First, this page is meant to provide you with the orthodox or the commonly accepted approach as your vet will likely tell you to do.
I do have some disagreement and a different opinion on the issue, but for now, let us just look at what the general practice is:
The initial vaccination is a 3 doses shot. The first dose is at 8-10 weeks (2+ months), the boosters are at 3+ and 4+ months. The boosters are a must otherwise the vaccine is not effective and you would need to start the 3 doses sequence again.
I suggest the first vaccine dose not be given until 11 or 12+ weeks if it's one of my pups - knowing how it was raised from pregnancy on, the enhanced mother's milk immunity he received and the raw feeding and supplementary programme. Early vaccination and over-vaccination are dangerous. Unfortunately people are fooled by "business" breeders who advertise that their pups are vaccinated. The fact is, the most they can do is the first dose of the first 3-dose vaccine. I know that many of those breeders buy the vaccine themselves online for about $2 a dose ($20 at the vet plus of course the exam fee which is about $40).
Many vets give the rabies vaccine at 4-6 months as one shot. I suggest dividing it into two doses, at 5 & 6 months.
Accordingly, as I said, the most you will likely get from any breeder is one third of the first shot, Though it is called the first shot for simplification, in reality it's the first one third of the first vaccination as I explained above.
Here is a list of the typical vaccination programme:
age Vaccine
2 -3 months Distemper - Hepatitis CV1 / adenovirus CAV-2 - Parainfluenzac - Parvovirus - Coronavirus
3 -4 month repeat of all the preceding vaccines above that were given at 2-3 months, plus Bordetella
4 -5 months repeat of all the same vaccines that were given at 2-3 months, plus Rabies (divided into two doses over 2 months).
The first vaccines given at 2-3 months are commonly repeated a year later (and your vet will tell you, annually thereafter), in addition to - depending on your area - Leptospiosis and Lyme.
At at 14 months, the rabies is repeated (a year from first Rabies shot). After that, Rabies is every 3 years.
De-worming is done in two doses 15 days apart to destroy worms that were just eggs when the first dose was administered.
Deworm at 3 & 6 weeks with pyrantel panoate. At 8 weeks with panacue and at 11 weeks with pyrantel panoate, at 16 weeks with panacur. Different de-wormers may be used depending on your area and what your pet needs.
My recommendations and my practice for Dane pups:
1- Remember that the Dane is not the typical poodle or German Sheppard case. Your pup is not the typical vet clinic case. And, Danes are one of the least popular (number wise) breeds and vets see less Danes than any other breed. Many vets treat them as typical pups. Be aware of this fact and of the special care needed for Danes.
2- add a month extra (or more) of waiting to the table above. Meaning, first shout at age 3+ months, minimum. Don't rush to vaccinate.
3- Do not combine vaccines. Take your time. Again, do not rush to shove vaccines into the pup.
4- Vaccinate with the minimum and necessary vaccines only. It is not the more the better. A statistical study done by EVROV and published around the world including by Dogs magazine, shows more problems caused by vaccines than without them. Still, they are a necessary evil in most cases.
5- Never allow a vaccine to be administered to your pup if you have the slightest doubt that the pup is not in a perfect health, any sign the pup is not himself, not healthy, happy and playful, any sign of infection or weakness: do not vaccinate.
If you are getting the pup before 10 weeks of age, you would need to administer the first shot at your vet's clinic. If the pup is maturing fast - and considering that he would be finished with nursing at about 6 weeks and is already on puppy food, solid & can and raw - some applicants would prefer giving the pup their sole attention and care and also having him sooner makes a difference in developing a faster bond: if so, then again you would need to give him the first dose of the first shot via your own vet.
This is not a major cost. Remember that you'll have to take your pup to your vet as soon as you get him anyway, whether for vaccination or not - as you'll need to establish that the pup is received healthy, no broken bones ... etc. Meaning, you'll pay for a vet examination anyway soon after you get him/her. Most of the vet fee is for the exam. Though the vaccination visit may cost $50 or so, probably just $15 is for the medication itself and $40 for the exam. The point is, if the pup didn't get his first shot here, it really is about $20 actual extra cost to you - that's it, no big deal - and even that, if you wanted to have the pup sooner to develop faster bond with him, we are willing to pay you for the first vaccination cost. It is not a money issue. I encourage delaying vaccinations latr than the coomon practice. Again, Danes, Hounds & Mastiffs are in a different category in many ways.
Also sometimes if the ears are going to be cropped at about 7-8 weeks, the vet may want the vaccine done later, at about 14 weeks - and that could mean delaying the first shot till after the ears have healed, which is an average a week or two later at your home, via your on vet.
Otherwise, and generally, we'll do the first shot.
A final note:
The idea behind vaccination is building immunity.
Achieving that via vaccine has more danger in dogs than in humans. Vaccines' side effect include negative influence on the cell structure and as such it can cause cancer in dogs as well as arthritis, leukaemia, skin problems such a atopic dermatitis and autoimmune problems such as cushings, addisons, thyroid, haemolytic anaemia and several other diseases. Yes, Vaccines have a dark side, much darker than most people think. Annual vaccination is often the wrong approach. Even Rabies vaccine, it should not be more than 0.1 cc (one tenth of 1 ml) in saline. The point is, it's safe to say that over-vaccination is dangerously wrong. I have a copy of the world respected Egyptian vet, Dr. Magda - a Ph.D. paper she sent me, which has received the support of researches worldwide.
Raw meat is a must. Remember that dogs are domesticated wolves. If you give them only commercial dog food and their protection would be mere vaccination, they are at very high risk of cancer and low immunity causing several other problems.
Special supplementary aid to Danes, Hounds and Mastiffs is a must - but it must never b done without solid knowledge and guidance.
Raw meat, raw veggies and raw fruits, raw bones and raw liver will do wonders in developing immunity in dogs - and as such, annual repeat vaccination can be eliminated or reduced - based on the individual Dane, his line and his early stage diet from birth to 10 weeks which must include both the enhanced bitch's milk for immunity - so again, the bitch must be healthy and on a special diet in order for her to provide the pups with the quality immunity and nutrition - and the special supplements This is a complicated subject and perhaps when I have time I'll revisit it with some details.
The vaccines ... what and when.
