What happens at a puppy's first year of vaccines

A puppy is usually born with some temporary immunity from its mother, and that immunity fades on a schedule nobody can predict exactly — which is why the first-year vaccine series is spread across several visits instead of given all at once. Vaccinating too early, while that maternal immunity is still active, can mean the vaccine doesn't take.

That's also why a puppy series usually runs every three to four weeks until they're about four months old. It looks like a lot of visits for one dog, but each one is also a chance to catch a growth or development issue early, weigh the puppy, and adjust anything that needs adjusting before it's a bigger problem.

What we do differently: every puppy leaves the first visit with a written schedule for the rest of the year, not just the date of the next shot — so you know what's coming and why, not just when to show up again.