How many shots does a puppy need?

Typically three DHPP doses (at roughly 6-8, 10-12 and 14-16 weeks) plus one rabies shot at 12-16 weeks, then boosters at one year. Lifestyle vaccines add two doses each.

How much do puppy shots cost?

About $25-$60 per vaccine plus a $50-$100 exam fee per visit. Budget $150-$350 total for the first-year series, more if you add Bordetella, lepto or Lyme.

When can my puppy go outside safely?

Carry your puppy outside anytime, but avoid dog parks and unknown dogs until 7-10 days after the final 16-week shot. Balcony and backyard time is fine sooner.

Do puppy shots have side effects?

Mild sleepiness, a low fever or a sore injection spot for a day or two is normal. Facial swelling, vomiting or breathing trouble is rare but needs an emergency vet visit.

Wellness care · 7 min read

Puppy shot schedule: the week-by-week chart

Every core vaccine your puppy needs from 6 to 16 weeks, which shots are legally required, what each visit costs, and what happens if you miss a dose.

Reviewed by the PetsHealthHub editorial teamLast updated October 2026

Puppies are not born protected, and the antibodies they get from their mother's milk fade at different speeds. That is why the shot schedule is a series rather than a single visit: each dose builds on the last until your puppy's own immune system takes over. Here is the exact week-by-week calendar most US vets follow, based on the AAHA canine vaccination guidelines.

The core schedule: 6 to 16 weeks

01
6-8 weeks
First DHPP combo shot (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza). Bordetella may start here if the puppy will go to daycare, boarding or training classes.
02
10-12 weeks
Second DHPP dose. Leptospirosis and Lyme vaccines usually start now where your vet recommends them; both need two doses 3-4 weeks apart.
03
14-16 weeks
Final DHPP dose plus the rabies shot, which is required by law in nearly every US state. Second lepto and Lyme doses land here if the series started at 10-12 weeks.
04
12-16 months
One-year boosters for DHPP and rabies. After this visit, most core vaccines shift to a three-year cycle; lifestyle vaccines like Bordetella stay annual.

Core versus optional shots

Core vaccines - DHPP and rabies - are recommended for every dog regardless of lifestyle. Optional shots depend on how your puppy will actually live: Bordetella for social dogs, leptospirosis for dogs that drink from puddles or streams, Lyme for tick country, and canine influenza for dogs that board often. Your vet will map the optional list to your zip code, not just your breed.

Until the series finishes at 16 weeks, skip dog parks and keep your puppy off surfaces where unvaccinated dogs go. Parvovirus survives months in soil and kills fast.

If you miss a dose

Life happens, and vets see late puppies constantly. If a booster slips by a few days or even a couple of weeks, your vet simply picks up where the schedule left off; the immune system does not reset to zero. What does not work is stopping after one shot: a single early dose can be neutralized by leftover maternal antibodies, which is exactly why the series repeats every three to four weeks until 16 weeks.

What insurance does (and does not) pay

Accident-and-illness pet insurance does not cover routine vaccines - they are predictable wellness care, not unexpected events. The way to get shots reimbursed is a wellness add-on, which pays a set allowance toward vaccines, exams and preventives each year. They cost roughly $10 to $25 a month on top of the base premium, so they only make sense in the first year, when a puppy burns through the whole schedule.