Does my puppy need a 4th distemper shot at 16 weeks? When can he walk?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and congratulations on your new puppy! Unfortunately, Maximus is not fully vaccinated at this point, so he should not be going outside. Depending on your state, he can be fully vaccinated by 12 or 16 weeks. If this was his first round of shots, he will need a booster in 2-4 weeks and then his Rabies vaccine at 12-16 weeks as well as his last booster. Maximus should have minimal contact with other dogs (even where other dogs have gone to the bathroom) as you can’t be sure they are not carrying any of the viruses that Maximus is not vaccinated for that can make him very sick. I know it is difficult to keep a large active puppy inside, but your vet can work with you to have Maximus fully vaccinated in a reasonable amount of time.

As long as your dog is vaccinated it’s ok to take him out for a walk. Don’t go to the neighbors house and don’t have your dog touch other dogs or wild animals. If your vaccine wasn’t recent you can have it boosted to increase his immunity. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Hello, yes you can take your puppy out for walks however, you increase the likelihood that he may become sick. Because he has been vaccinated it makes it less likely, however, you should consider only allowing your puppy around other pets whom you know are fully vaccinated. We are most concerned with diseases such as Parvovirus, distemper, influenza, and kennel cough. Continue to follow the recommended vaccine schedule for your puppy and be cautious about which other dogs come in contact with your puppy. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Yes, it should be safe to walk her outside. She should be protected if she has had 3 DHPP vaccines and up to date on her other vaccines. It is always a good idea to keep her away from sick or unvaccinated dogs.

As long as your puppy stays current on his [vaccination series](https://www.petcoach.co/article/vaccination-recommendations-for-puppies-puppy-shots) (boosters every 3-4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age), he can certainly go on walks in your neighborhood. In fact, it's very important to get him out and about at this age since the critical [socialization](https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy) period for dogs last from 6 to 16 weeks of age - so he needs to be out seeing the world, the sooner the better. I would recommend avoiding [dog parks](https://www.petcoach.co/article/dog-parks-fun-and-games) and other busy areas where large numbers of unknown dogs have been, but it should be fine to walk him in quieter areas.

Likely Nala got a combination vaccine for distemper, parvovirus, canine hepatitis, and parainfluenza. If she only got one shot, then she likely didn't have rabies, as that's a separate vaccine. A lot of states in the US require dogs to be vaccinated for rabies by law, so she will need that done. She will also need a booster shot for DHPPi (the diseases I mentioned above). I would not take Nala to places where dogs frequent, such as dog parks or parks in general, until she is fully vaccinated to prevent her from getting infected with a serious disease. I would have Nala vaccinated as soon as possible.

When you are discussing vaccinations I am assuming you are referring to the distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza combination vaccine (DAPP). If Theodore is only about 6 weeks old he will need at least 3-4 more DAPP vaccines spaced approximately one month apart to be fully protected against distemper. Because Theodore will be at risk until he receives all of his distemper booster shots it is best to minimize his risk by not taking him to places where sick dogs may have been. So avoiding dog parks, pet stores, and kennels is a good idea. I would recommend starting veterinary visits for Theodore around 8 weeks of age so he can be examined and another DAPP vaccine can be given. Please remember to bring a fecal sample with you to the vet visit so he can be checked for intestinal parasites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck with Theodore!