jenn52, welcome to i-dog! [sm=welcome2.gif]
jenn52:I just got a new Beagle puppy on Tuesday 8/7, her name is Rory.
Your pup is precious!
Rory got a vaccine that is bigger than I would ever give a pup. Her immune system was challenged with an awful lot of diseases at one time. She was also vaccinated two weeks earlier than I would have done. My suggested way of doing vaccines:
http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=326568
I would vaccinate Rory at 10-14-18 weeks. The value of the 7-week shot is very questionable. The only shot that works is the first one after the immunity from the mother wears off.
Intervet Progard-KC Plus is a nasal vaccine (no needles) that would give you Adenovirus-Parainfluenza-Bordetella. I would give that no sooner than 5 months old and 30 days after the Rabies shot. By that time you only need to give one vaccine for a disease instead of multiple vaccines. Personally I would give the Rabies at 6 months (yeh, I know the legal requirements) and KC-Plus at 8 months.
Waiting for Adenovirus shouldn't be a problem unless you get around wild animals. The risk of Parainfluenza-Bordetella is minimal unless you board or get around sick dogs before the vaccine.
jenn52: Is it okay to give her the puppy rounds of vaccines and then just not do the yearly vaccines?
Some people just give the Parvo-Distemper puppy and 1-yr vaccines, plus the legally required rabies. Parainfluenza-Bordetella are sometimes required for boarding. Bordetella immunity doesn't last very long - shot 1yr, nasal 6mo.
Note: Some localities are behind the times and require rabies once a year instead of once every three years.
jenn52: We're trying to get her to go on a pee pad on the balcony. Is this appropriate to wait to take her down? Should we wait the full 3 weeks after the 3rd vaccine to take her down.
I would wait before
(1) letting her around strange dogs whose health you don't know,
(2) allowing a lot of people in your home (Parvo on the shoes), and
(2) putting her down on ground that could have had a Parvo dog on it in the last two years. Concrete is fairly safe.
I would not wait before
(1) finding a friend with a friendly, healthy dog and a yard that hasn't had Parvo in the last two years,
(2) getting her into puppy classes,
(3) putting her in a sherpa bag or a stroller and exposing her to the world, and
(4) letting people pet her if they have washed their hands.
Socialization - primary socialization window closes at 12 weeks (secondary at 16 weeks):
http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=296270
jenn52: Also, she does a lot of little pees. Very few large size pees that I would expect. She also licks her "privates" fairly often, not sure if this is just because she is young, smaller bladder and she is cleaning or if she has an infection.
Sounds normal to me. She still has a tiny, little bladder. There are grass-scented puppy pads that you can use to transition to peeing on grass areas.
http://petguys.com/-018065052300.html
jenn52: She doesn't seem to mind peeing in her crate
My suggested way of house training:
http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/48/117345.html#POST400222
jenn52: Also, I am interested in feeding her real food and not just corn/carb kibble.
I would switch her to Innova right away. Do it slowly over at least a week. For instance, 1/4 Innova for a couple of days, then 1/2 Innova for a couple of days, etc. Alternatively you could use one of the grain-free foods that are rated OK for puppies:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=grain_free
Here are some links and books on raw feeding. The meat in any receipe can be cooked if you like, of course, but it is better raw.
http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=305654
Do a lot of reading and wait until Rory is at least 18 months before you make your own recipes! It is dangerous for a novice to experiment on a puppy.