in the barn with the people, except when she needs to take a potty break.

I think if you're not doing overnight and you keep her with her, it can sorta be ok. The part where she's with you will be fine and people will think it's cute. I would probably walk in on the fringes of the grass, places where the animals don't go, and I would take wipes for her feet. I agree with a blanket for where she is. We have friends with a barn like this, and where they host the goats and chickens were the day before. It's ok for a square dance, not for an animal going back in my house. The dog would totally need a bath afterward.

Whose responsibility is it to care for her during that time? It sounds like your kids don't want the responsibility. If people want to visit and not watch the dog, then I would board. Also, it could be hot for part of the day, and the dog might not be used to that heat. You want to take plenty of water and some ice cubes to put in her dish.

I don't know why I figured you were spending the night or going to be inside. I think it's really just a judgment call. I've done it both ways to our family things where dogs were ok (lake, farm). As my indoor dog got older I leaned toward leaving her. You could probably go either way. Does she travel well or get sick? Will she get briars in her fur? Is she yappy or distracting or overly active? 

Remember, if you board her, you have very little risk. The dog is happy and healthy, everyone is happy. Worst it costs you is two nights boarding (so you can leave early and come back late without having to rush) and gas back and forth. The dog will get walks and treats. You can pay and they'll trim her toenails, give her a bath, turn on the tv. She'll get recess. She'll love it and be just fine. If you take it and she vomits in the car and gets hot and is constantly needing to be checked and and and, was it worth the $60 saved? Probably not.

Edited August 27, 2018 by PeterPan

[Spy Car]

40 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Absolutely I'd take her. Without a second thought. I'd be doing a huge happy dance at the socialization opportunity!! IME lack of proper socialization is apt to do puppies MUCH more harm than potential exposure to nasties.

Me too.

Bill

 

[Pawz4me]

23 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

 

 

Remember, if you board her, you have very little risk. The dog is happy and healthy, everyone is happy. Worst it costs you is two nights boarding (so you can leave early and come back late without having to rush) and gas back and forth. The dog will get walks and treats. You can pay and they'll trim her toenails, give her a bath, turn on the tv. She'll get recess. She'll love it and be just fine. If you take it and she vomits in the car and gets hot and is constantly needing to be checked and and and, was it worth the $60 saved? Probably not.

I'm sure the rare dog exists who actually is happy at a boarding facility. But I've yet to meet one.

[Selkie]

Boarding might not be possible. Our vet won't board puppies who don't have all their vaccinations.

[PeterPan]

14 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I'm sure the rare dog exists who actually is happy at a boarding facility. But I've yet to meet one.

Oh I get it, but this place I sent her a link for is super nice. It does doggie day care for the rich and famous, and they slather the dogs with love. You can pick the size of the room, what treats, how many times he goes out for play time (several for free, more for a fuzz more), get grooming and spa services. I boarded my previous dog there several times and it was fine. It's confusing to the dog, sure, but they're just as nice as can be about it. It's not like at say our big animal hospital where it looks like your dog went to the pound. 

10 minutes ago, Selkie said:

Boarding might not be possible. Our vet won't board puppies who don't have all their vaccinations.

If the dog isn't age appropriate, the place could just do the shots and get him caught up, no biggee. 

Probably Story could go either way, but socialization and taking the dog will require effort. If they want to visit and not do that, then boarding would be a good move. 

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Storygirl said:

I kind of think she would like chickens, though. ?

 

How big and what breed(s) is she?

[Pen]

52 minutes ago, Selkie said:

Maybe not, but I would never recommend that anyone purposely expose a young puppy to unvaccinated dogs or their habitat. This is based on my experience of the misery of watching helplessly while my deathly ill puppy fought to survive parvo. Just my opinion, though. 

 

I am sorry about your pup. 

In my own experience, otoh, the only puppy/dog I have had get a parvovirus type illness was an unhealthy puppy from the start. 

Although my experience is obviously limited to the dogs I have had, we have done a lot of puppy socializing, including at trainers where there are lots of unvaccinated dogs—and no other dog has had a problem. This includes Rotweilers who tend to be susceptible. 

OTOH, We have avoided vet waiting rooms and parking lot poop areas during a local parvovirus outbreak—because the vet office and dirt and plant areas outside it is highly likely to have sick dogs or virus in the soil. 

Anytime a puppy goes to the vet it is likely to involve an exposure to unvaccinated dogs,  either at that time, or where one has been in the recent time before the puppy has an appointment.   So is any walk along a road that other dogs are walked on. 

 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Storygirl said:

No, we actually have some wildlife in our yard occasionally (deer, rabbits, geese, perhaps raccoons and even coyotes might pass through), and puppy has met neighbor dogs on our walks, as well as my sister's dog. We also took her to a park for DS's cross country meet, where she met another dog or two.

At the farm, the picnic is always held in a barn. The goats and chickens live in the bottom level, and their dogs will be shut up down there, but the part of the barn where we will be is just empty space with picnic tables and chairs set up. We won't go into the house, other than to use the bathroom as needed. We could walk around their property, through the corn fields and into the woods, if we wanted to, but we wouldn't. We would just keep puppy in the barn with the people, except when she needs to take a potty break.

This wouldn’t worry me at all. No more risk that at your own house.

[Lanny]

I would not take a dog there, and even less a puppy.  Too much of a chance the puppy might be attacked by an animal that is a full-time resident of the farm. Even if the dogs are locked up, no way.

[kitten18]

I would hire a professional dog walker to take the puppy out. 

[fairfarmhand]

I’ll follow up. I’ve had people with the idea of “I’ll brong my dog up to your farm and it’ll be great!”

but from a farm owner viewpoint it makes me super nervous for the following reasons.

1. My dogs are territorial. Their job is to repel other dogs that would kill my chickens. They’re both 100+ pounds And they’re fast. I could’ve busy doing something else and they could hurt another small dog quickly. They’re also masters of escaping from enclosures, particularlyif they think there’s a threat. (They’re wonderful with people)

2. I have 2 roosters who know what their jobs are. My dogs leave them alone. Someone else’s might not. Also, young dogs love chasing chickens. 

3. Tractors, and trucks are  everywhere! You can’t stop a tractor quickly and trucks have limited visibility. 

This is why unleashed dogs make me nervous On my farm. Op, if you take the dog, keep it leashes or with you all the time. 

[Storygirl]

2 hours ago, Pen said:

 

How big and what breed(s) is she?

She's a goldendoodle (half retriever, half standard poodle). I estimate her at 13-15 pounds right now. She was 11 at the vet recently, but she's growing fast.

I would post a picture if I knew how. She has very fluffy golden fur!

[Pen]

10 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

I’ll follow up. I’ve had people with the idea of “I’ll brong my dog up to your farm and it’ll be great!”

but from a farm owner viewpoint it makes me super nervous for the following reasons.

1. My dogs are territorial. Their job is to repel other dogs that would kill my chickens. They’re both 100+ pounds And they’re fast. I could’ve busy doing something else and they could hurt another small dog quickly. They’re also masters of escaping from enclosures, particularlyif they think there’s a threat. (They’re wonderful with people)

2. I have 2 roosters who know what their jobs are. My dogs leave them alone. Someone else’s might not. Also, young dogs love chasing chickens. 

3. Tractors, and trucks are  everywhere! You can’t stop a tractor quickly and trucks have limited visibility. 

This is why unleashed dogs make me nervous On my farm. Op, if you take the dog, keep it leashes or with you all the time. 

 

these points make more sense to me to be concerned about than parvovirus at farm.

I think a leash is a good idea.  

[Storygirl]

PeterPan, I anticipate that she would be content to stay with us in the barn. The kids are all teens now, so they will wander around, look at the chickens, swing on the tree swing, hang out, etc., around the property, but she wouldn't have to be with them. Puppy could stay with the adults, and DH and I would watch her. The kids could take a turn when they were around.

I don't think there have ever been animals living in this part of the barn. This barn is perhaps 30 years old and is a second barn on the property and I think has always just been used for storage before it became a kind of social gathering place. They have a basketball hoop at one end.

I don't know if anyone would board her before her puppy shots are complete, but we can always ask. She's not due for the next ones until after the holiday, and we won't do them early, because they want the next ones to be after four months of age.

fairfarmhand, I understand your concerns!! SIL's cousin farms the land; BIL and SIL do not do it themselves, so there isn't heavy equipment around. We would keep puppy on a leash at all times, and they would lock up their dogs before we arrived (they always lock them up, but it is often after we arrive). Sometimes the chickens are out in the yard, but the last time they had them penned up under the barn. They don't have any roosters. Puppy might like to chase a chicken, but she doesn't chase the geese, so maybe she wouldn't. These are good things to think about!

If we think we want to take her, I will follow up with SIL to make sure she is really okay with it. I'm sure she would tell me if she would rather not.

[PeterPan]

It sounds like you have a plan! I doubt your SIL will care about outside. That's more like indoors and overnight. Have fun!!

[ktgrok]

HOnestly, less risk of Parvo there than on a walk in a suburban neighborhood. 

[Selkie]

I hate to give the OP another thing to worry about, but leptospirosis is another concern on farms and in rural areas. Our dogs are routinely vaccinated against it because we live in the country, but most other dogs probably are not. It can be carried and spread by all kinds of animals, both wild and domesticated, and humans can catch it, too. Just wanted to make you aware, since people who don't live in rural areas may not be familiar with it.

[ktgrok]

15 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I hate to give the OP another thing to worry about, but leptospirosis is another concern on farms and in rural areas. Our dogs are routinely vaccinated against it because we live in the country, but most other dogs probably are not. It can be carried and spread by all kinds of animals, both wild and domesticated, and humans can catch it, too. Just wanted to make you aware, since people who don't live in rural areas may not be familiar with it.

Actually, suburban areas vaccinate for it too, now, as it is spread via rats among other things, and those are often found in more populated areas. 

4 minutes ago, Margaret in CO said:

Nopity, nope, nope! If I was the farmer, and you didn't hear my screams to "GET THAT DOG BACK IN THE CAR!!!!" it would probably be dead. If you got the pup back in the car before my Akbash got to it, I would tell you to LEAVE and not return. No one can drive a strange dog into a place with a livestock guardian dog without a disaster. There is NO barn that I could lock my dog up in that would hold him, plus I wouldn't. His job is to be with the sheep. You also wouldn't be happy with the scratches he'd inflict on your car, trying to take out the puppy. Please do not bring the puppy--it's not fair to him.

But does this farm have a livestock guarding dog? She's not showing up announced, it's her sister. She'd know if they had a LGD, right? And she already spoke to sister about it. 

[Pawz4me]

Since this is Storygirl's family's farm I would assume she knows whether or not the puppy would be welcome and whether or not their dogs would be a problem? I mean don't people communicate with their family about such things? I know which of our (mine and DH's) siblings would welcome our pooch at any time and which wouldn't. So I made the assumption that they were fine with her bringing the dog. My brother has a Great Pyr and she doesn't give a rat's patootie if our dog is there as long as he stays away from her goats.

Regarding lepto--It's a good thing to know about, and It's certainly not just a rural problem. But it's something relatively easy to prevent with a watchful eye and a solid "leave it" command (which of course a four month old puppy may not have yet). We have tons of wildlife around here and our dog can't get the vaccine anymore due to a bad reaction a couple of years ago. But it's not something I worry about. Really, puppies are like kids. There are innumerable things one could worry about. Almost none of them will ever happen.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Pawz4me

[ktgrok]

39 minutes ago, Margaret in CO said:

I just don't want folks to think it is okay to show up with dogs to a farm. We've had so many wrecks. Please people, don't bring your dogs. The puppy could bring diseases IN as well as catch them. Just don't. 

I think it is wise to say, "don't bring your dog to a farm without checking first". But to say never ever bring any puppy to any farm? What if it is a freaking tomato farm, lol? She already said that the barn is not actually used for animals, the sister and her family don't actually farm, someone else does, and the sister is fine with her bringing the dog. 

[ksr5377]

I would take the puppy but keep it on a leash with me.  

[Selkie]

36 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Since this is Storygirl's family's farm I would assume she knows whether or not the puppy would be welcome and whether or not their dogs would be a problem? I mean don't people communicate with their family about such things? I know which of our (mine and DH's) siblings would welcome our pooch at any time and which wouldn't. So I made the assumption that they were fine with her bringing the dog. My brother has a Great Pyr and she doesn't give a rat's patootie if our dog is there as long as he stays away from her goats.

Regarding lepto--It's a good thing to know about, and It's certainly not just a rural problem. But it's something relatively easy to prevent with a watchful eye and a solid "leave it" command (which of course a four month old puppy may not have yet). We have tons of wildlife around here and our dog can't get the vaccine anymore due to a bad reaction a couple of years ago. But it's not something I worry about. Really, puppies are like kids. There are innumerable things one could worry about. Almost none of them will ever happen.

I think it's just that those of us who actually live on farms and have dealt with or seen many bad things happen to animals over the years have a catalogue in our heads of what could potentially go wrong with bringing a young, not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppy into this environment. We are just trying to save the OP some heartache. Based on my personal experiences, I would never tell the OP it's a good idea to bring the puppy without weighing the possible concerns. 

[Pawz4me]

11 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I think it's just that those of us who actually live on farms and have dealt with or seen many bad things happen to animals over the years have a catalogue in our heads of what could potentially go wrong with bringing a young, not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppy into this environment. We are just trying to save the OP some heartache. Based on my personal experiences, I would never tell the OP it's a good idea to bring the puppy without weighing the possible concerns. 

I understand and don't disagree.

I grew up on farms (both sets of grandparents). My brother raises goats and chickens. I've worked in rescue for three decades and have seen pretty much every health issue imaginable. And I still think lack of socialization is far and away the greatest risk most puppies will ever face. I think we all fear the thing we know the most.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Pawz4me