Puppy vaccination schedule calculator

Under the WSAVA 2024 guidelines, core vaccines start at 6–8 weeks, are repeated every 2–4 weeks until the puppy is at least 16 weeks old, and are followed by a dose at or shortly after 26 weeks. The calculator turns those ages into dates for your puppy. It doesn't replace your vet's plan.

How the dates are worked out

The calculator counts weeks from your puppy's date of birth and uses the ages in the WSAVA 2024 vaccination guidelines for the core vaccines (distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus):

If you enter the date of the first vaccination, the calculator spaces the next doses 4 weeks apart, the longest gap WSAVA allows. When the next 4-week step would land after 16 weeks, the last puppy dose goes at 16 weeks or 2 weeks after the previous dose, whichever is later. That gives one plan that fits the guidelines with the fewest doses. Your vet may choose shorter gaps, and WSAVA says that in especially high-risk situations doses can continue until 20 weeks.

Why a dose at 16 weeks or later matters

Antibodies from the mother protect a young puppy but also stop the vaccine from working, and nobody knows exactly when they fade in a particular puppy. WSAVA calls the dose at 16 weeks or older the most important of the early doses, because by then these antibodies have faded in a large majority of puppies. The dose at or after 26 weeks catches the few that still did not respond. Our puppy vaccination guide explains this in more detail.

Why your vet's plan may look different

Schedules differ between countries, vaccine products and clinics. In Sweden, the Swedish Kennel Club describes doses at about 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 1 year. In the UK, the PDSA describes 2 injections 2–4 weeks apart from about 6–8 weeks, with some puppies needing a third. Some vaccines are licensed for a 10- or 12-week finish; WSAVA still advises a last dose at 16 weeks or older.

The calculator covers only the core vaccines. Rabies, leptospirosis and kennel cough vaccines depend on the product, local disease risk and national or travel rules. Your vet's plan and your country's rules always come first.

When to ask your vet

• before the first vaccination, to agree which vaccines and dates your puppy needs;
• if a dose was missed or given late;
• if your puppy is older than 16 weeks and has not been vaccinated;
• if your puppy seems unwell for more than 24–48 hours after a vaccination (the PDSA says mild side effects usually pass within that time);
• before travelling abroad, since rabies rules vary by country.

While you wait for full protection, use the time for potty training and calm new experiences. The puppy age calculator shows your puppy's exact age in weeks.