The timeline at a glance
Dates vary slightly by vet and by vaccine brand; confirm yours at the first visit.
| Age | What happens | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | First vaccination, microchip check, worming | Puppy should already be chipped by the breeder |
| 8 weeks | Earliest legal age to leave the litter | Anything earlier is a red flag |
| 10–12 weeks | Second vaccination | Immunity is not complete until ~1 week after this |
| 12–14 weeks | Cleared for public walks | Socialisation window is closing |
| 16 weeks | Socialisation window largely shut | Exposure after this is remedial, not formative |
| 4 months | Dog licence legally required | €20 at the Post Office |
| 6 months | Neutering conversation with your vet | Timing varies by breed and size |
| 12 months | Booster, adult food, full exercise | Large breeds mature later — go slower |
Socialise before the second jab — safely
The biggest mistake Irish owners make is keeping a puppy indoors until fully vaccinated and losing the entire socialisation window. Carry the puppy outside. Sit on a bench near traffic, near a school run, near a bus stop. Invite visitors in. Let the puppy meet fully vaccinated adult dogs in a private garden.
The behaviour problems that fill Irish rescue centres — noise fear, dog reactivity, stranger anxiety — usually trace back to eight quiet weeks in a kitchen.
Exercise: the five-minute rule
A widely used guideline is five minutes of formal walking per month of age, twice a day. A four-month-old puppy gets around twenty minutes twice daily. Free play in the garden doesn't count against it — forced, sustained walking and stairs do, especially for large and giant breeds still building joints.
Toilet training in Irish weather
Rain is the main obstacle. Pick one toilet spot, go out on a lead so the trip has a purpose, reward within two seconds of finishing, and go out after every sleep, meal and play session. A covered patch of garden or a porch area keeps the routine intact through a wet January, which is when most house-training regressions happen.
When a walker or sitter helps
Once your puppy is cleared for public walks, a short midday visit breaks up a long working day and stops the crate becoming a nine-hour stint. Ask for drop-in visits with toilet breaks and play rather than long walks — a puppy does not need distance, it needs company and consistency.