When do they leave the litter?

Puppies born in Belgium can leave the litter at 8 weeks at the earliest. By then, they will have had their first vaccinations and worming and MUST be microchipped, registered and in possession of an EU animal passport.

And when it's from a foreign litter?

If you are planning to get a puppy abroad (European Union), keep in mind that the earliest you can collect your little four-legged friend from the breeder is at 15 weeks. This is because your puppy MUST be vaccinated against Rabies before it can enter Belgium. This compulsory vaccination cannot be carried out until the pup is 12 weeks at is not valid until 21 days later.
 

When these pups leave their country at 15 weeks to go home (to Belgium) with their dog parent, they will have had their first worming and vaccinations, including the mandatory Rabies vaccine. They must also be microchipped (and registered) and have an EU animal passport issued by the country where they were born. No later than 8 days after import, the puppy must then be entered into the Belgian registration system (DogID).

Worming and vaccination

Worming

Puppies get their first worming already at the breeder. They are preferably wormed at 2,4,6 and 8 weeks. From 8 weeks onwards, you can switch to monthly worming until the pup is 6 months old. After that, it is recommended to worm a dog every 3 months.

Vaccination

During their first weeks of life, puppies are protected by the antibodies they receive through their mother's milk. After weaning, these antibodies rapidly decline and puppies are susceptible to infections. By getting your puppy vaccinated, you can protect it from certain diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

The basic vaccinations for a puppy are ideally given around 6, 9, 12 and 16 weeks of age. After that, their next vaccination is only when they turn 1 year old. It is highly recommended to have your puppy vaccinated for:

• Carré disease also known as distemper
• Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
• Parvovirus
• Leptospirosis
• Kennel cough

Microchip is compulsory

In Belgium, it is compulsory for every puppy to be chipped and registered in the central database DogID before the age of 8 weeks. A (sterile) chip is inserted subcutaneously by the vet at the level of your pup's left neck. In the chip there is a microchip that contains a 15-digit registration number. Once inserted, the microchip can be read (completely painlessly) with a special device (microchip reader) held at the level of the animal's left neck.

Registration of your puppy in DogID database

It is not sufficient to only have your puppy chipped. It is also compulsory to have the chip's registration number recorded in the central database DogID. Only vets are authorised to do this. In addition to the chip number, the database must also register characteristics of the animal such as breed, date of birth, sex and details of the person responsible such as: name, national registration number, address, telephone number and possibly e-mail address.

If your entry is publicly accessible then you can be contacted more quickly and easily if, for example, your lost dog is found. Please note that regardless of whether your details are public or not, vets and animal shelters will continue to have access to your contact details.

EU animal passport

Finally, in Belgium, every dog must also have a passport. The vet creates a European animal passport at the time the puppies are microchipped and registered.