Enter your puppy's date of birth to generate a personalized vaccination schedule following standard veterinary guidelines.
Get your puppy's complete vaccination schedule with exact dates — just enter their birthdate.
Enter your puppy's date of birth to generate a personalized vaccination schedule following standard veterinary guidelines.
Vaccinations are the most important preventive health measure for your puppy. Parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus are highly contagious, often fatal, and entirely preventable with proper vaccination.
The puppy vaccine series requires multiple doses because of maternal antibody interference. Puppies receive antibodies from their mother through colostrum that protect them early in life — but these same antibodies also block the puppy's own immune response to vaccines. As maternal antibodies wane between 6 and 16 weeks, there is a window where protection decreases before the puppy's own immunity develops. The series of vaccines at 3-4 week intervals is designed to catch this window regardless of when maternal antibodies decline.
The final dose at 16 weeks is the most critical because maternal antibodies have waned sufficiently for a full immune response. A puppy who receives only the first two doses may have incomplete protection, particularly against parvovirus — which kills thousands of unvaccinated puppies annually and survives in soil for up to a year.
Core vs. non-core vaccines: DHPP and Rabies are core vaccines every dog needs. Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Lyme, and Influenza are non-core vaccines recommended based on your dog's specific lifestyle and regional risk. Discuss with your vet which non-core vaccines are appropriate, especially if you live in a tick-endemic area or plan to use boarding facilities or dog parks.
Yes, carefully. Complete isolation until 16 weeks risks serious socialization problems. Safe options: carry your puppy in areas where unknown dogs have not been, visit vaccinated dogs only, and attend a properly managed puppy class after the first vaccine. Avoid dog parks, pet store floors, and areas where unknown dogs defecate.
Normal mild reactions: slight lethargy or soreness at injection site for 24-48 hours. Call your vet same day for: facial swelling, hives, vomiting, or diarrhea within 1-4 hours. Emergency: collapse, difficulty breathing, extreme weakness. Monitor your puppy for 1-2 hours after each vaccination.
Some vaccines provide proven 3-year immunity and can be given on a 3-year booster schedule in adult dogs. DHPP is commonly given every 3 years after the initial adult booster. Rabies duration depends on local law. Your vet will advise on the appropriate protocol for your adult dog.
Core vaccines (DHPP and Rabies) are recommended for all dogs including strictly indoor ones — Rabies is legally required in most areas. Indoor dogs can be exposed to parvovirus tracked in on shoes and to Rabies from a bat entering the home. Non-core vaccines should be evaluated based on actual exposure risk.