Vaccinations: what to check

“My dog is vaccinated”: that's a good start. But before a show, you need to check which diseases, up to what date and with which paperwork.

Three questions will guide you: what does the show require, what does the journey require, and what protection suits your dog?

Are all vaccines compulsory at shows?

There is no single list of vaccines that are systematically required for all dogs at all French shows.

In its information sheet on entry conditions, the Société Centrale Canine (SCC, the French kennel club) states that no vaccine is generally required, with an exception for rabies for second-category dogs and dogs coming from abroad. Even so, read the conditions of the event you've chosen, especially for very young puppies.

The FCI international regulations provide, among other things, that puppies entered in the Minor Puppy class must be properly vaccinated. So the lack of a general requirement doesn't mean every situation is the same.

The five points to check in the documents

What to check	The right habit
The dog's identity	Compare the microchip or tattoo number with its other documents.
The vaccines received	Ask for the diseases covered to be spelled out if you can't make sense of the abbreviations.
The dates	Look at the due dates, not just the date of the last injection.
The protocol	Ask whether all the necessary injections have been given, particularly for a puppy.
The paperwork	Get the health record, the passport and the certificates required for your situation ready.

The WSAVA veterinary guidelines stress the value of stating the expected duration of protection in vaccination records. Boosters don't all follow the same schedule: their timing depends, among other things, on the vaccine and the disease concerned.

Rabies: check the validity, not just the injection

For international travel, the rabies vaccination must meet precise conditions:

The dog must be identified before the vaccination, or on the same day.
The first vaccination cannot be given before twelve weeks of age.
After the primary vaccination, you must wait at least twenty-one days before it is valid for travel.

Boosters must be given by their due dates. If one is overdue, have the new validity date checked before you leave.

Example: having a first rabies vaccination on a Friday doesn't allow you to travel to a show abroad on the Sunday.

Depending on the country and the route, a rabies antibody titre test and additional documents may also be needed. Check the conditions for both the outward and the return journey.

And protection against contagious diseases?

Talk to your vet about the shows you have planned: your dog will be mixing with lots of other dogs there.

They can check its protection against the core diseases, in particular distemper, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus, and then tailor the other vaccinations to its lifestyle and local risks.

Vaccination against some of the agents behind “kennel cough” is also worth discussing. It can reduce the severity of the illness, but doesn't guarantee there is no infection. A vaccinated dog that is coughing should therefore not automatically be considered safe for other dogs.

Beginner — three tips to get started

Read the health conditions before paying the entry fee. Note the paperwork required.
Ask for the abbreviations in the record to be explained. You'll know which diseases are covered and which due dates to watch.
Bring the useful documents. Keep the originals handy and a digital copy as a back-up.

Intermediate — three tips to plan ahead

Tell your vet about your shows. Mention trips and boarding stays too.
Check the dates before booking transport. Especially for a first rabies vaccination.
Avoid improvised vaccinations the day before. Ask how much time the product used needs.

Advanced — three tips to organise a season

Keep a calendar for each vaccination. A single “vaccines up to date” note sometimes hides different due dates.
Check every international route. The destination country, transit countries and the return can have different requirements.
Reconsider taking part if the dog is ill. Vaccination documents don't replace an assessment of its state of health.