All Episodes

July 24, 2025 12 mins

Bringing your new puppy to the vet before they’re fully vaccinated can feel a little overwhelming — how do you protect their physical health and still socialize them during this critical window? In this episode, Amy Jensen walks you through exactly what to do to keep your puppy safe from illness and set them up for lifelong confidence.

Discover the best practices for early socialization, effective protocols for minimizing risk, and how to prepare for those first few veterinary visits using Fear Free techniques. From comfort kits and happy visits to training for handling at home, we’ll help your puppy build trust and have positive experiences from the start.

Because when done right, your puppy won’t just tolerate the vet — they’ll like going.

📋 Topics covered:
 • How to socialize safely before vaccinations are complete
 • What to avoid (and what’s still okay!) during early outings
 • Preparing for a stress-free first vet visit
 • Using Fear Free techniques to build confidence
 • Turning the vet’s office into a positive experience

Whether you’re headed to the clinic this week or just planning ahead, this episode is packed with practical, puppy-friendly tips to help you feel ready.

🐾 Learn more at baxterandbella.com and enjoy your journey together!


Support the show

Follow us on social media

Instagram @BAXTERandBella
Facebook @TheOnlinePuppySchool
YouTube @BAXTERandBella

Subscribe to our site for FREE weekly training tips!

Check out our FREE resources!

Join our membership here.



Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today's episode is answering a client question how
do I take my brand new puppysafely to the vet?
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical

(00:22):
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hi and welcome to the podcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, so glad you'rehere.

(00:42):
If you have a new puppy at yourhouse, or if you know of
somebody getting a new puppy ormaybe they're bringing home an
older dog but it's a new dog tothem please recommend our
program.
It's Baxter and Bellacom is ourwebsite.
We help families learn how toincorporate a dog into their
home.
We want these dogs to be partof the family.

(01:02):
We teach you everything youneed to know about doing that
successfully.
Our goal is to keep more dogsin loving homes, where they
belong, so help us spread theword.
Our program is reasonablypriced In fact, more than
reasonably priced.
We're part of your family forlife.
We want to help you at anypoint in the training journey,
so share our program with others.

(01:23):
We'd really appreciate it.
Today I'm answering a clientquestion, so we received an
email this week.
On have a brand new puppy and Ineed to take them to the
veterinarian.
How do I do that safely,because they're not fully
vaccinated.
As soon as you bring your puppyhome, you really should plan a
veterinary wellness visit, andwhen I say puppy, I mean any new

(01:43):
dog that you're bringing intoyour family.
So schedule a visit with yourveterinarian, typically within
the first two to three days, isgreat.
This gives your veterinarian achance to check for overall
health, start a vaccine scheduleor update their current
schedules that they're on, andthen answer any of your specific
questions.
Now, vaccines for puppies aretypically administered in a

(02:05):
series, so this will bedifferent depending on which
veterinarian you go to and whichprotocol they follow, but in
general, this puppy is gettingboosters every three to four
weeks until around 16 weeks ofage, possibly 20 weeks of age
for that final rabies shot.
So until that final round, yourpuppy's immune system is still
developing and they'revulnerable to diseases like

(02:27):
parvo and distemper.
These can be serious, and so wewant to make sure that you're
protecting your puppy from themand while you're waiting to get
that puppy fully vaccinated.
Now how do we keep them safewhile they're still growing and
we're helping them becomeconfident and social, because we
don't want to just keep them athome.
Them become confident andsocial?
Because we don't want to justkeep them at home, we do want

(02:47):
them to get out and experiencethe world and hear things and
smell things and just get toknow in a really safe, positive
way, the world they're going togrow up in.
Now tip number one is safetyfirst.
We want to protect our puppyfrom illnesses, right?
So a few things you can do onthat front are before they're
fully vaccinated, we want toavoid high risk areas like dog

(03:08):
parks, pet store floors orplaces where unknown dogs visit
frequently.
The second tip would be tocarry your puppy in and out of
the veterinary office or use acrate.
So if you want to go to a storeand just walk around for five
minutes shorter is best then Iwould just carry your puppy, put
them in a backpack that youwear on the front of you, or you
can get a specific puppycarrier.

(03:29):
You can also get a dog strollerand put your puppy in the
stroller and walk in and aroundthe store for a little bit.
Most importantly, we want tomake sure your puppy's happy and
not nervous or scared.
So keep sessions short, bringlots of food, rewards, but do
carry them or don't let theirpaws on the ground until they're
fully vaccinated.
Another tip is to use your ownbackyard or a private space for

(03:49):
potty training and early play.
It's okay to have play dateswith other dogs as long as they
are healthy and fully vaccinatedor current on their vaccination
schedule.
So if your friend just got apuppy and that puppy is current
on their vaccination scheduleand they are healthy, then yes,
they can have a play date in aprivate space like your own
backyard.
But you want to make sure thatyou do know these dogs

(04:11):
personally, that you'reinterested introducing your dog
to other dogs one-on-one.
We go into that in otherpodcast episodes and in our
program, but for now just know,yes, it's okay that they're
having a play date, as long asit's with a healthy, vaccinated
dog that you know personally andit's in a private space.
We don't want to pick a placewhere lots of other unknown dogs

(04:31):
are roaming and going to thebathroom to let our puppies play
in until they're fullyvaccinated.
Another thing you can do tosafeguard your house would be to
ask visitors to remove shoesand sanitize hands before
handling your dog.
Remember this doesn't meanisolation.
We're not trying to isolate ourpuppy.
We're just trying to beselective and smart.
We're trying to minimize risk.
Tip number two is making surethat socialization still happens

(04:53):
.
We just have to get a littlecreative.
So we talk about a criticalsocialization window for our
puppies between the ages ofthree and 14 to 16 weeks.
Their brains are developingrapidly during this time.
Our puppy is learning what'snormal and safe in the world.
So instead of skippingsocialization entirely because
we're worried about vaccinations, here's what you can do.

(05:16):
You can meet with differenttypes of people in your home.
They can wear hats, glasses.
They'll have different voices,different looks to them.
Children are a good thing tointroduce your puppy to if
they're going to be around themlong term.
You can take car rides withyour puppy and get them used to
motion and city sounds.
You can explore new surfaceswith them, like tile, carpet,

(05:36):
grass, gravel.
A lot of these things justhappen in and around your own
home.
We can play sounds for ourpuppy fireworks, traffic,
thunder, play the vacuum, thegarbage disposal, the garage
door opener, and always pairthese things with food rewards.
We can visit safe locations,like going to a friend's or
family member's home that havevaccinated dogs, or drive

(05:58):
through windows where they canhear people and see people, but
there's not interaction withthose people.
Now socialization, remember, ismore than just dogs.
It's about experiences.
What experiences is your puppygoing to have as an adult, and
how can we give them manyexperiences when they're puppies
to help them see that, okay,the world is a little bigger

(06:20):
than I thought, but it's notscary, all right.
Tip number three is to makeveterinary visits positive.
So when we talk aboutvaccinations and we're wanting
to take our puppy to theveterinarian, we want to make
sure that we set the tone forfuture visits.
We want our puppy's futureattitude toward healthcare to be
a good one.
So I recommend bringing somehigh value food rewards.

(06:43):
I like to bring a little bit ofstring cheese or a little bit
of diced up chicken from lastnight's dinner.
I like to have my puppy'srecords and a list of questions
that I want to ask myveterinarian and then even
bringing like a favorite toy orsomething that your puppy's
familiar with for comfort.
Now be sure to reward yourpuppy for every little thing If
they get on the scale, foodreward, if they say hi to the

(07:06):
vet, food reward, even sittingon the exam table any little
small win that you can find.
We want to reward our puppywith praise and good girl, good
dog and a little food reward ifpossible.
We want our puppy thinking wow,that was fun and full of snacks
.
Because, let's be honest, formany dogs the vet's office can
be scary, but it doesn't have tobe here.

(07:28):
At Baxter and Bella we believein setting our puppies up for
success.
We use fear-free techniquesthat build confidence and create
positive associations, startingwith their very first
veterinary visit.
Now here are a few more tips tohelp make that veterinary visit
positive.
So before you go, you canpractice at home.
First, make sure that yourpuppy is used to you touching
their ears and paws, tail,putting your fingers in their

(07:51):
mouth.
Doing this gently, with lots ofpraise, on a daily basis can
really help your puppy get usedto being handled, which will be
helpful when you go to theveterinarian office.
Now lift them onto a low tableor a bench.
You can simulate exam positionsIf you just put your puppy up
on the counter and you practicegoing over their body again the
eyes, ears, paws, tail, mouth,et cetera, rewarding often, and

(08:16):
then we gently lift them backdown to the ground and we go on
and maybe do a little playsession that they love.
We can introduce them to astethoscope or even a toy one
and have pretend checks.
Where we listen to their heart,we can build a predictable
pattern that our puppy starts totrust when people touch them.
So maybe, instead of me alwayshandling them, maybe my husband

(08:36):
comes and handles them, or mychildren come and handle them,
so that different people arestarting to touch them and they
get used to that and they'reokay with it.
When you go to the vet officeyou can bring again that
favorite toy, a favorite chew,high value food, rewards.
You can even bring us somethinglike a blanket or mat that
smells like home.
Now, time it right.
I like to choose a quieter timeof day for my vet visit, if

(08:58):
possible, not a time of day whenmy puppy's really rambunctious
and full of energy, maybe whenthey are just getting up from a
nap.
That would be a good time toschedule it Now, give your puppy
a potty break beforehand andarrive a little early so you're
not rushed.
We don't want you to bestressed and we don't want that
stress to transfer to your puppy, so do your best to stay
relaxed and arrive a littleearly.

(09:19):
Once you get there, carry yourpuppy inside to avoid contact
with any sick animals orunfamiliar smells.
They can also be in a crate, sowe do want to keep them off the
floor of the lobby.
You can have them in your lap.
You can put them in a mat.
You can put them in a crate.
Once you're in the exam room,ask if the exam can be done in
your lap or on the floor insteadof a cold and comfortable table
.
Again, have some food rewardsavailable.

(09:42):
They might be nervous and notwant any, but at least you have
some.
If needed, you can reward themfor calm to behavior.
You can praise them, pet themwhatever they like.
Don't overdo it.
We want to keep themcomfortable.
Stay calm yourself.
Your puppy will mirror yourenergy.
They can sense if you'recomfortable and calm or if

(10:03):
you're nervous, and they'regoing to mirror that.
So pay attention to your ownenergy and what you're giving
off.
Speak cheerfully, not anxiously.
You're doing great puppy right,rather than oh, no, I hope
you're okay.
Um, help them be confident.
Now.
Some fear-free, uh certifiedclinics may even allow you to
wait in the car and comestraight into an exam room, or
they might use dog pheromonesprays and calming music in the
room.
Oftentimes the veterinarian willget down on the floor and get

(10:25):
down on your puppy's level,which is not as scary to the
puppy.
Often they'll have treatstations or they'll, you know,
have gentle handling procedures.
Another thing you can do forvet visits to train it like a
skill.
So think of the vet visit likea trick.
You can practice it.
Set up a pretend exam at homeonce a week.
Maybe you pair each part with ayes and treat or use a clicker

(10:48):
if you like that.
Instead you can work up tohaving your puppy wear a muzzle,
or standing still for athermometer or a gentle
restraint, if your vet allows.
Ask if you can stop by duringthe week just to say hi, get a
little treat from the front deskand leave.
These are happy visits that canhelp desensitize the experience
.
Fear-free vet visits aren't justabout preventing fear.
They're about building trust,and here at Baxter and Bella,

(11:10):
trust is a big part of ourtraining process.
You're showing your puppy hey,I've got you.
This place is safe.
You're going to be okay.
The more positive experiencesyou provide your puppy Now, the
more your puppy will learn thatthe vet is actually just another
place where good things happenand that lesson lasts a lifetime
.
All right, you guys.
Thanks for tuning in today.
Have a wonderful rest of yourweek and happy training.

(11:31):
Thanks for tuning in to thepuppy training podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,

(11:53):
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Are You A Charlotte?

Are You A Charlotte?

In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.