Dog Vaccination Schedule: What Shots Your Dog Needs and When
Knowing which vaccines your dog needs, when to get them, and when boosters are due is genuinely confusing, especially if you've adopted a dog with incomplete records or you're getting your first puppy. Different vaccines have different intervals, different risk profiles, and different requirements depending on where you live.
What follows is the standard vaccination schedule based on guidelines from the American Veterinary Medical Association. Your vet will adjust it based on your dog's specific situation, but this gives you a solid baseline to work from.
Note: These are general recommendations. Your vet will tailor the schedule to your dog's age, health, lifestyle, and local disease risk. Always follow their specific advice.
Core vs. non-core vaccines
Vets divide dog vaccines into two groups. Core vaccines are recommended for every dog regardless of lifestyle. They cover diseases that are widespread, severe, or transmissible to humans. Non-core vaccines are recommended based on your dog's specific risk: where you live, how much time they spend around other dogs, whether they're exposed to wildlife or standing water, and similar factors.
Core vaccines
| Vaccine | What it covers | Booster frequency |
|---|---|---|
| DA2PP / DHPP | Distemper, Adenovirus (hepatitis), Parvovirus, Parainfluenza | Every 1–3 years after initial series |
| Rabies | Rabies virus (required by law in most regions) | 1 year after first dose, then every 1–3 years |
Common non-core vaccines
| Vaccine | Recommended for dogs who… | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Bordetella (kennel cough) | Visit groomers, dog parks, boarding, or daycare | Annually or every 6 months |
| Leptospirosis | Are exposed to wildlife, standing water, or rural environments | Annually |
| Lyme disease | Live in or visit tick-endemic areas | Annually |
| Canine Influenza (CIV) | Spend time around other dogs at kennels, shows, or daycare | Annually |
Puppy vaccination schedule
Puppies need a series of vaccines spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart. The reason for the spacing is that maternal antibodies passed through their mother's milk gradually wane over the first few months of life, and those same antibodies can interfere with vaccine effectiveness if given too early. A typical puppy schedule:
| Age | Vaccines typically given |
|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | DA2PP (first dose) |
| 10–12 weeks | DA2PP (second dose), Bordetella, Leptospirosis |
| 14–16 weeks | DA2PP (third dose), Rabies, Lyme (if recommended) |
| 12–16 months | DA2PP booster, Rabies booster, annual non-core vaccines |
Adult dog booster schedule
Once the initial series is complete, most core vaccines are given every 1 to 3 years depending on the specific vaccine and your vet's protocol. Non-core vaccines like Bordetella and Leptospirosis are typically annual. Your vet records the next due date after each visit, but it's worth keeping your own record as a backup.
Keeping track of what's been given
Most clinics send reminder postcards or emails when boosters are due. Those reminders are useful but not something to rely on entirely. They don't carry over when you switch vets or move to a new city, and a clinic's portal going offline can leave you with no accessible record of years of care.
For each vaccine, keep your own note of:
- Vaccine name
- Date administered
- Next due date
- Which clinic gave it
If you have the vet report from each visit, scanning it into a pet health app means you have that history wherever you are, whether that's an emergency clinic at midnight, a boarding facility asking for proof of vaccination, or a new vet in a new city who needs to get up to speed.
Keep your dog's vaccine history in Pett
Log vaccinations, scan vet reports, and get reminders when boosters are due. Free to download.