Starting them off at home
A puppy's first vet experiences shape a lifetime of vet visits, and an unvaccinated pup shouldn't be padding through clinic car parks anyway. Home visits solve both problems at once.
Updated August 2026
The parvo logic
Until the vaccination course finishes (around 16 weeks), puppies are vulnerable to parvovirus, and clinic floors, footpaths and car parks are exactly the ground vets tell you to avoid. A home visit brings the vaccine to the puppy: zero exposure on the way, full protection built on schedule. Kittens gain the same benefit against their own diseases, plus a first vet memory that isn't a car ride.
Want a vet to come to you?
Tell us where you are and what you need. We'll match you with a home visit vet who covers your area and email you their introduction. Reply to it and they'll call you. No obligation.
The course, at home
Puppies: vaccinations at roughly 6 to 8, 10 to 12 and 14 to 16 weeks (C3 core, C5 adding kennel cough for daycare/boarding); kittens: F3 on a similar rhythm. Details in the vaccination guide. Each visit includes a full check (heart, joints, bite, umbilical hernias, worms/fleas), microchipping if not done (how that works), and unlimited new-owner questions: toilet training, biting, crate advice. Home visits run longer than clinic slots, and puppy visits use every minute.
Behaviour: the free superpower
The vet meeting your pup at home makes the first vet memory a game with treats on the kitchen floor, the foundation of a dog who walks into vet care happily for life. The vet also sees your actual setup (crate, yard, other pets) and tailors socialisation advice to it, including how to socialise safely before full vaccination: carried outings, vaccinated-dog playdates, puppy school timing.
Common questions
What does the full puppy course cost at home?
Typically $450 to $700 for the three-visit course including checks, against roughly $270 to $450 at a clinic. Litters and multi-pet households claw much of the difference back on shared call-outs.
When can my puppy finally walk the streets?
Generally 1 to 2 weeks after the final vaccination. Your vet will give the exact date for the vaccine used. Until then: carried outings and clean backyards.
Desexing at home too?
No. Desexing is clinic surgery. The home vet does the pre-surgical check and post-op care either side, and can recommend local clinics.
New arrival?
Book the first check at home: mention age and vaccine history (breeders and shelters usually supply the first shot record) and the vet maps the rest of the course.