Puppy Vaccination Schedule and Cost Guide

Care guide · By Argos Paws research team · Published September 18, 2026 · Updated November 13, 2026

Written for general planning, not medical advice — no one at Argos Paws is a veterinarian. If something is wrong with your dog right now, call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic.

Vaccines are one of the first real budget line items new puppy owners hit, and one of the most confusing — the schedule involves several visits over a few months, the list of "core" vaccines changed as recently as 2024, and pricing varies a lot by clinic. A complete first-year core series runs $100-300 for the vaccines alone, or $200-450 with the exam fees at each visitPrices checked Nov 13, 2026. Here's the current standard schedule and what it actually costs.

The standard schedule, by age

The 10-12 week visit is the second injection in the primary course of two injections — the DHPP booster.

This reflects current AAHA canine vaccination guidelines for core vaccines. Your vet may adjust timing based on your puppy's health, local disease risk, and state rabies law — this schedule is a starting point for budgeting, not a substitute for your vet's plan.

Core vs. non-core vaccines

Core vaccines — distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, rabies, and leptospirosis — are recommended for essentially every puppy regardless of lifestyle. Non-core vaccines — Bordetella (kennel cough), canine influenza, Lyme disease — are recommended based on your dog's specific risk: boarding or daycare, tick exposure, or regional disease prevalence. Ask your vet which non-core vaccines make sense for your situation.

Leptospirosis is worth a closer look, since it's the newest addition to the core list. "Any dog that goes outdoors, whether in an urban or a rural setting, can be exposed to leptospirosis," explained Ingrid Taylor, DVM, AAHA's Director of Guidelines, when the association updated its 2022 Canine Vaccination Guidelines in 2024 to reclassify the vaccine. AAHA pointed to a substantial rise in the disease's prevalence — including in drier, higher-elevation areas not traditionally associated with the disease — plus better data on vaccine safety. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine separately recommends the vaccine be given annually starting at 12 weeks, regardless of breed, and that boarding and daycare facilities require it.

What it costs

Per-vaccine pricing varies by type. A veterinarian-reviewed Chewy breakdown, drawing on national averages and two practicing veterinarians, puts typical costs at:

"For a complete vaccination series in the first year, pet parents can expect to spend between $100 and $300 or more, as multiple vaccines are required," says Josh Smith, DVM, a small-animal veterinarian quoted in the Chewy breakdown. That figure is for vaccines alone — add the exam fee most clinics charge at each puppy visit (commonly $40-75) across 3-4 visits, and the realistic all-in cost for the full first-year series, exams included, often lands in the $200-450 range. Low-cost clinics, shelters, and vaccine clinics can bring individual shots down toward the low end of these ranges or below.

Spay/neuter surgery is the other major one-time cost that lands in this same puppy window — see our spay/neuter cost guide for typical pricing and why the recommended timing depends on your puppy's breed and size.

What moves the number

• Which vaccines. The core series is the base — every non-core vaccine your vet recommends adds one shot at its own per-shot price: Bordetella $20-50, canine influenza $30-65, Lyme $30-60. See the estimator above.
• Exam fees. Most clinics charge $40-75 per visit on top of the shots, across 3-4 puppy visits — that's the whole gap between the $100-300 vaccines-only figure and the $200-450 all-in figure.
• Clinic type. Low-cost vaccine clinics (often run by shelters or mobile services) can bring individual shots toward the low end of these ranges or below, but they typically don't include a full physical exam — the tradeoff the estimator's figure doesn't capture.
• Country. UK pricing works differently: a primary course of two injections (£60-90) rather than per-shot pricing, with kennel cough (£25-45) as the usual add-on. Switch the estimator to the UK to see those figures.

Worked examples

These scenarios use the exact same math as the estimator above — they're illustrative, not real invoices, but they show how the pieces combine. Try the same settings in the estimator to reproduce the figure:

• Milo, a puppy getting the core series at his regular general practice vet, vaccines only (exam fees billed elsewhere): $100 – $300.
• Bella, a puppy getting the core series at her regular general practice vet, exam fees included across her visits: $200 – $450.
• Rocky, a puppy getting the core series plus Bordetella and canine influenza (he'll be going to daycare), exam fees included: $250 – $565 — the two non-core shots stack on top of the same all-in base Bella used.
• Luna, a UK puppy getting the primary course of two injections plus the kennel cough vaccine her boarding kennel requires: £85 – £135.

Puppy vaccination cost in the UK

UK puppies usually get a primary course of two injections, a few weeks apart. Typical 2026 prices from practices' published price lists:

Ranges from the Vet Cost Index (May 2026). Some UK practices also offer monthly health plans that bundle routine care — worth comparing if you'd rather spread the cost.

Tips for managing the cost

• Ask if your vet offers a puppy package bundling the full vaccine series, exams, and sometimes deworming/fecal tests at a discount versus paying per visit.
• Low-cost vaccine clinics (often run by shelters or mobile vet services) can meaningfully cut cost, though they typically don't include a full physical exam — worth pairing with at least one full wellness visit.
• Don't skip or stretch out the schedule to save money. PetMD puts the average cost of treating a parvovirus case at upward of $5,000, with an 85-95% survival rate when treatment is prompt and aggressive — exactly the expensive, uncertain outcome a $30-50 vaccine exists to prevent. Under-vaccinated puppies carry real exposure to parvovirus and distemper during any gap in the schedule.

Related guides

• Vet Costs: How Much Does Dog Care Cost?
• Emergency & Surgery Vet Cost Estimator
• New Puppy Checklist — this whole schedule, personalized to your puppy's size
• How Much Does Microchipping a Dog Cost? — often done at the same first vet visits as the first vaccines
• How Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog?
• Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
• Puppy Growth Stages Explained
• Puppy Weight Predictor
• Pet Insurance Calculator

Frequently asked questions

How much does the full puppy vaccine series cost?

Chewy's veterinarian-sourced estimate puts a complete first-year core series at roughly $100-300 or more, before exam fees. Individual shots run $20-70 depending on which vaccine — leptospirosis and canine influenza tend to run higher ($30-65) than a standalone DHPP or Bordetella shot ($20-50). Add the exam fee most clinics charge at each visit and a realistic all-in first-year total, exams included, commonly lands in the $200-450 range.

What's the difference between core and non-core vaccines?

Core vaccines — distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, rabies, and, as of the 2024 AAHA guideline update, leptospirosis — are recommended for essentially every dog regardless of lifestyle. Non-core vaccines — Bordetella (kennel cough), canine influenza, Lyme disease — are recommended based on individual risk factors: boarding or daycare attendance, regional tick exposure, or local disease prevalence. Ask your vet which non-core vaccines fit your specific situation.

Why did leptospirosis become a core vaccine?

"Any dog that goes outdoors, whether in an urban or a rural setting, can be exposed to leptospirosis," said Ingrid Taylor, DVM, AAHA's Director of Guidelines, when the organization updated its 2022 guidelines in 2024. AAHA cited a substantial rise in the disease's prevalence and improved vaccine safety data. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine separately recommended the vaccine for all dogs starting at 12 weeks, regardless of breed, and that it be required for boarding or daycare.

Can I delay or skip vaccines to save money?

This is the one place we'd say don't, in plain terms. Parvovirus alone illustrates why: PetMD puts average treatment cost for a hospitalized case at upward of $5,000, against an $30-50 vaccine. Treatment has an 85-95% survival rate with prompt, aggressive care, but that care is exactly the expensive, uncertain scenario the vaccine exists to prevent. Stretching out the schedule also leaves gaps where a puppy is exposed but not yet protected.

Are low-cost vaccine clinics safe?

Generally yes — the vaccines themselves are the same product, and low-cost clinics (often run by shelters, non-profits, or mobile services) can meaningfully cut the per-shot cost. The tradeoff is that they typically don't include a full physical exam, which is where a vet catches problems unrelated to vaccination. Pairing a low-cost vaccine clinic with at least one full wellness visit during the puppy series gets you both the savings and the exam.

Does pet insurance cover the puppy vaccine series?

Standard accident-and-illness pet insurance generally does not — vaccines are routine, planned care, not the unpredictable claims insurance is built around. Some insurers offer a separate wellness add-on that covers routine costs like vaccines and annual exams, for an additional premium. Whether that add-on is worth it versus just budgeting for it directly is covered in our guide to whether pet insurance is worth it.

How much do puppy vaccinations cost in the UK?

Typically £60-£90 for the primary course of two injections, then £40-£70 a year for the annual booster, according to the Vet Cost Index (May 2026). Kennel cough vaccination, often required by boarding kennels, adds £25-£45.