When do puppies start their vaccines?
Start core puppy vaccines (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus) at 6 to 8 weeks of age, then every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older; not more often than every 2 weeks. (WSAVA 2024 guidelines)
Puppy vaccination schedule calculator
Dated vaccine windows for your puppy's first year, from the WSAVA 2024 vaccination guidelines. Your vet sets the exact day.
Your puppy's vaccine windows
Enter a birth date, or roughly how old your puppy is. The windows are worked out on this device; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
This ran on your device. Nothing you typed was sent.
The calendar file has one all-day event on the day each window opens, with an alert at 9:00 that morning. It is built on this device and holds no link.
Keep this plan with reminders
Saving adds an e-mail before each window and your puppy's vaccination record. You can export or delete everything at any time.
Next: a name and a breed, then you choose where to save. Nothing is sent until you do.
Looking after a kitten? Kitten vaccination schedule
Worked example
A puppy born on , looked up on . Your own dates appear above when you use the calculator.
Vaccine windows for a puppy born 1 August 2026
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Open now
Core puppy vaccine (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus), dose 1
to (8–10 weeks old)
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
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Coming up
Core puppy vaccine (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus), dose 2
to (11–13 weeks old)
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
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Coming up
Core puppy vaccine (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus), dose 3
to (14–16 weeks old)
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
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Coming up
Core puppy vaccine (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus), dose 4 (at 16 weeks or older)
to (17–19 weeks old)
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
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Coming up
Core puppy vaccine (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus), revaccination at or shortly after 26 weeks
to (26–30 weeks old)
A blood antibody test from 20 weeks of age can replace this dose; ask your vet.
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs (the 26-week revaccination paragraph), checked .
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Coming up
First yearly health check (about 1 year of age)
to (50–54 weeks old)
To be set by your vet.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
Each later window assumes the dose before it is given about 3 weeks after the previous one; when you record the real date, the windows after it move.
First 16 weeks: what to ask your vet about your puppy
Ask your vet about starting core vaccines between 6 and 8 weeks of age.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
Core doses come every 2 to 4 weeks until your puppy is at least 16 weeks old; the dose at 16 weeks or older matters most.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
Ask whether leptospirosis vaccine is core where you live (first dose usually from 8 weeks, a second 2 to 4 weeks later).
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Table 1. Vaccines for pet dogs (non-shelter), row 'Leptospira spp.', checked .
Ask when rabies vaccine is needed where you live; local rules and the vaccine label set the age and the booster interval.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Table 1. Vaccines for pet dogs (non-shelter), row 'Rabies (inactivated)', checked .
Socialisation can begin before the series is finished; ask your vet which places and classes are sensible meanwhile.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Table 1. Vaccines for pet dogs (non-shelter), comments on core vaccines, checked .
Plan the next step after the puppy series: a blood antibody test from 20 weeks, or another core dose at or shortly after 26 weeks.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs (the 26-week revaccination paragraph), checked .
Keep the vaccination card or passport, and note each date given so the next window can be worked out from it.
Source: WSAVA 2024 guidelines: Canine Vaccination Guidelines: Core vaccines for pet dogs, checked .
What this can't tell you
- The exact day of each dose. These are guideline windows, not appointments: your vet sets the day.
- Which other vaccines your puppy needs, such as leptospirosis or kennel cough. That depends on where you live and how your puppy lives; ask your vet.
- When the rabies vaccine is due. Local rules and the vaccine label decide it.
- Anything about your puppy's health. A puppy who is unwell, or was vaccinated on other dates, may need a different plan.
- Boosters after the first year. They follow your vet's record.
Questions owners ask
Which puppy dose matters most?
The most important early dose is the one given at 16 weeks of age or older. That is why the series runs until at least 16 weeks. (WSAVA 2024 guidelines)
What comes after the puppy series?
Either a blood antibody test at least 4 weeks after the last puppy dose (from 20 weeks of age) or another core dose at or shortly after 26 weeks of age. The earlier revaccination does not replace a first annual health check at approximately 1 year of age, with rabies vaccine where needed. (WSAVA 2024 guidelines)
When does my puppy get the rabies vaccine?
Rabies: follow local laws or regulations as a priority, then the product leaflet. In some countries the first dose is generally not given before 12 weeks of age; vaccines carry a 1-year or 3-year licensed duration. (WSAVA 2024 guidelines)
Can my puppy meet other dogs before the series is finished?
Careful socialisation of puppies can begin before the vaccination series is complete. Ask your vet which places and classes are sensible meanwhile. (WSAVA 2024 guidelines)