Puppy & kitten vaccination schedule generator

The standard series

AAHA asks for at least three doses of the core combination vaccine between 6 and 16 weeks of age, two to four weeks apart, with a dose at 16 weeks or older. In practice that looks like:

• 6–8 weeks — first DAPP, usually given by the breeder, shelter or rescue. Ask for the written record with dates and products, not “they've had their shots”.
• 10–12 weeks — second DAPP, plus the first leptospirosis dose and Bordetella if daycare or boarding is in the plan.
• 14–16 weeks — final DAPP, second leptospirosis dose, and normally the first rabies shot. Not earlier than 16 weeks for that last DAPP: antibodies from the mother can block an earlier dose, and a puppy can finish a full-looking series with no protection.
• Kittens go one visit further. The feline guidelines run FVRCP every three to four weeks until 16 to 20 weeks, so a kitten series is typically four doses rather than three — and that fourth one is the most-skipped dose in the whole schedule.
• One year later — the booster. See below; the guidelines disagree with each other here, and it is worth knowing why.

Leptospirosis is a core vaccine now

This is the change most puppy checklists online have not caught up with. Leptospirosis used to be a lifestyle question — do you have a pond, do you hike, are there raccoons. AAHA's 2024 update to its 2022 canine vaccination guidelines reclassified it as a core vaccine recommended for all dogs, alongside distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and rabies.

Two practical consequences. It takes two doses two to four weeks apart before it protects at all, and the second one is easy to skip once the puppy visits feel finished. And it is boosted every year, not every three — so a dog on a three-yearly core schedule still needs an annual appointment, which surprises owners who were told “shots are every three years now”.

Six months or a year? The guidelines disagree

The booster after the puppy or kitten series sits in three different places depending on which body you read, and all three are current:

• AAHA, for dogs: within one year of the last dose in the series.
• AAHA/AAFP, for cats: “consider at 6 months of age rather than 1 year”.
• WSAVA 2024, internationally: from 6 months for both species — which is what the Australian edition of this tool follows.

The reasoning behind the earlier date is the same reason the last puppy dose waits for 16 weeks: some animals are non-responders at every dose in the series because their mother's antibodies were still in the way, and waiting a full year to find that out leaves a long window where a dog everyone believes is protected is not. This tool books the one-year visit, because that is what most US practices run and because rabies is due there anyway — but if your veterinarian suggests six months, they are following current guidance, not improvising.

Common questions

What is the puppy shot schedule?

AAHA recommends at least three doses of the core combination vaccine (DAPP or DHPP — distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and usually parainfluenza) between 6 and 16 weeks of age, given two to four weeks apart, with a dose at 16 weeks or older. Leptospirosis is now core too and takes two doses starting at 12 weeks. Rabies is normally given at the 12-to-16-week visit, on a deadline your state sets. A booster follows within a year of the last puppy dose.

By what age does my puppy legally need a rabies shot?

It depends on your state, and then on your county. 37 states and the District of Columbia set a deadline in state law — most commonly 3 or 4 months of age, though Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts and West Virginia say 6 months, Oregon says 6 months or when the permanent teeth come in, and New Jersey says 7. The other 12 states leave it to local ordinance, which is not the same as not requiring it — Hawaii, which is rabies-free and regulates by import quarantine instead, is the only genuine exception. Cities and counties can and often do require rabies vaccination earlier than their state does, so check your local animal services page as well as the state rule.

Is the leptospirosis vaccine core now?

Yes, in the United States. AAHA’s 2024 update to its 2022 canine vaccination guidelines reclassified leptospirosis from noncore to a core vaccine recommended for all dogs. It takes two doses two to four weeks apart starting at 12 weeks, then a booster within a year, and unlike the core combination vaccine it is boosted annually rather than every three years.

When can my puppy go to the dog park?

Most veterinarians consider a puppy protected about two weeks after the final dose of the series at 16 weeks or older. Before that, stick to your own yard, homes with vaccinated dogs, and puppy classes that check vaccination records, and avoid dog parks, rest stops and pet-store floors — parvovirus survives in soil and on surfaces for months. Total isolation is not the safe answer either: the socialization window closes around 16 weeks.

How often does the rabies booster need to be repeated?

The national compendium puts the second dose one year after the first, whatever age the animal was when it was first vaccinated. After that the interval follows the vaccine’s USDA label — one year or three — together with your state and local law. Most states do not name an interval in statute at all, which is why a schedule that claims a specific number for every state is guessing.

Do cats legally need rabies shots?

In most states, yes, but not all of them — a substantial minority leave cat rabies vaccination to local ordinance rather than state law, and some states set a different age for cats than for dogs. Tennessee and West Virginia are examples where the cat rule and the dog rule differ. Select your state in the tool above and it will tell you which applies to a kitten.

What is the kitten vaccination schedule?

AAHA/AAFP recommends FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia) starting no earlier than 6 weeks and repeated every three to four weeks until 16 to 20 weeks of age — a visit longer than most puppy series. Feline leukemia (FeLV) is core for every kitten under a year old regardless of indoor plans, and takes two doses. The guidelines suggest considering the FVRCP booster at 6 months of age rather than waiting for the one-year visit.

Do I need an account to use this?

No. There is no sign-up and no email capture, and nothing you type is sent anywhere — the schedule is worked out in your own browser. You can print it, or download it as a calendar file that works in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook.