How to Socialise a Puppy

For the first four months of their lives, puppies have what’s known as their socialisation period. Dogs are constantly learning, but in their first few months, this is when their little brains are exceptionally primed to take on new information and learn what is normal in their world. Luckily, their mother will usually start this job for you but that does mean there’s lots to do in the first eight weeks of their little lives with you.

Socialisation simply means getting your puppy used to all the sights, sounds, smells and experiences that will be regular occurrences in their lives. It doesn’t just mean teaching them how to play with other puppies. It actually means everything, including getting used to handling, vet visits, different animals, different places and objects, walking on different surfaces, and even having a bath comes under the umbrella term of socialisation.

Puppy socialisation can start as soon as you bring your little bundle of fluff home. As they venture into trying new experiences like having their first bath or exploring new toys, you should be armed with treats to reward these interactions and make them as pleasant as possible. Treats suitable for puppies like Wellness CORE Chicken with Carrot Puppies Training Treats are great for rewarding these key moments.

As far as getting out and about in the real world, you will need to wait until your pup is fully vaccinated before you can really start getting them out to experience the world. Your vet will let you know how long after their second vaccination you need to wait but before that, you can still take them for rides in the car or go for little walks while carrying them. They can still go into your garden and can even start socialising with fully vaccinated dogs that belong to family and friends.

Socialising your puppy with other dogs means teaching them the social cues involved in interacting with them. Puppies have spent their early life interacting with their mum and siblings but as they get older, they will need to learn how to greet new dogs and understand boundaries when it comes to playtime! Not all dogs communicate and play in the same way so it’s a steep learning curve for your pup.

Puppy classes are a great way to begin socialising your puppy. They learn to be around other puppies and will start to learn the basics. When they're comfortable with puppies, they can start greeting dogs. Letting your pup play with older dogs in the park is a great way for them to learn how to read body language. Recall training is vital for this as you still need to be a valuable resource for your pup.

Occasionally during play, call your pup away, reward them with a treat and let them return to their game so they don’t learn to start a game of chase when it’s time to leave their new friend and head home.

A vital lesson that many owners can miss is that socialising doesn’t mean that your pup should play with every dog they see. They need to learn that some dogs may not even want to be approached. You can help them achieve this if you understand dog body language.

To be well socialised, your pup should be capable of doing three things. The first is to play with a dog which many owners do a great job of achieving. The next two are a little more tricky. A puppy should also be able to greet a dog on a lead and then leave them and walk away with you.

By achieving this as a puppy with plenty of rewards, they will be less likely to have frustration on lead when they get older. The third thing they need to be able to accomplish is to walk past another dog and totally ignore it. If you see a muzzled dog and an owner trying to keep their distance, having a pup that will ignore this dog will make dog walks a lot easier!

While they’re still learning these manners you can walk them on a training lead like the Clix Long Line Training Lead. It will help you to help them make the right choices so you can call them back to you during socialising sessions.

Puppies should get used to meeting and greeting people of different genders, heights and ages while they're in their socialisation period. If they never see a man with a deep voice until they’re well into adulthood they may respond with fear. Similarly, young children with their fast movement and wobbly steps can be absolutely terrifying to a dog if they have never been around children before. Taking them out and about to dog-friendly places like cafes, pubs, and restaurants will help to get them used to all kinds of people.

Getting them used to visitors coming to the house will really help them to accept all manners of people. You can even keep a pot of treats by the door to teach them to sit nicely when they greet people at the door instead of bouncing all over them. Visitors should be fun for them, not something to be scared of.

Many dogs don’t come across different animals when they live in an one-pet household so when they first see a sheep or a horse, it can really throw them. If you don’t have livestock at your disposal, a great way to get puppies used to new animals is to take them along for a day at a community farm. They are a great training place for puppies to learn that all of these new things are not scary and to get a stomach full of treats for seeing some new sights.

As far as cats are concerned, many dogs will run when they see one, so a big part of socialising them includes teaching them not to chase. For puppies who live with cats, they need slow introductions to get used to them and manage any negative experiences

It might sound daunting to try and fit so much into just a few months but socialising your puppy should be fun. You can work things into your daily routine rather than setting out the goal of training. Instead of taking them on walks to get from one location to another, just take your time and let them take in the world and explore new things for a set time instead. It might take them five minutes to overcome their worry when they see something new for the first time but that’s fine, it’s a valuable experience to let them figure it out and reward them for being brave.

One of the most important lessons in socialising with your pup is to never force any interactions they’re not ready for. Be it with other dogs, people or even new objects, forcing them into situations is only going to instill fear. It’s fine if they would rather sit on your lap watching other dogs play, exposure is important and will take as long as it needs.

For everything you need to help your puppy gain lots of experiences and all of your other doggy essentials, take a look in store and online.