Healthy dogs 6 weeks of age or older should receive 3 doses of DAPP vaccine by the time they are 12 weeks of age, and then it is generally recommended that they get a yearly booster thereafter(*). We keep all of our puppies up-to-date on all of their immunizations and we now give them to our puppies at 6 and 9 weeks, and they should receive their 3rd DAPP vaccination at 12 weeks. Therefore, most clients’ puppies will have had two doses of vaccine, since we send most puppies to their new owners at approximately 9 weeks of age. If you receive your puppy at 12 weeks of age or older, he/she will have completed their yearly requirement for both DAPP vaccine and Bordetella vaccine. However, your puppy will still need his/her rabies shot which is recommended to be given from 12 to 16 weeks of age (if your puppy is 16 weeks of age or older when purchased from us, he/she will have already had the rabies shot). Most of you will receive your new puppy at approximately 9 weeks of age and it is important that you take your Frenchie to your vet to receive the rest of the immunizations per schedule.

(*) Annual re-vaccination with a single dose is recommended by Merck and Pfizer, although the American Veterinary Medical Association and its Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents recommend that the attending veterinarian should determine the frequency of re-vaccination based on the animal’s lifestyle and risk of exposure. This is only one of the reasons why it is critical to establish a good relationship with a qualified vet as soon as possible. (It should be noted that there are many well renown experts in the field who feel that a yearly booster for dogs is excessive since the protection provided by the vaccination lasts several years in many cases and they feel that unnecessary vaccinations can do more harm than good, yet another good reason to establish a positive veterinary relationship.)