Most puppies need three or four vaccine visits, 2 to 4 weeks apart, from about 6 to 8 weeks old until 16 weeks or a little after, then boosters about a year later. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord is a vet clinic in Concord, North Carolina, off Concord Mills Boulevard, that sets your puppy's schedule at the first visit and writes out each date.
Started shots with a breeder or rescue? Bring the records; the vet usually continues the series rather than restarting it. Call (980) 360-2922 or book online.
What happens at each puppy vaccine visit?
At Petfolk Concord, each puppy visit pairs shots with a nose-to-tail exam and a weight check. The American Animal Hospital Association guidelines are the reference most vets use for these schedules. Gentle Handling is standard at every Petfolk clinic: treats and floor time help early visits build a puppy who likes the vet.
About 6 to 8 weeks. First DHPP shot (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and parainfluenza). Most puppies carry roundworms from birth, so deworming starts too; the deworming page lays out the timing. Bring a stool sample.
About 10 to 12 weeks. Second DHPP. Bordetella is added for daycare, boarding or classes, and leptospirosis, two doses a few weeks apart. Leptospirosis spreads through the urine of rats and wildlife into water and soil, and it can pass to people (NC Department of Health and Human Services).
About 14 to 16 weeks or a little after. Final DHPP and the second lepto dose. North Carolina allows rabies from three months old and requires it once a puppy is over four months old (G.S. 130A-185). The rabies vaccine page covers the tag and certificate.
About 1 year later. Boosters, including the first rabies booster (10A NCAC 41G .0101).
Mom's antibodies fade on their own clock
A puppy is born with antibodies from its mother's milk. They protect for a while, but they also block vaccines, and nobody can tell exactly when they fade. A series of doses through about 16 weeks covers that gap. The last dose is the one most likely to stick, and skipping it leaves a puppy unprotected just as it starts meeting the world.
Put every date on the calendar at visit one
At Petfolk Concord, puppies who started their series between October 2025 and June 2026 (followed through October 19, 2026) got their first shot with us at a median age of about 11 weeks. About 7 in 10 (72%) came back for at least a second distemper-parvo booster. Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, only 46% of puppies in the same cohort got a third core dose with us, so book the later visits before you leave.
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention starts early and is dosed by weight. About 6 in 10 Petfolk Concord puppy wellness visits (61%) sent prevention home (October 2025 to September 2026).
They took excellent care of my puppy and I will definitely be using this office for any future needs. Laylat L., Google review
How do I keep my puppy safe before the series is done?
Until the Petfolk Concord vet says the series is complete, skip dog parks, trails and pet store floors that many unknown dogs use. Weddington Road Bark Park can wait until the last shots and rabies are done. Keep socializing, though: puppy classes that check vaccine records, healthy vaccinated adult dogs you know, car rides and new sounds at home. Carry your puppy into the clinic or use a carrier.
Is it normal for my puppy to be sleepy after shots?
Yes, a little. Mild sleepiness, a sore spot or a small lump at the injection site for a day or two is common; call Petfolk Concord if a lump lasts more than a few weeks.
Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital for facial swelling, hives, repeated vomiting or trouble breathing within hours of a vaccine, or for bloody diarrhea in a puppy that won't eat or drink, which can be parvovirus. Petfolk Concord is open 8 AM to 6 PM, seven days a week, and doesn't provide overnight care.
Begin the puppy series in Concord
Puppy vaccines are given at a wellness exam that starts at $99, or is included with the PetfolkCare plan, with each vaccine priced on top. You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit.
Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord is at 2425 Herrons Nest Pl NW, Suite 100, Concord, NC 28027, and puppy families from Cox Mill can book online before setting out. Call (980) 360-2922.
Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord, or see all veterinary services in Concord.
New puppy questions
Puppy visits on Herrons Nest Place