Dog vaccines: schedule and which are required

The vaccine schedule is not a formality: it is what protects a puppy during the months when its immune system is weakest. This is the calendar, which vaccines are essential and what changes when you travel.

What each vaccine protects against

• Combined (polyvalent): distemper, parvovirus, infectious hepatitis and parainfluenza. It is the core vaccine for every dog, whatever its lifestyle.
• Rabies: required by law in most countries and demanded, with the microchip, for crossing borders. The first dose goes from three months old.
• Optional ones: leptospirosis, kennel cough and leishmaniasis, depending on where you live, whether it goes to day care or kennels, and the vet's judgement.

The puppy calendar

Puppies start at six to eight weeks and repeat every two to four weeks until they are sixteen weeks old: the antibodies they got from their mother's milk fade little by little and nobody can say exactly when. From then on, the first booster is at one year and, after that, every one to three years depending on the vaccine and the local rules.

Until the puppy is protected

In the weeks between the first dose and the last one, avoid parks where unknown dogs walk, communal bowls and contact with dogs of unknown health. Take it out in your arms or in a carrier so it gets used to noise and people: slowness in socialisation shows up later as fear.

Travelling and paperwork

To take a dog to another country you usually need the microchip, a valid rabies vaccine (given at least 21 days before travelling, sometimes more) and a health certificate issued a few days before the trip. Check the destination's rules, as some countries also require a rabies antibody test.