What shots does my dog need?

Here's an important word regarding shots: multivalent (mull-tee-VAY-lent). It means bundling up a lot of different vaccinations into a single shot. After all, nobody really likes getting shots, and your dog is no different. Puppies, whose immune systems are still forming, need quite a few shots. Distemper and parvo, for example, require shots at three-week intervals starting at six weeks. Other vaccines can be combined with these for canine hepatitis (hep-uh-TIGHT-us) or parainfluenza (pair-uh-in-flu-EN-za). Rabies shots are required by law and given separately. Once your dog is fully grown, an annual booster for multiple vaccines, plus rabies, is all that's required to keep your pet immune to the most common doggie diseases.