Most countries have laws requiring every dog owner to vaccinate their dog(s). That’s how we help stop disease from spreading. But it is more than just following orders. Every dog owner wants their dogs to be healthy and long-living.

One way to do that is to take your puppy to get all the necessary vaccines. The vaccinations don’t stop once the dog reaches adulthood. When they reach adulthood, they need so-called booster vaccines or follow-up vaccinations that will keep them safe(er) through the adulthood years, too.

Why Do Dogs Need Vaccinations?

The reason is simple –  vaccines prevent various illnesses. 

It’s not just illnesses that affect dogs, but they prevent illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to people. They also protect your pet from diseases commonly affecting wild animals, such as rabies.

In the long run, through vaccinations of your dogs, you avoid costly veterinary treatments needed when a dog falls ill. And, of course, through vaccinations, you are making sure you are doing everything in your power for your dog to have a happy and long life.

On the other hand, most countries in the world have laws that require every dog owner to have their dogs vaccinated against certain diseases. The one vaccination required by law anywhere you live is the rabies vaccination. This law includes both dogs and cats.

The difference between the countries is in the time frame, or when a puppy needs its first rabies shot. In most cases, a puppy will get its first vaccine when it is 6 to 8 weeks old. Once again, it depends on your puppy’s overall health and the country you live in. In some places, the common time frame for the first set of core vaccines is from 8 to 10 weeks.

What Are Core Vaccines?

These vaccines are considered to be essential for all dogs. Core vaccines were chosen based on the risk of exposure, how severe the disease is, and the risk of transmission between dogs, dogs and other animals, and dogs and humans.

In the USA, UK, and countries of the European Union, these are considered to be core vaccinations:

• Canine Parvovirus
• Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
• Canine Adenovirus (Infectious Canine Hepatitis)
• Rabies (not required by law in the UK*)
• Leptospirosis (in the UK and some EU countries)

The first core vaccine a puppy gets is commonly called the Distemper vaccine, but it contains a combination of vaccines – against distemper, parvovirus, and hepatitis.

Canine Adenovirus causes Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH), so the vaccination is against this virus and, consequently, against developing ICH. 

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria that affects the kidneys and liver in dogs and is transmitted through an infected dog’s urine or when a dog comes in contact with infected soil or water.

* A rabies vaccine is not required by law in the UK if a dog does not leave the country (domestic pets). However, if you have to travel across the border or you want to import a dog into the UK, a dog has to have a rabies vaccine.

What Are Non-Core (Optional) Vaccines?

The non-core vaccines are optional, meaning it is not required by the law and a dog doesn’t need to have these vaccines. However, depending on a dog’s health and other factors such as traveling or breeding, these vaccines can also be recommended by a vet. 

The non-core vaccines in the States are:

• Bordetella bronchiseptica
• Canine Influenza (dog flu)
• Leptospirosis
• Borrelia burgdorferi  (Lyme disease) (for high-risk exposure dogs)

The non-core vaccines in the UK are:

• Bordetella bronchiseptica +/- Canine parainfluenza virus (“Kennel Cough” vaccine)
• Canine Herpes Virus (for breeding female dogs)
• Leishmaniasis (before traveling to endemic areas)
• Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) (for high-risk exposure dogs)

The non-core or optional vaccines are important for those dogs that are at higher risk of getting in contact with animals that might be infected. Basically, it means these vaccines are important for those dogs that could be exposed to mentioned diseases.

The veterinarian should make a decision based on a dog’s environment, whether you travel or not, whether a dog works around other animals or is a pet, medical history, and lifestyle. 

Once again, these vaccines are optional and they should come as a recommendation by a licensed vet after he or she examines your dog. Not every dog needs every vaccination. That’s why there are core and non-core vaccines.

Typical Vaccination Schedule For Puppies

As mentioned, in most cases, a puppy gets its first vaccine when it is 6 to 10 weeks old. In some cases, it is when a puppy is between 10 and 12 weeks. The reason some wait longer depends on the antibodies already present in a puppy’s bloodstream it got from its mother.

If a mother is a healthy dog, fully vaccinated, then her puppies will get some of her antibodies to protect them. Administering vaccines before the mother’s antibodies disappear in the puppy’s blood will lead to the vaccine being ineffective.

That’s why some wait a bit longer to make sure the antibodies are gone. However, if a dog has a weakened immune system, the mother doesn’t have regular vaccinations, or for any other health or environmental reason, a puppy can get vaccines earlier than 10 weeks.

In the USA, a puppy should start vaccines when it’s from 6 to 8 weeks old. This period is the most common period when they get weaned off and sent to another home/family to live with. Some breeders wait for their puppies to be at least 10 weeks old until they sell them.

The recommended schedule for puppy vaccination:

• From 6 to 10 weeks:  DHPP (first shot),+/- Kennel Cough
• 11-14 weeks: DHPP (second shot), +/- Leptospirosis
• 15-16: DHPP (third/final shot) and Rabies, +/- Leptospirosis

* DHPP – distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza.

Booster Vaccinations In Adulthood

When a puppy becomes a dog, an adult dog, it’s time for the first set of “booster” vaccines or follow-up vaccines. The vaccines are the same, with the occasional implementation of new non-core vaccines depending on traveling plans or current health issues.

When a dog gets its last DHPP vaccine (age 15 to 16 months), it should get the next DHPP and Rabies vaccine when you take it to the annual examination. So a year from their last Rabies/DHPP vaccine.

During this visit, a vet can determine whether a dog needs additional non-core vaccines, such as canine influenza, bordetella, or Lyme.

After this, in most parts of the USA, the owner is required to take the dog to get Rabies booster vaccines every 1 to 3 years. As mentioned, in the UK, rabies is not mandatory, unless you plan on leaving the country or importing a dog into the UK. Why? The UK is considered to be rabies-free.

How Long Is The Effect Of The Vaccines?

Vaccines work differently, that’s why there are some that last longer than the other ones. Because of that, the booster vaccines are scheduled at different times.

The effect duration of common vaccines:

• DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza) – 3 years
• Rabies – 3 years
• Lyme Disease – 1 year
• Leptospirosis – 1 year
• Canine Influenza – 1 year
• Bordetella (Kennel Cough) – 1 year or 6 months for dogs that go to boarding/grooming facilities

Are There Side Effects?

Generally speaking, vaccinating your dog is far more important than fearing the possible side effects and not vaccinating him. The side effects are a normal other side of the coin of any medication. Everything has a side effect and some dogs react more or less to a vaccine.

I have had dogs all my life, vaccinated from the day they were puppies throughout their adulthood, and only a few ever experienced mild side effects which included sluggishness and brief loss of appetite. They would return to their old-happy selves the next day or after a few hours.

The symptoms of vaccine side effects might be:

• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Sluggishness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Swelling (face and paws) +/- hives
• Swelling or pain around the injection spot
• Seizures, difficulty breathing, collapse (extremely rare)

The symptoms when you need to call your vet or take a dog to a vet are 

• Swelling of the face and paws
• Vomiting
• Anaphylactic shock (seizures, difficulty breathing, collapse)
• Inability to get up, move, or general lethargy

Final Thoughts

Vaccinating your dogs is highly important. You keep your dogs safe, which is the number one reason, but you also keep other animals safe and yourself. 

Vaccinations are important for any dog, working or family dog, but if you have working dogs, especially livestock guardian dogs such as the Great Pyrenees or Caucasian Shepherd Dog, that can easily get in contact with various diseases transferred from animal to animal, not just dog to dog, it is even more important!

There may be side effects, but you have to look at it from the point of view that a non-vaccinated dog is at an incredibly higher risk of getting sick and even dying in some cases. Vaccinations stop the disease from spreading, not just from dog to dog, but from dog to person.

We have to take care of our dogs, wherever we live, wherever we travel with them, or whatever they do. From guard dogs to lap dogs – vaccines are necessary.

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