So i am getting my puppy from this breeder in washington, she is a nice lady and from what i know she has a lot of great qualities a breeder should have. she uses the the Bio Sensor/ SuperDog program if anyone knows about this. i think it is pretty cool. heres a link if anyone wants to read about it. http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html

Anyway, she told me that she doesnt like to give vaccines till i think 12 weeks and if the owner insists she wont give the first vaccines till 8 weeks. now i remember last time i had a dog they got vaccines like around 6weeks then 8 weeks then 12 weeks, but i think the protocals have chanced, i am not sure.

can someone tell me their opinion or what they know about what vaccines you are suppost to give a new puppy and what ages to give them at?

thanks, any advice helps

~Erin

I don't know anything about not starting vaccines until 12 weeks...all mine had their puppy shots starting at 6 or 8 weeks (forget which!).  My first thought about not getting vaccines until 3 months would be the risk of exposure to contagious disease (like Parvo!) before they get their shots...you'll have to be very careful not to expose the pup to anything.  And remember that the pup can get diseases from other dog's poo and pee...also some viruses/bacteria can be on things like your clothes if you pet a dog with Parvo..for example.

As far as which shots to get as I remember the rabies waits until 4 months old...the base shots are the ones the pup gets first.  But your vet can guide you with that.  One key thing with a new pup (or any dog) is to have a vet that you trust and will communicate well with you.

Every vet does something a little different.  Here is a vaccine protocol by Dr. Dodds, who is on the leading edge of researching new protocols.  If the puppies leave the breeder before 12 weeks the I would say they should be vaccinated before then as they have a higher risk of being exposed, either way though, 12 weeks is a little late.

Dr. Jean Dodds' Recommended Vaccination Schedule
Vaccine	Initial	1st Annual Booster	Re-Administration Interval	Comments
Distemper (MLV) (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy)	9 weeks 12 weeks 16 - 20 weeks	At 1 year MLV Distemper/ Parvovirus only	None needed. Duration of immunity 7.5 / 15 years by studies. Probably lifetime. Longer studies pending.	Can have numerous side effects if given too young (< 8 weeks).
Parvovirus (MLV) (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy)	9 weeks 12 weeks 16 - 20 weeks	At 1 year MLV Distemper/ Parvovirus only	None needed. Duration of immunity 7.5 years by studies. Probably lifetime. Longer studies pending.	At 6 weeks of age, only 30% of puppies are protected but 100% are exposed to the virus at the vet clinic.
Rabies (killed)	24 weeks or older	At 1 year (give 3-4 weeks apart from Dist/Parvo booster) Killed 3 year rabies vaccine	3 yr. vaccine given as required by law in California (follow your state/provincial requirements)	rabid animals may infect dogs.
Vaccines Not Recommended For Dogs
Distemper & Parvo @ 6 weeks or younger	Not recommended. At this age, maternal antibodies form the mothers milk (colostrum) will neutralize the vaccine and only 30% for puppies will be protected. 100% will be exposed to the virus at the vet clinic.
Corona	Not recommended. 1.) Disease only affects dogs <6 weeks of age. 2.) Rare disease: TAMU has seen only one case in seven years. 3.) Mild self-limiting disease. 4.) Efficacy of the vaccine is questionable.
Leptospirosis	Not recommended 1) There are an average of 12 cases reported annually in California. 2)  Side effects common. 3) Most commonly used vaccine contains the wrong serovars.  (There is no cross-protection of serovars) There is a new vaccine with 2 new serovars. Two vaccinations twice per year would  be required for protection.). 4) Risk outweighs benefits.
Lyme	Not recommended 1) Low risk in California. 2) 85% of cases are in 9 New England states and Wisconsin. 3) Possible side effect of polyarthritis from whole cell bacterin.
Boretella (Intranasal) (killed)	Only recommended 3 days prior to boarding when required. Protects against 2 of the possible 8 causes of kennel cough. Duration of immunity 6 months.
Giardia	Not recommended Efficacy of vaccine unsubstantiated by independent studies

Immunization Schedules

There is a great deal of controversy and confusion surrounding the appropriate immunization schedule, especially with the availability of modified-live vaccines and breeders who have experienced postvaccinal problems when using some of these vaccines. It is also important to not begin a vaccination program while maternal antibodies are still active and present in the puppy from the mother's colostrum. The maternal antibodies identify the vaccines as infectious organisms and destroy them before they can stimulate an immune response.

Many breeders and owners have sought a safer immunization program.

It has changed then....Mayfly already had one set of shots when we got her (she got them at 8 weeks old).  Mitzy we got the whole set for starting at about 8 weeks (she was a very young pup who was abandoned).