A puppy is born with maternal immunity: colostrum gives it antibodies that protect it for the first weeks. Those same antibodies interfere with a vaccine — while there are many of them, the shot will not take. That is why a puppy is vaccinated as a course, not once.
Exact timing depends on the vaccine and on what your vet decides. Below is the general frame most schedules are built on.
6–8 weeks
The first shot against distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus and parainfluenza. Before six weeks there is little point: maternal antibodies are still too high.
10–12 weeks
The second dose of the same combination. This is not a repeat "just in case" — more often than not it is this dose that actually creates immunity.
14–16 weeks
The third dose and the first rabies shot. In some puppies maternal antibodies persist for a long time, and without the third dose they stay unprotected while formally "vaccinated twice".
After a year
A booster of the whole combination and rabies. After that, the schedule your vet sets: rabies is given yearly in Kazakhstan.
Rabies is not optional
Rabies vaccination is mandatory in Kazakhstan. It is not only about the dog's health: without the record in the pet passport you will not be accepted by a boarding facility, transport will not be arranged, and most clinics will not take you for routine procedures.
Why no public dog park until the course is over
About two months pass between the first dose and full protection. Throughout that time the puppy is vulnerable to parvovirus, which is extremely contagious and survives in the environment for months. Infection can come not from a dog but from ground where a sick dog was a week ago.
This does not mean keeping the puppy locked in: socialisation at exactly this age decides what kind of dog you get. The compromise is simple — carry it outside, use your own yard, meet adult dogs you know are vaccinated. Avoid dog parks, markets and the patch of grass by the entrance.
If the dates slip
Two weeks late and the course is usually continued rather than restarted. Much later than that and the vet decides, sometimes after an antibody test. The one thing not to do is assume that "one shot has been given, so it is protected". A single dose guarantees almost nothing.
Before the shot
Deworming is done 10–14 days before vaccination: parasites suppress the immune response. Only a healthy puppy is vaccinated.
What goes in the passport
After every shot the passport should carry: the date, the vaccine name, the batch number, the expiry date and the clinic stamp with the vet's signature. Without a batch number and a stamp the record is invalid for travel. Check it before you leave the clinic.
Our vaccination calendar is built automatically from the pet's age and country, and the reminder arrives in advance. Create a profile for your puppy and the schedule appears straight away.
This article is a general frame, not a prescription. The specific vaccine, the timing and the clearance to vaccinate are determined by the veterinarian who has seen your puppy.