Vaccine Protocol #1
Age of Dog / Vaccine Needed / NotesSeven weeks of age / Parvo(CPV) Only / Only for those dogs leaving us because of possible exposure during 2 vet visits and travel. If keeping a puppy for ourselves, we don't do this one. Dr. Jean Dodds, (well-known research vet in the field of immunology) recommends first vaccines at 9-10 weeks. We do not do Distemper at 7 weeks for any puppies because there is a greater risk of side effects from a Distemper Vaccine than a Parvo vaccine in puppies under 8 weeks and because there isn't nearly the prevalence of Distemper as there is Parvo in the U.S.
Eight weeks of age and after puppy has been in new home a minimum of 4 days and is showing no signs of stress from changing homes / Distemper (CDV), (and possibly Adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) which gives immunity to one type of kennel cough and also gives cross protection to CAV-1 which causes a type of hepatitis). We don’t give our dogs CAV-2. Until recently, there had been no cases of it in the US for 12 years. Now it is starting to resurface again. If I were going to give a CAV-2, I’d wait and give at 15-16 weeks of age. There is no need to repeat it and it’s not prevalent enough to worry about with a small puppy. / Read our Puppy Vaccine page for more information on why we recommend late vaccinations.
Give twice more after 8 weeks: once at about 11 or 12 weeks and then again at about 15 or 16 weeks.
Ideally, these would continue to be given separately and a week apart but understanding families’ having busy schedules, they can be given together. Give 4 weeks after the first one given and 3 weeks after the second if the previous vaccine was given separately. / Parvo, Distemper, and possibly Adenovirus
As late as legally possible / Rabies / The rabies shot should be given at least 3-4 weeks separate from the other vaccines
One year of age / Parvo, Distemper, and possibly Adenovirus
One year of age and every three years after that / Three year Rabies vaccine if legal in your state. If Titer testing for rabies is legal in your state, this is an even better option. Rabies vaccines usually provide protection for 7 or more years, often for life. / The rabies shot should be given at least 3-4 weeks separate from the other vaccines.
Starting at 4 years of age and every year after that / Have the dog's blood tested with titers to see if he/she needs a booster vaccine. If his/her titers show that he/she has a low antibody level then have vet give Parvo, Distemper, or possibly Adenovirus vaccines depending on what is low.
Vaccine Protocol #2
Age of Dog / Vaccine Needed / NotesSeven weeks of age / Parvo(CPV) Only / Only for those dogs leaving us because of possible exposure during 2 vet visits and travel. If keeping a puppy for ourselves, we don't do this one. Dr. Jean Dodds, (well-known research vet in the field of immunology) recommends first vaccines at 9-10 weeks. We do not do Distemper at 7 weeks for any puppies because there is a greater risk of side effects from a Distemper Vaccine than a Parvo vaccine in puppies under 8 weeks and because there isn't nearly the prevalence of Distemper as there is Parvo in the U.S.
Ten weeks of age / Parvo (CPV), Distemper (CDV), (and possibly Adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) which gives immunity to one type of kennel cough and also gives cross protection to CAV-1 which causes a type of hepatitis). We don’t give our dogs CAV-2. Until recently, there had been no cases of it in the US for 12 years. Now it is starting to resurface again but it’s still rare. I’d only consider this one at 15-16 weeks of age. / Read our Puppy Vaccine page for more information on why we recommend late vaccinations.
Either once at Fourteen weeks of age OR do at both 13 and 16 weeks (Dr. Dodds says this last vaccine is optional). With my own dogs, I'd only do once. / Parvo, Distemper, and possibly Adenovirus
As late as legally possible / Rabies / The rabies shot should be given at least 3-4 weeks separate from the other vaccines
One year of age / Parvo, Distemper, and possibly Adenovirus
One year of age and every three years after that / Three year Rabies vaccine if legal in your state / The rabies shot should be given at least 3-4 weeks separate from the other vaccines.
Starting at 4 years of age and every year after that / Have the dog's blood tested with titers to see if he/she needs a booster vaccine. If his/her titers shows that he/she has a low antibody level then have vet give Parvo, Distemper, or possibly Adenovirus vaccines depending on what is low
In the past, we have recommended vaccinating every three years. Beginning in early 2015, we will no longer recommend that method. Titers are showing that every three years is rarely necessary.
Discussions on Individual Vaccines
I only recommend the vaccines that are referred to as “core vaccines” and rabies. The core vaccines are Parvovirus, Distemper, and Adenovirus-2. Though Adenovirus-2 is a core vaccine, Dr. Jean Dodds does not recommend it so we don’t give it to our dogs. However, I have a discussion below about why it might should be considered.
Parvovirus is often referred to simply as Parvo. It is a deadly and fairly common disease which is why I give it before sending puppies home. It causes severe bloody diarrhea and vomiting along with fever and often dehydration. It can cause damage to the muscles including permanent damage to the heart. The virus is extremely virulent and can live for many months in the environment. It often attacks puppies. Though I’ve never experienced a case of Parvo myself, I’ve heard of breeders loosing entire litters from it.
Though not as common today as in past years nor as prevalent as Parvovirus, Canine Distemper is a dangerous disease. It affects a dog’s intestinal tract, respiratory system, and the conjunctival membranes of the eyes. It is often deadly. Though it can be a dangerous disease, Dr. Jean Dodds recommends that it is never given to a puppy under 8 weeks of age and also not when a puppy is under stress. There are greater side effects from the Distemper vaccine than from the Parvo vaccine. Therefore we at Summer Brook have decided to not give it to our puppies before they leave our home. Studies have also shown that it is in a dog’s best interest to have vaccines given separately. Because with decreasing age, there are increasing chances of a vaccine causing problems, we’ve decided to separate our puppy’s first Parvo vaccine from his/her first Distemper vaccine.
The third core vaccine is Adenovirus-2. I am on the fence with regard to the CAV-2 (Adenovirus-2) vaccine. Dr. Jean Dodds currently doesn’t recommend it. Dr. Ronald Schultz does. These are the two most prominent immunologists in the country and I respect them both. CAV-2 is considered a core vaccine by most schools of veterinary medicine. This vaccine protects against a form of kennel cough but it also provides cross protection for a form of canine hepatitis. I would not recommend it if merely for the kennel cough protection and a few years ago, I wouldn’t have recommended it for hepatitis either. Until recently, there had not been a case in the U.S. in 12 years. However, with a few cases starting to creep in and the fact that Dr. Schultz is now recommending it, I wonder if it might be a good thing. At this point, I do not give it to my dogs, but I think it is something that bears considering.
I never recommend the Leptospirosis vaccine. Leptospirosis is a disease contracted from contaminated water sources. It is spread through the urine of infected animals. It can be a serious disease but it is rare, the vaccine has significant side effects, and for several other reasons, I believe the risks don’t outweigh the benefits.. I do not give a Lepto vaccine to my dogs and they swim often in ponds. I’ve never seen a case of it. I respect the many vets who say that the risks are higher than the benefits even for a dog that spends considerable time around outside water and in areas of the country with the greatest number of cases. I do not recommend the Leptospirosis vaccine for several reasons. First of all, as already mentioned, it is rare. Most states have no reported cases or only a handful per year. Second, it is a disease that is contracted through the urine of infected animals. Most American pets do not frequent environments with dirty water that might be contaminated with the Lepto virus even if they did live in an area of the country with a higher prevalence of Lepto. Thirdly, the Leptospirosis vaccine has the highest rate of side effects. Fourthly, the vaccine doesn’t immunize against all the different strains of the virus. There are about 200 different strains. The current vaccine only protects against the 4 most common strains. Fifthly, the vaccine doesn’t give protection that lasts for very long. Studies have shown that it does not give protection for even a full year.
If you do decide to give a Leptospirosis vaccine, we require waiting until your puppy is 12 weeks of age at the very minimum. All immunologists and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have this same age recommendation. Some vets are giving the Leptospirosis shot to young puppies. Please don’t allow your vet to do this to your puppy. Also, do not give this vaccine along with any other vaccine. Give it either 3 weeks (or more) before or after other vaccines.
I also never recommend the Bordatella vaccine. Bordatella is nothing more than the canine equivalent of a cold and it is only one of many forms of what is commonly referred to as kennel cough. None of my dogs have ever had a Bordatella vaccine and none of them have ever had Bordatella or any other kind of kennel cough in spite of going frequently to dog shows, training facilities, and parks. I attribute the health of my dogs and their good immune systems partly to good genetics but mostly to the care I give them. Limited vaccines is part of that good care.
The Bordatella vaccine is sometimes required by boarding and training facilities, but if you will ask them if you could sign a waiver saying that you will not hold them accountable should your dog get Bordatella, most will waive this requirement. The requirement is usually for their protection, not your dog’s.
If you choose to have a Bordatella vaccine for your dog, do it on an “as needed” basis instead of yearly. It doesn’t provide protection for a full year.
A third vaccine that I never recommend is the Coronavirus vaccine which has been referred to by more than one immunology expert as the “vaccine looking for a virus”. The AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) also says that they never recommend it (so why is it even manufactured?).
A fourth vaccine that I recommend that dog lovers stay away from is the adenovirus type 1 vaccine (CAV-1). The CAV-2 vaccine cross protects for CAV-1 without as many side effects. The CAV-1 is another vaccine that the AAHA never recommends under any circumstances.