Puppy Socialization Ideas
Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time. Puppies are adorable, playful, and bring a lot of joy into any home, but they are also a lot of work. Puppies rely on their new owners to patiently teach them what to do, and socialize them properly to prevent problems down the road. The weeks following your puppy's arrival in their new home are by far the most exciting, but it is important to do things right from the beginning to get your puppy off on the right foot and prevent future problems.
Socializing a New Puppy: Tips and Tricks
Starting early with socialization to other people and dogs is widely recommended by countless canine professionals. Socialization is important for young puppies, but socializing them right is even more important. While it's great to expose your puppy to as many different people and places as you can, you want to be sure not to overwhelm your new pup or push them too fast. Let them rest in between these experiences, as puppies tend to tire easily from all the excitement of visiting new places. It is also important to let them approach new people or objects at their own pace, and have new people speak quietly and feed them treats when the puppy approaches them.
When socializing your puppy with other dogs, you don't necessarily have to let your puppy meet every single dog you see on the street. Some dogs may not be vaccinated, or may even be unfriendly and snap at your puppy. Plus, as an adult dog, you likely don't want your dog trying to pull towards and greet every dog in sight when you go for a walk, so it's best to keep play dates separate from your walks. Some great ways to socialize your puppy to other dogs involve joining a puppy training class, organizing or joining a puppy playgroup with other puppies the same age, or setting up a play date with a well behaved adult dog that you know is friendly and up to date on vaccines.
When socializing your puppy with other dogs, you don't necessarily have to let your puppy meet every single dog you see on the street. Some dogs may not be vaccinated, or may even be unfriendly and snap at your puppy. Plus, as an adult dog, you likely don't want your dog trying to pull towards and greet every dog in sight when you go for a walk, so it's best to keep play dates separate from your walks. Some great ways to socialize your puppy to other dogs involve joining a puppy training class, organizing or joining a puppy playgroup with other puppies the same age, or setting up a play date with a well behaved adult dog that you know is friendly and up to date on vaccines.
Socializing Before Shots
Socializing a puppy before they get all their vaccinations can be tricky. You're not technically supposed to take your dog out in public until they have all their shots, but you're also supposed to expose your puppy to as many things as possible in their first few weeks home. Many people say proper socialization is worth the risk, but there are still ways you can minimize the chance of your puppy contracting a serious illness while out in public.
First of all, avoiding contact with dogs you don't know can help, as well as carrying your pup anywhere that dogs frequent instead of walking them on a leash. Avoiding areas that are popular for dogs, like parks, trails, and pet stores, is also a good idea until they complete their vaccinations. Setting up play dates with other puppies in a clean environment is a good way to socialize with other dogs, or setting up a meeting with a family member or friend's dog that you know is up to date on vaccinations.
First of all, avoiding contact with dogs you don't know can help, as well as carrying your pup anywhere that dogs frequent instead of walking them on a leash. Avoiding areas that are popular for dogs, like parks, trails, and pet stores, is also a good idea until they complete their vaccinations. Setting up play dates with other puppies in a clean environment is a good way to socialize with other dogs, or setting up a meeting with a family member or friend's dog that you know is up to date on vaccinations.
Socialization Ideas for a Puppy (List of Ideas)
The more people, places, and things you can expose your puppy to in their first weeks with you, the better their future experiences will be. Below are some lists of different surfaces, places, or types of people to expose your puppy to. Remember to always pair each new experience with lots of treats and praise, and let the puppy approach new things at their own pace so they learn that all these new things are fun and rewarding!
People
- Create as many positive experiences with as many different people as you can. Give treats to new people and make sure your puppy is happy and comfortable with the pace of the encounter. (Note: if you already have a super friendly puppy that loves people, it may be best not to meet and give treats to every stranger you encounter. You may end up with a puppy that thinks all people they see have treats to share with them.)
- Throw a mini costume party. Invite a couple friends or family members to come over wearing weird and bizarre costumes. Feed the puppy treats, play and fuss over him while wearing costumes so they learn that weird is good.
- People wearing white scrubs (positive exposure for future vet visits.)
- Introduce your puppy to calm, well mannered kids.
Places
- Friends or families houses. Friends or family members are probably more than willing to meet and play with your new puppy anyway, so think about paying them a visit so your puppy can meet people and explore a new place.
- Dog friendly stores. Pet stores are probably best avoided if your puppy does not yet have all their vaccinations, but there are other stores that are easily overlooked. Stores like Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy's, Tractor Supply Co, Old Navy, and a few others may allow dogs. Check your local store first however, as some managers decide on the rule for their particular store. Stores that do not allow animals usually have a notice right on the door, or you can ask your local store's manager. Farm, fishing, or hardware stores are most likely to be more open minded to pet visitors. It's a good idea to carry your puppy when in stores to avoid germs and prevent them from pottying or getting into anything they shouldn't.
- Car rides. Start with short trips and work your way up. If your puppy gets car sick, you can also just spend some time sitting in a stationary car and playing with your puppy so they learn to enjoy being in the car.
- Parks, streets, and other public places. You can take your puppy around to different places, as long as you carry them and keep them off the ground in places where other dogs frequently visit (until they have all their shots.) Puppies can still watch all the things that are going on around them and meet new people without being on the ground, and it's good exposure for them even if they can't yet sniff around themselves.
- Friend's or family member's backyards, or other safe, grassy areas that are not frequented by unknown dogs.
- Vet offices. Try to visit just for fun sometimes, so your puppy doesn't always associate vet offices with bad things.
- Visits to grooming salons or kennels if possible.
Animals
- Set up play dates with adult dogs that you know are vaccinated and well behaved.
- Join a puppy playgroup or puppy class so your puppy can play with other puppies his own age. If your puppy makes some friends during the class, you can also try to arrange more play time with his best friends outside of class.
- Connect with other puppy owners (by posting ads online, etc.) and set up play dates with other puppies and their owners.
- If possible, you could also set up play dates with some of your puppy's litter mates.
- Introduce him to cats. Even if you never plan to have a cat, this is still a good idea. If you ever change your mind about getting a cat, visit anyone with a cat, come across one on the street, or even if you need to re-home your dog for any reason down the road, early exposure to cats is always a good thing. It's best if you can find a cat that is familiar with dogs already to introduce to your puppy. Keep the puppy on a leash and encourage them to stay calm around the cat. Reward with lots of treats for lying down or sniffing noses quietly.
- Horses & other livestock (best to keep the pup on leash at first.)
- Small animals like rabbits or guinea pigs. Keep a fence between them if needed, or just use a leash. Reward for calm, quiet behavior.
- Squirrels. Not necessarily meeting them face to face, but teaching your pup from an early age to lie down and watch instead of lunging and chasing after them on walks can save a lot of trouble later on.
- Join or set up a group walk at a park with other dogs and dog owners. An on or off leash walk with a responsible group of dog owners is a great way to socialize and exercise your dog or puppy in a way that is fun and enjoyable for both the people and dogs.
Surfaces
- Carpet
- Hardwood or Linoleum flooring
- Standing on a washing machine/dryer that's not running (replicates a vet table)
- Grass
- Wet grass
- Snow
- Dirt
- Gravel
- Pavement
- Water
- Stairs
- Jumping in or out of different vehicles (once the puppy is big enough to do so.)
- Pottying on different surfaces outside (ie. dry grass, wet grass, snow, dirt, etc.)
Other Socialization Ideas
- Different sounds: Door bells, door knocking, vacuums, fireworks, thunder, noisy kids, nail dremels, blow dryers, etc. There is an app called the Sound Proof Puppy Training App which has 26 different noises to help expose your puppy to common sounds early in their life and prevent future fears. Be sure to pair all the new noises with lots of treats and praise!
- Cars driving by (some dogs may have a tendency to lunge or chase cars if not trained before problems arise.)
- Bikes going by.
- People skateboarding, riding on scooters, or roller blading.
- Handling all over
- Gentle grooming
- Restraint
- Positively accustom to body harnesses, halties, etc.
- Early muzzle training/exposure (ie. dog learns to put nose into muzzle by choice, feed treats through the holes)
- Walking with a leash on, even if it's just in the backyard at first.
- Bathing
- Blow drying
- Checking teeth
- Handling feet
- Lots of positive associations with being in a crate, exercise pen or behind a baby gate.
- Positive experiences being left alone for short periods of time (with stuffed kongs, bones, or other high valued chew things)
- Nail tipping or light grinding.