Socializing Your New Puppy

Congratulations on the newest addition to your family! Adopting a puppy is such a wonderful experience but can be overwhelming with all you need to do, and a key part to ensuring a well-behaved and well-adjusted friend for life is socialization.

What does ‘socialization’ mean?

The word ‘socialization’ can be a bit misleading- we aren’t just talking about meeting other puppies. It also encompasses learning how to interact with a variety of different people, learning how to navigate new situations/locations, how to deal with loud noises learning how to tolerate handling/grooming, and how to self-soothe when anxious/nervous.

Proper socialization will, in the long run, decrease aggression, fear, and anxiety that can often occur when exposed to new people, animals, or places in the future.

When to ‘socialize’?

The best time to socialize your puppy is NOW. The key socialization window is between 3 and 14 weeks of age. During this time your puppy will form attachments easily, their senses become more developed and they are gaining independence.

It is vital to start socialization efforts as early as possible to maximize the benefits, however it is NEVER too late to start.

Important reminders when starting socialization

Remember that any experiences (positive or negative) that occur during this key time frame will have long-lasting effects on the puppy’s future learning and interactions so it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

1. Minimize negative discipline and NEVER punish a fearful puppy- use positive words and treat based reinforcement to make new experiences fun. Creating negativity on top of being fearful will create more problems in the future.

2. Try not to reinforce training when practicing socialization as this could take away your pet’s attention from the new experience. If your puppy is nervous and trying to run away from a garbage truck or an umbrella, that is not the time to work on the ‘roll over’ command. Socialization is not training.

3. Don’t force a puppy into a new experience. If your puppy is nervous or reacts with fear then scale back the interaction to a level the puppy is comfortable with and work your way back up. Distract with treats, play, or move them away from what is scaring them. Allow them to show interest on their own and reward them when they do. Observation without participation is still a win as long as it’s positive!

4. Be that ‘helicopter parent’. Vigorously control the interactions and experiences your puppy has. Don’t be afraid to tell people to pull their dog away, firmly remind young children to be gentle, tell people not to approach your puppy if he seems anxious or fearful. Be your puppy’s advocate!

5. Remember your puppy is not fully vaccinated so avoid areas where there have been a lot of unknown dogs (dog parks) or around dogs that are not fully vaccinated. Know the places and dogs that your puppy will meet and where they have been.

How to properly socialize

When starting socialization you want to pick situations in which the puppy may find themselves as an adult dog. Ideally we want to introduce ‘100 new things in the first 100 days’. Create a list and then grade your puppy on how well they did. “Loved it, Meh, or Hated It”, so you know what you need to work on. Getting the whole family involved is great for this!

Types of people

• Children of each age group

• Elderly people

• People with hats

• People with sunglasses

• People with facial hair

• Mailperson

• Joggers

• People of different nationalities

Loud noises

• Construction sites

• Garbage truck

• Doorbell or knocking on door

• Smoke detector

• Child’s toy

• Baby crying

• Children screaming/yelling

• Sneezes

• Hair dryer

• Motorcycles

• Vacuum

• Thunderstorms

• Alarm clock

• Fire engine

• Microwave beeps

• Airplanes

• Pots/pans

• Whistles

• Yard tools

Objects

• Umbrellas

• Skateboards

• Bicycles

• Cardboard boxes

• Crates/kennels

• Plastic/paper bags

• Water hose

• Stairs

• Playgrounds

• Grooming tools (nail trimmers, brushes)

• Wheelchairs

• Vacuum

• Bathtubs

• Mirrors

• Rocks

• Sand

• Strollers

Experiences

• Grooming/bathing

• Nail trims

• Cleaning ears

• Car rides

• Dirt roads vs paved roads vs grass vs sand

• Being picked up

• Brushing teeth/checking mouth

• Being restrained

• Cleaning eyes/feet/under tail

• Tummy rubs

Tactile experiences with your puppy

Go for walks on a variety of different surfaces (gravel, dirt, sidewalks, etc..), different flooring (wood, carpet, linoleum).

Playing sounds on your phone

Download sounds of car noises, babies crying, kids yelling, thunderstorms, etc… whatever sounds might not be around now but will later.

Socialize from a distance

Use your driveway or porch and just sit outside with your puppy on a leash. Allow them to watch the world go by. If your puppy notices another person or dog and shows interest then give a treat. This will also teach your puppy to focus on you and not all other distractions around.

Go for a drive

Even if it’s just around the block, make car rides fun. You may need to start with just sitting in the car and giving a treat then working up to actually driving- it just depends on your puppy’s comfort level.

Separation Anxiety Fears

How will your puppy adjust to being left alone? Start working towards that now!

1. Periodically go through your morning routine- shower, packing up bags/lunches, getting kids ready for school, grabbing keys, and putting your puppy in the crate then actually leave the house even if it’s just for a few minutes. Your puppy needs to understand what this routine means and become acclimated to it.

2. Get distance from your puppy. We all love to cuddle on the couch right next to our puppy but they need to learn to self-soothe. Put a small bed or favorite blanket on the couch (or on the floor if they are not allowed on the couch) and put his favorite toy, chewy, or treats on this area so he can feel comfortable laying there and not needing to be on top of you all the time.

3. Take a walk WITHOUT your puppy. Put him in a crate for increasing lengths of time to get him used to being left alone. If he is barking constantly, don’t open the crate right away but you don’t necessarily need to let him ‘bark it out’ either. The important thing to note, and keep track of, is how long does he bark before he settles, is the barking escalating more and more? He doesn’t want to be alone so this will not go smoothly at first but he will eventually get the hang of it. Get him used to that crate now if you plan on using one in the future.

As always, we are here to help you in any way we can! Enjoy this wonderful time with your new family member and have fun with all the new adventures.