A new puppy brings enormous love, tiny teeth and some questions that simply cannot wait. From vaccinations and socialisation to sterilisation and deworming, the choices you make now can shape a lifetime of health. Scroll on, get informed and give your pup the safest possible start.
When should my puppy get vaccinated?
Your puppy’s vaccinations are not a once-off jab. They are given as a carefully timed series to help that tiny, still-developing immune system build strong protection against serious disease.
The exact schedule will depend on your puppy’s age, health, previous vaccination records and local disease risk. Your vet will also consider where your little one came from, whether that was a shelter, rescue, foster home or an uncertain background, because every puppy arrives with a different story and may need a slightly different plan.
Core vaccines protect against serious diseases that most dogs need protection from. Non-core vaccines are recommended according to your puppy’s lifestyle, environment and individual risk.
For puppies in South Africa, speak to your vet about protection against rabies, parvovirus, distemper, infectious hepatitis and any other vaccines recommended for your area.
Those first sleepy cuddles, clumsy zoomies and tiny paw prints deserve the safest possible beginning. Keep your puppy’s vaccination card up to date, follow the full schedule, and ask your vet before introducing them to high-risk public spaces or unfamiliar animals.
And please, do not rely on “my neighbour says” medicine. Puppy questions about vaccines deserve a qualified vet, not a WhatsApp committee.
Can I socialise my puppy before all vaccines are finished?
Yes — but do it safely and thoughtfully.
This is one of the biggest puppy-parent questions because people hear two very important messages at the same time: socialise early and avoid disease. The truth is, both matter.
Your puppy’s earliest weeks are a precious window for learning about the world. This is when those tiny paws, curious noses and growing hearts begin to discover that people, sounds, surfaces and gentle new experiences are safe. Good early socialisation helps puppies grow into more confident, relaxed and emotionally healthy dogs.
But socialisation does not mean throwing your puppy into every situation too soon.
The magic word is safe.
Safe socialisation can include puppy classes with proper health rules, clean indoor environments, carried outings, meeting calm vaccinated dogs, gentle handling, car rides, hearing everyday sounds, exploring different flooring and meeting kind, puppy-savvy people.
Until your vet says your puppy is fully protected, avoid high-risk places like dog parks, dirty pavements, unknown dogs and busy dog-heavy areas where infection risk is higher.
So yes, your puppy can start learning about the world before the vaccine course is finished — just in a way that protects both their health and their confidence.
And remember: socialisation is not a sink-or-swim trip to the dog park. Build your puppy’s confidence through safe, positive experiences, one little adventure at a time.
When should I spay or neuter my puppy?
The honest answer is: it depends.
Sterilisation timing is no longer a simple “six months for every puppy” decision. Your vet will consider your puppy’s expected adult size, sex, health, development, behaviour, lifestyle and background. For mixed-breed rescue pups, size is often a useful starting point, but it is only one part of the picture.
Research suggests that sterilising too early may affect joint development and certain health risks differently in different dogs, particularly larger puppies whose growth plates are still busy with their long-legged construction project. Smaller dogs may be ready sooner, while large and giant pups often benefit from more growing time.
Spaying prevents pregnancy and protects female dogs from pyometra, a serious uterine infection. Neutering removes the risk of testicular cancer and may reduce hormone-driven roaming, mounting or marking. In rescue and shelter settings, population control and the risk of accidental litters may also influence timing.
Ask your vet: “Considering my puppy’s size, sex, health and lifestyle, when will sterilisation offer the best balance of benefits and risks?”
There is no prize for beating the calendar. Let your puppy grow at the right pace — and leave the snip-date predictions to your vet, not the dog-park committee.
How often should puppies be dewormed?
Puppies are worm magnets with paws. Many can acquire roundworms before birth or hookworms while nursing, so deworming should begin early—even when a pup looks bright-eyed, energetic and perfectly healthy.
A clear puppy schedule is:
From 2 weeks old: deworm every two weeks until 8
weeks of age, or until regular broad-spectrum parasite control begins.
From 8 weeks to 6 months: treat monthly with a puppy-safe product
recommended by your vet.
After 6 months: move onto an adult parasite-control plan based on
lifestyle and local risk. Year-round broad-spectrum protection is preferred.
Where this cannot be maintained, treatment should generally be given at least
four times a year—not simply twice yearly.
Stool testing matters too. Puppies should ideally have at least four faecal examinations during their first year, while healthy adult dogs should be tested at least twice yearly—or more often if they hunt, scavenge, visit dog parks, eat raw food or live with children or vulnerable people.
Never guess the dose or reach for an old product at the back of the cupboard. Dewormers differ in the parasites they cover, the ages at which they are safe and the dose required for your puppy’s current weight. Speak to your vet promptly if your pup is underweight, pot-bellied, growing poorly, vomiting, has diarrhoea, pale gums or visible worms.
Your puppy can collect socks, sticks and admirers. Worms do not belong on the list.
