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Puppy vaccination schedule: when puppies get shots, by age

Published General information, not veterinary advice: for your pet’s health, ask your vet.

A golden retriever puppy on a veterinary exam table, gently held by a vet in navy scrubs

A puppy vaccination schedule starts at 6–⁠8 weeks of age with the core vaccine against distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus. The puppy gets it again every 2–⁠4 weeks until it is 16 weeks old or older, then once more at 6 months or a year, and after that every 3 years. Rabies, leptospirosis and other vaccines are added by local law and by where your dog lives and goes. This is the typical schedule from the WSAVA and AAHA vaccination guidelines; your vet sets the final schedule for your puppy.

How you keep track of the next shot Reminds you before it’s due Each dog’s own dates Shot record with batch numbers All your pets together
Wagzy (coming soon) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Reminders from the clinic If the clinic sends them Yes Kept at the clinic Only that clinic’s pets
Phone calendar If you set them If you type them in No Mixed with everything else
Paper card from the vet No Yes Usually One card per dog

Puppy vaccination schedule by age (chart)

An example with shots at 8, 12 and 16 weeks. Starting earlier or spacing the shots closer can mean an extra dose; the last puppy shot is given at 16 weeks or older. Your vet sets the dates.

Age Core vaccine (DHPP) Rabies Leptospirosis
8 weeks 1st shot — —
12 weeks 2nd shot From 12 weeks, where the law requires it 1st shot: from 8 weeks (WSAVA) or 12 weeks (AAHA)
16 weeks 3rd shot, the last of the puppy series 2nd shot, 2–⁠4 weeks after the 1st
Booster At about 6 months (WSAVA) or within a year after the last puppy shot (AAHA) 1 year after the first rabies shot
After that Every 3 years Every 1 or 3 years, by law and vaccine Every year
  • Why the shots repeat. A puppy gets antibodies from its mother. Until they fade, usually by 12–⁠14 weeks, they can block the vaccine, and nobody knows which shot will work. So the shots repeat until 16 weeks or later; where distemper is common, vets may continue to 18–⁠20 weeks.
  • The booster at 6 months or 1 year protects a puppy that didn’t respond to the earlier shots. WSAVA (2024) advises it at 26 weeks or later rather than at 12–⁠16 months; AAHA (2022) — within a year of the last puppy shot.

Dog vaccination schedule for adult dogs

After the puppy series and the booster, an adult dog gets the core vaccine every 3 years: WSAVA advises no more often than that. Leptospirosis and kennel cough vaccines are given every year, and rabies every 1 or 3 years, as the law and the vaccine require. Your vet sets your dog’s schedule.

Core vaccines for dogs and the optional ones

Vaccine Protects against Who gets it
DHPP (DAPP, DA2PP) Distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus) and parvovirus; usually also parainfluenza Every dog: a core vaccine
Rabies Rabies Core where rabies occurs; required by law in many countries
Leptospirosis (L2, L4) Leptospirosis Core for all dogs in AAHA’s 2024 update and core in the UK (BSAVA); elsewhere it depends on the region and the guideline
Bordetella and parainfluenza Kennel cough Dogs that board, go to daycare, shows or training classes
Lyme Lyme disease, carried by ticks Where these ticks live
Canine influenza (CIV) Dog flu In the US, dogs that meet many other dogs

Beyond the core vaccines, your vet decides from where you live and how your dog spends its days. The letters on the shot record are explained in the dog vaccination record guide.

Rabies: what the law requires

The rabies schedule comes from the law, not only from the vaccine:

  • United States: set by each state. Most states require dogs to be vaccinated, usually by 3–⁠6 months of age. The booster follows a year later, then every 1 or 3 years, depending on the vaccine and the state. The vet signs a rabies certificate, and you usually get a tag for the collar.
  • Canada: set by provinces. In Ontario, dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated from 3 months of age, indoor pets included; the booster is due within a year, then every 1–⁠3 years, depending on the vaccine.
  • UK: not part of the routine schedule. For travel to the EU, a dog gets the rabies vaccine at 12 weeks or older and can travel 21 days after the first vaccination; a booster given on time doesn’t restart the wait.
  • Australia: there is no rabies, so dogs are vaccinated only to be exported.

Puppy vaccination schedule in the UK, Canada and Australia

UK

Puppies usually start at 6–⁠8 weeks and get two shots 2–⁠4 weeks apart; some need a third (PDSA). The UK core vaccines are distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and leptospirosis: DHP and L4 on the record (BSAVA). The booster comes a year later; after that, DHP every 3 years and leptospirosis every year.

Canada

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association doesn’t publish its own schedule and refers vets to the published guidelines, such as AAHA’s. The ages are the same as in the chart above; rabies follows the law of your province.

Australia

The Australian Veterinary Association doesn’t set a schedule either: it groups vaccines as WSAVA does, with distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus as the core ones. On the record they are named by how many diseases they cover: C3 is these three; C5 adds parainfluenza and Bordetella, the causes of kennel cough. Leptospirosis is optional in Australia.

If a shot is late or the history is unknown

  • Your puppy missed a shot. Call your vet: they decide whether to continue the series or add a shot.
  • A dog older than 16 weeks with no record, such as a rescue. AAHA advises two core shots 2–⁠4 weeks apart; WSAVA says one shot very likely protects a dog older than 26 weeks. Rabies is given by local law. Your vet decides which applies to your dog.

Deworming in the first months

Puppies are dewormed on a schedule of their own, and the mother is treated at the same time:

  • US: from 2 weeks of age, every 2 weeks until 8 weeks, then monthly, year-round parasite control (CAPC).
  • Canada: at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks, then monthly until 6 months (CPEP).
  • UK and Europe: from 2 weeks, every 2 weeks until 2 weeks after weaning, then monthly until 6 months if an increased infection risk persists, for example at puppy classes (ESCCAP).

These are reference schedules: your vet sets the final dates and intervals, chooses the product and decides how often your dog needs it as an adult.

Keep your puppy’s shots on schedule

At each visit, ask when the next shot is due and write the date down. Keep the dog vaccination record — the printable above, with a page for deworming — with the vet’s certificates, and a photo of it on your phone. For medications, vet visits and weight, use a pet health record.

Wagzy will remind you before each shot is due and keep every dog’s vaccines with the batch number, the expiry date and the vet’s certificates.

Frequently asked questions

When do puppies get shots?

The first shot is at 6–⁠8 weeks, then one every 2–⁠4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks old or older, and a booster at 6 months or 1 year. Rabies follows local law, usually from 12 weeks.

How many shots does a puppy need?

AAHA advises at least three shots of the core vaccine between 6 and 16 weeks, then a booster within a year. Rabies, leptospirosis and other vaccines are added on top, depending on the law and on your dog’s risks.

What is the dog booster shots schedule?

After the puppy series and the booster, an adult dog gets the core vaccine every 3 years, leptospirosis and kennel cough vaccines every year, and rabies every 1 or 3 years, as the law and the vaccine require.

When is a puppy fully vaccinated?

The last shot of the puppy series is given at 16 weeks or older, and a booster follows at about 6 months or within a year. Your vet confirms when the series is complete and where your puppy can safely go before then.

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