DS: What is your opinion on taking puppies to public places before they have completed their vaccinations?

[Jojo]

Here in the uk many more dogs are euthanised from lack of early socialisation than any that get ill and die from Parvovirus. ( researched fact).
You have to use common sense regards the issue you ask about.
Puppies do need to be socialised from between 7 and 14 weeks which is the crucial time for it to be done.
You don`t take a pup among strange dogs or out into a town full of people without full vaccination but you Can take the pup to see the world from the safety of your arms or a holdall. Also I take my pups to places other dogs rarely go and show them all sorts of stuff like farm animals, big lorries and heavy traffic,tractors , trains, carry them through crowds of people, and if possible, guns going off. Puppies learn so much just by "Observing" from the safety of your arms. Hence I now have dogs that will take anything in their stride and show no fear of anything different they may need to face.
I have done this for 50 years and have never had a pup contact any disease because of it.
But to take a puppy to a public dog park or any area where many dogs are exercised or exercise it in a built up area before full shots have been given is just asking for trouble. Jmo.

[Cheryl]

it is absolutely ridiculous to keep a dog indoors or contained till it is four months old ... i had my dog in puppy kindergarten by ten weeks and with only one set of shots ... i walked him in a public park the day i got him at eight weeks old ... as i did with every dog i have owned, walked them from the day i got them, all at eight weeks old ...

"The Primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three
months of life. During this time puppies should be exposed to as many new people,
animals, stimuli and environments as can be achieved safely and without causing
over-stimulation manifested as excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance behavior. For this
reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should
be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated."

four dogs, over the past forty years, each as a puppy was taken outside, walked, with no health issues whatsoever before they were fully vaccinated ... but the early socialization resulted in very nice dogs with friendly temperaments and minimal behavioral issues for life ... people paranoid about disease and keep their dogs in can then be dealing with a lifetime of behavioural issues ...