Dog Vaccination Schedule: A Complete Overview

Knowing roughly when each vaccine is due helps you avoid missing an appointment -- your vet will confirm the specifics for your dog.

What the Core Vaccine Covers

The core combination vaccine, often called DHPPL or DAPP, protects against distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and leptospirosis. Exact formulations vary -- some add extra leptospirosis strains or coronavirus coverage -- so which version fits your dog is best decided with your vet, based on local disease risk and your dog's lifestyle.

Puppy Schedule (Starting Around 6-8 Weeks)

Puppies typically start their first shot around 6 to 8 weeks old, repeated every 3 to 4 weeks for a total of three to five doses. This series exists because maternal antibodies -- protection passed from the mother -- fade gradually and can interfere with vaccine effectiveness while still present, so limiting contact with other dogs and outside walks until the series is complete is the safer approach.

Rabies Vaccination

Because rabies can spread to humans, it's a legally required vaccination in many places, usually starting after 3 months of age. After the first dose, boosters are typically required annually or on a set interval depending on the vaccine product and local regulations -- check with your vet or local authority for the exact requirement where you live.

Optional Vaccines Based on Lifestyle

Dogs that spend a lot of time around other dogs -- daycare, grooming salons, boarding, dog parks -- may benefit from an additional vaccine against kennel cough (Bordetella and related pathogens). Which optional vaccines make sense depends on your dog's lifestyle and local conditions, so it's worth discussing with your vet.

Booster Schedule for Adult Dogs

Once the initial series is complete, dogs typically get a core vaccine booster around one year old. Whether boosters continue annually after that, or the interval is adjusted based on antibody titer testing, depends on the specific vaccine, your dog's health, and your vet's judgment -- regular check-ins with your vet are the best way to stay on track.

Before and After Each Vaccination

Make sure your dog is feeling well -- normal appetite, energy, and temperature -- before an appointment, and postpone if something seems off. Afterward, stay at the clinic briefly to watch for an acute reaction, then keep an eye out over the next day or two for facial swelling, hives, vomiting, or lethargy, and contact the clinic right away if anything appears.

Keeping Vaccination Records

Logging vaccine dates and types in a paper record or a pet health app helps you avoid missing the next appointment, and makes it easy to show your history if you switch vets or board your dog. Many regions also require dogs to be registered -- check your local requirements if you haven't already.

Keeping Track of Vaccination Records Digitally

A dedicated pet health app can consolidate vaccine dates, upcoming due dates, and vet visit history in one place, which is especially useful if you ever need to show proof of vaccination for boarding, travel, or a new vet.

Don't Forget Mosquito-Borne Disease Prevention

Vaccination protects against a specific set of diseases, but it doesn't cover everything -- heartworm, spread by mosquito bites, needs its own separate, ongoing monthly or seasonal prevention that runs independently of the vaccine schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

If we miss one shot in the puppy series, do we have to start over?

It depends on how long the gap was. A short delay usually just means continuing the series from where you left off, but a long gap may call for adjusting the schedule based on your dog's antibody status -- don't guess on your own, check with your vet.

Do cats follow the same vaccination schedule?

No -- cats use a different core vaccine (typically covering feline herpesvirus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia) with its own timing and intervals. If you have a cat as well, ask your vet for a schedule specific to cats.