How often does a dog need vaccines?

A puppy getting its first vaccines needs three shots against infectious diseases plus one rabies shot. The infectious-disease shots are given 21 days apart, and the rabies shot comes one week after the puppy finishes all the infectious-disease shots.

Once an antibody test confirms the dog is immune, from then on give one infectious-disease vaccine and one rabies vaccine each year. It is best to inject about every 11 months; do not vaccinate too early or too late, as that can weaken the vaccine’s effect.