The vaccination timeline (core vaccines)
Your vet's protocol always prevails — this is the standard AAHA-style core schedule most clinics follow.
| Age | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | DHPP #1 (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza); deworming |
| 10–12 weeks | DHPP #2; discuss leptospirosis/Bordetella (lifestyle vaccines) |
| 14–16 weeks | DHPP #3 + rabies (timing follows local law) |
| 6–12 months | Booster decision + spay/neuter discussion (timing is breed-size specific — giant breeds later) |
| 1 year | Adult boosters; from here typically every 1–3 years by vaccine type |
Until fully vaccinated (~2 weeks after the last shot): no dog parks and no unknown dogs, but DO carry your puppy places, meet calm vaccinated dogs, ride cars, hear city noise — socialization outranks infection risk when done sensibly on clean ground.
The socialization window: 3 to 14 weeks
This is the single highest-leverage thing you will ever do with this dog. Puppies raised with broad, positive exposure to people, dogs, surfaces, sounds and handling become confident adults; puppies kept in quiet isolation until 'fully vaccinated' often become fearful adults. Quality beats quantity: short, calm, treat-filled exposures. Never force — let the puppy approach.
- People: men with beards, kids, elderly, hats, umbrellas — the more variety the better
- Handling: touch paws, ears, mouth daily (this pays back at every vet visit)
- Sounds: traffic, vacuum, thunder recordings at low volume with treats
- Alone-time practice from week one: 5 minutes builds to hours — prevents separation anxiety later
Feeding by age
| Age | Meals/day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8–12 weeks | 4 | Small breeds: watch for low blood sugar (weakness, wobbliness — feed and call vet) |
| 3–6 months | 3 | Puppy formula food; growth in months should be steady, not roly-poly |
| 6–12 months | 2 | Begin transitioning to twice-daily adult routine |
| 12+ months (18 for large breeds) | 2 | Switch to adult or large-breed adult food gradually over 7–10 days |
Toilet training that actually works
- Take the puppy out: after every sleep, meal, play session — and every 2 hours under 12 weeks
- Reward OUTSIDE, within 2 seconds of finishing. Treats in your pocket on every trip
- Accidents indoors: clean with enzymatic cleaner, never punish — punished puppies hide their next accident
- Crate training uses the den instinct: the crate is a bedroom, never a punishment
Teething and mouthiness
Puppies bite. It is developmental, not dominance. From 12–24 weeks adult teeth come in and gums itch. The job is teaching bite inhibition: yelp-and-pause when teeth touch skin, then redirect to a chew toy. Provide frozen wet-washcloths and safe chews. Mouthiness that has been redirected consistently fades by 6 months; mouthiness that has been laughed at becomes an adult habit.
Month-by-month quick map
| Age | Focus |
|---|---|
| 8–10 wks | Crate + routine + name + first socialization trips |
| 10–14 wks | Peak socialization: classes once vet-clears; handling practice |
| 4–6 mo | Loose-leash basics, recall game, teething management |
| 6–9 mo | Adolescence starts: recall gets worse, hormones arrive — reinforce everything |
| 9–12 mo | Calm-meets-chaos practice; adult food transition; neuter/spay decision with your vet |