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Quarantine Guidelines

The Leader Dog Mom, her puppies, and all other family pets must follow these quarantine guidelines.

When does quarantine begin and for how long?

  • Quarantine starts (for all dogs in the home) when you pick up the Leader Dog Mom from breeding.

  • We assume every female is pregnant once they’ve been bred.

  • Quarantine lasts through pregnancy (9 weeks) and litter rearing (6-7 weeks).

What is quarantine and how does it affect my family?

  • Personal dogs must adhere to the same restrictions as the LDM and her puppies. During quarantine, do not take any of the dogs to:

    • Grooming salons

    • Daycare/boarding facilities

    • Dog play dates

    • Dog washes

    • Pet stores

    • Training classes

    • Dog parks

    • Playgrounds

    • Campgrounds

    • Dog shows

    • Sporting venues

    • Therapy dog visits

    • Other family members’ homes that have dogs

  • Quarantine guidelines vary based on the following timeframes:

    • Pregnancy

    • Post-whelp/Litter rearing

Pregnancy

  • We still encourage exercise. You may walk the dog(s), but please stay away from areas with heavy dog activity.

  • If you would encounter 3 or more dogs during your walk, look for a different area to exercise during quarantine.

Post-Whelp/Litter Rearing

  • The LDM may not want to leave pups except for a quick bathroom break and to eat. This is NORMAL and excellent mothering behavior.

  • Day 0-28: LDM should be staying home with only brief periods outside for relieving herself. This is prime bonding and mothering time, especially for first-time moms.

  • Day 29+: If LDM is comfortable leaving pups and if all aspects of quarantine can be maintained, she can go for brief walks (up to 15 minutes twice daily). Wipe paws with a baby wipe or damp cloth before she returns to the puppy area.

  • If you or a family member has contact with a dog outside of your home, make sure you thoroughly clean your own hands and arms before interacting with the dogs in your home.

  • Immediately remove and wash any clothes or shoes you wore when in contact with the outside dog.

  • These same precautions apply to someone coming to your home to assist with litter care during the day or visiting the litter after 4 weeks of age.

Considerations

Walks

  • If you encounter another dog during your walk, do not allow any contact with your personal dogs or LDM.

  • You could cross to the other side of the road (when safe to do so) or step into a driveway to allow ample distance and avoid physical interaction.

  • Contact with wild or domestic animal urine and feces spreads disease. Avoid areas that many dogs visit, even if there are no dogs present.

  • Mailboxes, fire hydrants, street signs, fence posts, bushes, and similar locations are common areas of contamination.

  • Do not allow the LDM to lick or eat anything in the environment.

  • If this is difficult to prevent, consider walking in the middle of the sidewalk or on a quiet street if it is safe to do so.

Veterinary Visits

  • Try to schedule your personal dog’s routine annual exam and vaccination appointments outside of quarantine periods.

  • If you must take your personal dog or the LDM/puppies to your local vet:

    • Notify the veterinary clinic ahead of time that you have a pregnant dog at home and you need to minimize risk for disease transmission.

    • Request the first appointment of the day and let them know you’d prefer to wait in the car upon arrival.

    • Ask if they can mop the exam room ahead of time and if you can enter and exit through the door closest to the room.

    • Ask if any treatments or procedures can be performed in the exam room to decrease exposure to other animals and pathogens.

Groomer

  • Schedule appointments for the LDM and/or personal dog before or after quarantine.

  • Ask your groomer for tips on maintenance you can do at home during quarantine.

Traveling

  • Pregnancy: LDM may only travel during the first 7 weeks of pregnancy and only to locations that are familiar and maintain all aspects of quarantine (for example, a private second home).

  • The Breeding or Veterinary Teams may limit this further for high-risk pregnancies.

  • Litter Rearing: LDM and puppies should not be traveling.

  • The only exceptions are brief car rides for socialization, medical needs, or Litter Return.

  • Plan ahead for human and dog stops.

  • Avoid high-traffic places such as rest areas, rest stops, dog runs, and travel plazas.

  • Consider stops farther off the highway with lower traffic.

  • Reminder: no campgrounds or vacation rentals.

Boarding

  • If your travel cannot uphold quarantine, we recommend that any personal dogs and the LDM are either watched in their own home by a house sitter or at another house which follows quarantine.

  • If there is another pet present, that pet must have quarantined 2 weeks prior to receiving your dog(s).

  • Boarding at the Leader Dog facility is available as a last resort; however, this is not ideal for a pregnant LDM due to increased risk of stress and illness.

Swimming

  • LDM: Swimming is permitted until 2 weeks before the LDM due date.

  • After that point, only wading is allowed, with no submersion of the vulva.

  • Swimming may resume 12 weeks postpartum.

  • Puppies: At 5½–6 weeks of age, you can begin introducing puppies to wading by using a kiddie pool filled with no more than 1 inch of fresh, clean water.

  • Do not force them into it; simply allow them to explore.

Why do we have such strict quarantine guidelines?

  • Most diseases that can cause significant harm to unborn or newborn pups can live in the environment without the infected dog being present.

  • Some dogs can be sick and transmit disease without showing any symptoms themselves.

  • Our moms and puppies are extremely valuable to the well-being of the clients we serve, so we take every necessary precaution to ensure we have dogs available to fulfill that need.

We try to stress the quarantine guidelines before you ever take the dog home because we know just how restrictive it can be to a normal household routine.

It is imperative that you follow these guidelines. We take our dogs' safety very seriously and hope you do the same.

Please reach out to the Breeding Team with ANY questions about your individual circumstances.