Tomorrow will be the one-week anniversary of the new puppy being at our house. This is normally when I let newcomers out of "new puppy isolation".

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What is New Puppy Isolation?

1) Isolating a new puppy when it first arrives in a multi-dog home is a precautionary measure to protect all pets involved.
2) Health Monitoring: It allows for close monitoring of the new puppy's health,
ensuring they are free from contagious diseases or parasites before interacting with other dogs.
3) Disease Prevention: Prevents the spread of any potential illnesses or parasites the new puppy might carry, protecting the health of any older dogs.
4) Vaccination Status: Ensures the new puppy's vaccinations are up-to-date and effective before they are exposed to other dogs who might have different immune responses.

Isolation is a temporary measure until the new puppy is confirmed healthy and ready to join the rest of the family. Isolating the puppy demonstrates is a commitment to the well-being of all the pets in the home.

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Is "New Puppy Isolation Cruel?

Isolating a new puppy isn't cruel when done for the right reasons and with care.
It's a temporary measure to protect the health of all your pets. Think of it like a safety precaution.

Here are some ways to make the isolation period as comfortable as possible:
1) Frequent Interaction: Ensure the puppy gets plenty of human interaction and affection during the isolation period.
2) Mental Stimulation: Provide toys & training exercises to keep the puppy mentally engaged.
3) Comfortable Environment: Create a cozy and comfortable space for the puppy with soft bedding and a calm atmosphere.
4) Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior and make the experience more pleasant for the puppy.

By taking these steps, it ensures the health of older dogs in the home, while also providing a safe and nurturing environment for the new puppy. Isolation is a necessary precaution. When handled with care and love, it won't harm a puppy's development.

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Why Do Many People see "New Puppy Isolation as Being Cruel?

Some people might see isolating a puppy as unnecessary or cruel because they misunderstand the reasons behind it.
Here are a few reasons why some might feel this way:

1) Lack of Awareness: They might not fully understand the risks of infectious diseases and the importance of preventing their spread.
2) Emotional Response: Seeing a young, energetic puppy in isolation can evoke a strong emotional response, leading them to view it as unkind, even though it is a necessary precaution for health reasons.
3) Different Experiences: Their experiences with new puppies might have been different, leading them to believe that isolation isn't necessary.

It's important to balance health precautions with the puppy's need for socialization and mental stimulation. We've always done the isolation phase with every single new dog introduced into our home environment. None have suffered from this temporary phase. Interestingly, the gradual introduction to a new home seems to actually help a new dog to bond to their people before checking out a wonderful world as part of a new family. It does not harm a pup's social development, nor does it make it feel overly lonely. But the isolation phase can mean a lot of extra work for the owners who has more to do to entertain the new pup, etc.

New Puppy Isolation is less necessary if there are not any other dogs in the family to consider.
But in our case this time, it has been for the best, even without thinking about our older dogs.

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I was right the very first day that the Dairy Queen soft, very frequent poops of our new pup were not normal. Thank goodness for Puppy Isolation. It has saved us from a lot of problems later on.

This puppy was health checked by the Breeder's vet on Saturday and got a clean bill of health. She then was again health checked by our vet 4 days later on Wednesday and again got a clean bill of health. Initial stool samples checked by our vet indicated no parasites. However, some serious illnesses like Parvo take time to incubate. So, I wasn't going to prematurely break "New Dog Isolation." Meanwhile, based on my instinct that something was wrong with the pup's poops, I insisted on additional fecal testing that had to be send out to get results. Two days later the results came back positive for Giardia.

That certainly has added a new dimension to the situation. Giardia is highly contagious and difficult to get out of a home environment once it is introduced. Plus, it can be quite dangerous for older dogs like tiny Bailey. Luckily, my insistence on "Puppy Isolation" kept the problem confined and away from our other dogs and out of most of our home. The only area infected has been the tiny puppy playpen (put on top of a plastic tarp) and a very small mini mover sleeping kennel (without a door). Although extra work, all have been relatively easy to disinfect and to keep clean. Toys have also been changed out & disinfected. Finally, we continue to wash our hands well after cuddling the new puppy. This very contagious parasite can be difficult to eradicate, but it can be killed off.

It also is not an airborne infection. So, our other dogs and the pup can safely look at each other from about 4 feet away. Thus, the puppy does get mental stimulation in knowing she is not the only dog in the house. We also play with her no less than a dozen times a day. She gets a lot of mental and emotional stimulation from that. In between, she seems to have the ability to contently entertain herself. She is a very laid-back pup. Not much seems to bother her.

As soon as our vet said she had a problem, we immediately started medication. The puppy's stools are now normal hard puppy poop. She'll be retested at the end of the week. Since giardia cysts are so difficult to eliminate, I will require two negative test results before the puppy will be able to come out of isolation. As a result, this pup's "New Puppy Isolation" phase will end up being longer than average. However, I think this actually will bother me more than her. She's amazingly adaptable and always happy.

Meanwhile, when the breeder's mom was informed that this pup has giardia, she thanked us for the information and said that she will put the other dogs at her house "back" on medication. To me, that seems to indicate she knew there was a problem before we ever got the puppy. Oh well. We still ended up with a truly wonderful puppy. And we will get this little girl 100% well, without exposing our other dogs to any problems that came along with her. It may take longer than what we had hoped, but she will eventually join Bailey, Bella, and Chile.

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For pet owners interested in what giardia is: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/giardia-in-dogs/

Certain dogs are more susceptible to Giardia due to factors like age, immune system health, and environment. Here are the groups most at risk:
1) Puppies
2) Older Dogs
3) Dogs in kennels, shelters, and at dog parks

Well, this parasite absolutely isn't welcome at our house!!!
Luckily, we caught the problem before it could spread any farther or do any lasting damage to the puppy.
New Puppy Isolation (along with owner awareness) works.