Printable shot checklist
Your puppy's vaccine schedule, dated from their birth date
Enter the birth date and every core shot lines up on a real calendar — ready to print, stick on the fridge, and hand to the vet at the first visit.
Only have a gotcha date? Enter your best estimate — your vet can pin the birth date down from your puppy's teeth at the first visit.
This is the typical core schedule — your vet sets the real one. Series timing shifts with the first visit, local law, and your puppy's health.
The core shot checklist
After the puppy series wraps, DHPP protection carries on as an adult booster every 1–3 years, alongside rabies boosters on your state's cycle — your vet sets both intervals.
Printed from FleaDates (fleadates.com/puppy-vaccine-schedule) — the typical core schedule. Your vet's schedule wins; bring this to the first visit.
Show the math
Each target date is simply the birth date plus that row's week mark from the current AAHA canine vaccination guidelines — one week is seven days, so the week-12 row lands 84 days after the birth date. Rows whose target has already passed get the "likely already done" tag, since most breeders, shelters, and rescues start the series before a puppy goes home. Dates are shown without a year on purpose — the weekday and month are what you need to book the visit, and the printout stays tidy.
Ask about these at the first visit
No dates on these on purpose — whether your puppy needs them depends on the life your puppy leads, so they're a conversation, not a calendar.
- Bordetella (kennel cough) — daycare, boarding, group classes
- Leptospirosis — wildlife, standing water, most suburban yards
- Lyme — tick country (ask what your county's tick pressure looks like)
- Canine influenza — boarding and show circuits
More first-year math
The first vet visits cover more than shots. Our dog food portion calculator handles growing-puppy portions (puppy calorie needs run well above an adult's), the dog age converter shows how fast that first year really moves, and parasite prevention usually starts at these same visits — check when flea season starts where you live.
Frequently asked questions
When do puppies get their first shots?
Most puppies get their first DHPP combo (distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus) at 6–8 weeks old, then a booster every 2–4 weeks until the final round at 16 weeks or later. In practice the series starts at the first vet visit — a puppy who comes home at ten weeks simply starts then, and the vet adjusts the spacing from wherever the series begins. Enter the birth date above and the checklist lays out the typical targets for you.
What shots do puppies need?
Every puppy gets the core list: the DHPP series through 16 weeks, a rabies vaccine timed to your state's law, a DHPP booster around 6 months, and a rabies booster a year after the first dose. Beyond core, the lifestyle vaccines — Bordetella, leptospirosis, Lyme, canine influenza — depend on where your puppy goes and what the local parasite pressure looks like, which is exactly the conversation to have at the first visit. Our flea season pages show what that pressure looks like where you live.
Can my puppy be around other dogs before the shots are done?
Carefully, yes — the socialization window in the first few months matters enormously for behavior, so total isolation isn't the answer. The conservative middle ground vets recommend: stick to healthy, fully vaccinated adult dogs you know, puppy classes that require vaccine records, and your own yard — and skip dog parks, pet-store floors, and unfamiliar dogs until the vet confirms the series is complete, usually around 16 weeks. Ask your vet where your puppy's protection stands before widening the circle.
How much do puppy vaccines cost?
It varies too much for an honest single number — clinic, region, combo pricing, wellness plans, and low-cost vaccine clinics all move it — so the useful step is calling your vet with the list and asking for a quote. The checklist above tells you exactly what to ask about: the DHPP series, rabies, and whichever lifestyle vaccines fit your puppy's life. Many shelters and humane societies also run reduced-cost clinics for the core shots.