A key part of training is to start puppy socialization straight away. The first three months of a canine’s life is crucial to their development. What fear they develop now may become ingrained in their behaviour, which can become difficult to change.

When socializing your pup, it is important to bring them into many situations, with a variety of animals, people, and sounds. As intuitive as it may feel, do not coddle your puppy when showing nervous behaviour.

Nervous Behaviour During Puppy Socialization

Examples may include:

• Trembling
• Raised fur
• Tail between the legs
• Baring teeth
• Body tension
• Growling

Remember, your dog is not a child; if you comfort them when they show fear, what you’re actually doing is “rewarding” this behaviour. Save the vocal excitement, touch, and treats as a reward when your puppy shows positive body language, such as tail wagging, perking their ears, sitting nicely, and staying calm. When socializing, your pup may jump with excitement – although this is not a sign of fear, calm behaviour is key to training, as your adorable puppy will quickly grow into an adult dog.

Puppy Socialization With Children

When socializing with children, never allow them to leave your sight. Always supervise any interactions. This is important for the child’s safety and your puppy companion’s safety too! Puppies love children, but in the brain of your pup, a child is just another puppy. Not all children have been puppy “trained.” A pulled ear or a poked eye could mean a nip from a scared dog, who only meant to protect themselves.

Vaccinations Before Puppy Socialization

Keep your pup’s health and safety in mind: get all vaccinations and boosters prior to any outings where they may come in contact with other dogs. Be aware of surfaces where non-vaccinated dogs may have travelled or used as a toilet. It’s important to take any precautions regarding your pup’s health before introducing them to the great big world out there.

Puppy Socialization Tips

To train a wonderful dog that loves to be around everyone, and whom everyone loves to be around, here are a few ideas to make this easier for both of you:

• Take your puppy with you everywhere. Ask ahead and see if friends and family mind you stopping by with your pup.
• Introduce your puppy to other animals. It’s best to keep your pup on a leash until they learn to approach in a calm manner.
• Most pet stores are a great place to meet fellow dogs and dog lovers. Ask them if they offer socialization classes. A lot of the time, you can find puppy playgroups that cost next to nothing or are free!
• The dog park is a wonderful place for your pal to meet new dogs and people. Be sure to allow others to make physical contact with your pup while he or she is on a leash. While in your arms, this may give you a sense of comfort, but your pup needs to learn to say “Hi!” all by themselves!
• Enrol in obedience classes early to train a well-balanced dog, and involve other members of the family as well.
• If there are doggie daycare centres in your area, even one day a week can do wonders for your pup.
• And lastly, let your pup explore different floor textures, such as wood, grass, sand, and even water. Surfaces can become scary to a little pup when they have never experienced an odd feeling or strange object.

If you follow these tips on puppy socialization, you will end up with a calm and confidently social butterfly. Good luck, and stay safe!

Want more puppy socialization tips? Check out our other article HERE.

The best puppy socialization tips will tell you that it needs to happen in the early stages of their little lives. Have you ever had a dog that didn’t like people in hats? How about one that peed and ran away whenever someone ran a vacuum cleaner? These, and other fearful behaviours, may be a sign of poor puppy socialisation.

Like humans, dogs are most comfortable around things and situations they were exposed to while they were growing up. The more you expose them as puppies, the more confident they’ll be as adults.

Here are five puppy socialization tips to get you started.

When to Socialize Your Puppy

The best time to socialize your puppy is when they’re between eight and sixteen weeks old. This is the time when their brains are most receptive to learning. If they have good, healthy experiences with people, places, and things, they’ll be comfortable with those things for the rest of their lives.

Since your puppy won’t have all their vaccinations at this age, you’ll want to be careful about exposing them to strange dogs. The safest place for socialisation is a puppy class or ‘doggy daycare’, where all dogs are required to be disease-free and have up-to-date vaccinations. Dog parks and other public locations should be avoided until your puppy has all their shots. If you’re not sure about a particular location, talk to your vet.

Puppy Socialisation Tips for People

Besides getting used to other dogs, you’ll also want your puppy to be comfortable around a wide variety of people. The best place to do this is at home, where your puppy feels safest. Invite friends who are women, men, men with beards, people in wheelchairs, and people of different races.

It’s also a good idea to get your puppy used to different types of clothing. Have some of your friends wear hats, jackets, hoodies, and gloves, and you’ll be well on the way to having a well-socialised puppy.

Socialization with Other Species

This can be easy if you have a cat in the house, or a bird, or other common pets. If not, you may want to schedule a playdate with a friend’s cat – provided the cat approves. This can prevent problems later down the line. If your next-door neighbor buys a cat, for example, you don’t want your dog barking every time they see it.

Man-Made Sounds and Objects

If you want to have an adult dog that’s not afraid of the dreaded vacuum cleaner, you’ll need to get them used to it as a puppy. Vacuum frequently and give your puppy a treat afterward. The same goes for large objects like trash cans – and the loud crash they make when they get knocked over.

Getting Your Puppy Used to Different Surfaces

The last thing you want is a dog who won’t go outside when it’s raining. Get them used to dry surfaces, wet surfaces, grass, concrete, metal, as well as cold and ice, if that’s common in your area. If you happen to be in a drought, a kiddie pool with half an inch of water in it will teach them that water is nothing to be afraid of.