Puppy Socialisation: Myths & Top Tips

Brining home a new puppy can be daunting. There can be pressure to 'get it right', and understanably we want to ensure they are set up for a fulling life with us. So in comes puppy socialisation... An undeniably important element to raising a puppy, but which is easily misunderstood...

In this article I am going to take you through the common myths about puppy socialisation, important time scales, and some top tips to take the pressure off and set you and your new puppy up for success.

Common Myths About Puppy Socialisation

There are a fare few common misconceptions about puppy socialisation, one is that they are a blank canvas.

However your puppies behavioural traits will be determined by not only our efforts and education, but also their breed genetic drives and parantal behavioural genetics. They may be predisposed to certain behaviours, be that anxiety, confidence, barking, prey drive, and more. So we need to understand where they've come from to have an idea where they might end up.

But one of the biggest is they need to meet as many dogs and people as possible to be socially adaptable. This ties into the desire to go to puppy parties. But I am going to let you into a secret on this one...

The Truth About Puppy Socialisation

Socialisation isn't about mass exposure to people and dogs, which we culturally believe it to be. Yes they need to see/meet them, and definitely yes they need to experience different sights, sounds, textures, smells, environments, BUT the big thing is they need to feel safe while doing it.

Think quality over quantity.

If your new puppy meets 50 dogs but is worried by most or nearly all of these interactions, compared to a puppy who meets 5 dogs and feels safe and confident, the first puppy could grow to feel worried by dogs and think they may be a threat. This could develop into reactive behaviours.

Or if you have a confident puppy who enjoys meeting people and dogs and we take them to a puppy party where they are all off lead for an hour, or they get to meet evey person and dog they see on a walk. They could develop boisterous play behaviour, not listen to other dogs when they don't want to play, and they could develop frustration at not beng able to go and see other dogs. These behaviours can later impact recalls and lead walking, and may evn present as frustration driven reactivity.

Another factor to consider is that not all puppies suit going to classes in halls. This envrionment can be overstimulating for some, making it hard for them to learn and feel comfortable. The best move forward may be opting for one-to-one sessions and well mananged social situations with appropriate dogs. Contact your local positive based trainer prior to classes for an initial phone/face-to-face consultation to make the best plan or you and your new puppy going forward.

Best Age For Puppy Socialisation

Another misconception is you need to wait until they have had both vaccines to socialise your puppy. This is true in the sense of meeting other dogs and disease risk, yet a responsible breeder should've started exposing them to different textures, sights, sounds, and smells before you collect your new puppy.

Their critical socialisation periods is from around 4-16 weeks. Most of this time is with the breeder, and if you have delayed vacciantions you could be waiting until they are nearly out of it to start taking them out. This can result in a lack of positive exposure to the world which can lead to axious behaviours being expressed, but there are ways to get around this safely...

Puppy Socialisation Top Tips

Here's some top tips to help you out:

Take puppies out in a sling before vaccinations are complete to safely expose them to all the world has to offer.
Avoid puppy parties where they are all un-managed and off lead for prolonged periods to reduce frustration and/or defensive behaviours later on.
Be selective with who they meet. Socialise with calmer dogs who set boundaries in a measured way and can tolerate puppies.
Don't force them into an interaction if they don't want it. If they are shy let them lead in interactions and ask people to not touch until puppy is ready.
Contact your nearest ABTC dog trainer for support on early experiences and suitability to classes.
Look for classes with small numbers, similar age ranges, and run by an ABTC dog trainer / force-free dog trainer.
Gradual positive exposure to sights, sounds, and textures.