To make sure that your puppy will be protected against dangerous and sometimes fatal canine diseases, vaccinations are a crucial step. All puppies should be vaccinated otherwise they will most likely live short lives. Do not believe that just because your puppy is healthy and isn’t exposed to other dogs that they won’t be affected.

When born, puppies are not naturally immune to diseases. Upon birth, the puppy will have some antibody protection from the from its mother’s blood via the placenta. Another way they get some antibodies is from the mother’s milk. The colostrum from the milk only give a puppy antibodies for a short time and will begin to lose effectiveness between 6 to 29 weeks old. The puppy will only receive antibodies against diseases from which the mother had been vaccinated against or exposed to. Check with your Boxer Breeder about the mother’s history of your puppy.

The age at which a puppy can effectively be immunized is dependent on the number of antibodies in his or her system (what was received from the mother). If the puppy has high levels of maternal antibodies in their bloodstream, it will block the effectiveness of a vaccine. When the antibodies drop to a low enough level, then the vaccines are more successful. This is why there are a series of shots given.

When getting your boxer puppy, check with the Boxer Breeder to see what vaccines they have received, and what kind of guarantee the puppy comes with. Always have your veterinarian of choice check the puppy out to make sure they are healthy and good to go.