Puppyhood is precious. Every day brings new adventures that help your buddy get to grips with the big wide world. We all want a confident pup who plays it cool and gets along well with other dogs at the park. This is where puppy socialisation comes in: giving your pooch the skills they need to grow into a happy and friendly dog.

Puppy Socialisation: What Are We Talking About?

The world can be a pretty confusing place for a puppy. For the first few weeks of life, your world consists mostly of you and your siblings – with mum on hand to set the ground rules.

But then, things start to get a lot more complicated. Once you’re in your new home, there are suddenly lots of unfamiliar humans, TVs, traffic, cats, other dogs, knocks on the door – not to mention, the dreaded hoover.

Who’s your friend? Which things are okay – and what should you run away from or bark at? To get on top of all of this, puppies need a learning process, and we call this process socialisation.

Socialisation teaches your puppy how to react when meeting new people, or when they meet other dogs. Hand in hand with this is the process of habituation; whereby your puppy starts to learn how to get used to what’s happening in their environment.

So let’s say a friend pops round for a glass of wine. Habituation helps your dog not to go nuts when the doorbell rings. Socialisation teaches your pup not to terrorise them from the moment they walk in.

Why Is Puppy Socialisation Important?

Ever heard the one about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks? There’s actually a lot of truth in it. The first three to four months of a pup’s life are precious not just because they’re full of fun and energy – but also because what happens at this stage of life has such a massive impact on their behaviour right through to adulthood.

Ignoring socialisation (or going about it in the wrong way) can lead to behavioural problems further down the line. And once in place, these problems can be hard to shift!

The Kennel Club found that almost one in five owners are never or rarely in control of their dogs when out walking, and almost half are embarrassed by their behaviour in public! If they haven’t been socialised, dogs are almost twice as likely to be anti-social towards other people and around 25% more likely to be aggressive towards other dogs.

Socialisation is one of the most important areas to focus on if you want your puppy to develop their social skills and grow into a confident, friendly, and happy adult dog.

When Should I Start Socialising my Puppy?

If you’re adopting a puppy, the socialisation process should already have started well before you arrive on the scene. It’s recommended that pups stay with their mother for the first six weeks of life. It’s thought that at this stage, mum passes on lots of useful ‘life lessons’ to her pups – especially when it comes to interaction with other dogs.

While this is going on, the breeder has a big role to play; this is one of the reasons why it’s so important to choose a reputable breeder – and one who takes socialisation seriously.

Have the pups been handled by a range of different people? Have they been exposed to normal household stimuli (like the washing machine, hoover and TV)? It’s worth checking on all of this with the breeder.

The next stage of socialisation happens between around six and 16 weeks of age. This is where you come in. Through exposing your dog to lots of everyday environments, sights and sounds – as well as through controlled interactions with adults, children, dogs and other animals, you can show your dog what’s “normal”.

Is There a Plan to Follow for Socialisation?

Yes, there are various plans or puppy socialisation checklists available to help you introduce your new puppy to the various new noises, sights and sounds that they’re likely to encounter in everyday life. It’s important that your puppy is introduced to new things during their ‘sensitive period’.

This is the age when puppies are most responsive to learning and forming positive associations and bonds. The sensitive period starts when the puppy is two weeks old and finishes when they’re around 12-14 weeks old.

Your Puppy Socialisation Checklist

Starting early with socialisation is really important. By going through a puppy socialisation checklist, you can introduce your pup to lots of new experiences and stimuli. Hopefully your puppy won’t then become fearful and stressed when they see a cyclist, a jogger, a postman or hear strange or loud noises!

Taking plenty of time exposing them to these early experiences will help prevent behavioural problems developing as they get older.

• At 2 weeks old: This is the time when the breeder or owner should start handling the puppies while it’s with its mother and other littermates. The pup can be gently stroked, lifted up and popped back down without them getting upset. The handling sessions can become longer, and you can start introducing your puppy to more people.
• At 2-3 weeks old: This is when the sensitive period starts and the puppy is most open to accepting new stimuli. 
• At 5-6 weeks old: The fear response begins when they become less open to new experiences.
• At 6-9 weeks old: The pups are learning about their social group and exploring their home environment. The pups can now be introduced to other friendly dogs and cats.
• At 8-12 weeks old: This is the age when most puppies leave their mother and littermates and move to a new home. It’s important to continue with socialisation at their new home so that they adjust well. Once your pup has had their vaccinations you can introduce your new pup to all the new sights, sounds and smells of the outside world! Now is the time to join up for a puppy class.

Introducing Your Puppy to New Experiences

Always make sure that your puppy’s new experiences are positive by rewarding them with healthy treats, toys and lots of praise. Keep the socialisation sessions short and fun. If your puppy is uncomfortable with a new experience, take them away from that situation and try again another day. It's important that you puppy learns to feel comfortable.

Various puppy socialisation checklists can be found online, or you can make your own list to include items more likely to be encountered in your house and the area where you live. 

Here’s a typical checklist of new experiences:

Other people and animals

• Babies 
• Children
• Joggers
• Cyclists 
• The Postman
• Men with beards
• Person wearing sunglasses
• Person wearing a hat
• Person wearing a uniform
• Person with an umbrella
• Guide dogs
• Cats
• Other small pets, e.g. gerbils, hamsters, etc.
• Horses and other large animals
• Wheelchairs

Transport

• Cars
• Buses
• Trains
• Boats/ferries
• Bicycles
• Scooters 
• Skateboards
• Motorbikes

Sounds*

• Fire alarms
• Car horns
• Washing machines
• Vacuum cleaners
• Radio
• TV
• Storms – thunder
• Fireworks
• Doorbell
• Fans
• Hairdryers
• Refuse collectors

*Puppy socialisations sounds are available to download online.

Textures

• New flavours, textures of food, both wet and dry
• Different types of flooring
• Plastic bags
• Grass
• Cardboard
• Bubble wrap
• Puddles/water
• Snow

Do Socialisation Lessons Last Forever?

Most training happens during those crucial first four months of a puppy’s life. That said, the lessons learned can sometimes wear off unless they’re reinforced as your dog gets older.

Take car travel, for instance. Let’s say you’ve followed the plan and your pup has learned how to take car journeys in their stride. So far, so good; but if you then leave it for a few months (or even years) and then take your buddy out for a spin, it’ll probably come as a bit of a shock to the system. It’s important to reinforce what was originally learned through semi-regular behaviour.

For a lot of us, our working lives has changed in recent years, now our pups are more used to us being around and working from home. During this time you may have found some of their socialisation skills and training may have slipped. This isn’t a time to be disheartened, you can usually teach an old dog new tricks. It’s just about getting back into the swing of things and being consistent.

How Puppy Socialisation Parties Can Help

Regular vet check-ups are an important part of a young dog’s life. But no-one likes being prodded and poked by a stranger, so getting your dog used to things like vet trips and going to the grooming parlour can be one of the most challenging areas of socialisation.

Many vets run ‘puppy parties’ to help with this. They’re a chance for young dogs to meet other pups their own age and make friends in a safe environment. Trips to the vet are then much more likely to be remembered as positive experiences, rather than stressful. There are usually vets on hand with lots of helpful information and tips, so they’re ideal for new dog owners.

Socialisation prepares puppies to cope with being part of a family, to form bonds with their owners and other housemates as well as being able to adapt to any changes within their environment. Puppies that haven’t been well socialised are more likely to be unsure how to react to new things, be anxious in new situations and develop behavioural problems.

Remember that there’s only a short window of a few months when your puppy is open to accepting any new experiences, so make the effort then and you’ll be rewarded with a happy, confident and friendly dog for years to come. If you're unsure, or don't have the time, dog training classes could always be a suitable alternative option.

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