Puppies are super cute, cuddly and hard to resist, which is why many dog owners choose them over older dogs. However, be warned, teaching your puppy to be a well-behaved and well-rounded ‘grown-up’ takes time and patience. Read our guide to puppy socialisation to help you through this important life stage.
Puppy socialisation refers to the process a puppy undergoes to learn key life skills making it happy and confident in its environment and communicating effectively within its social group.
The core period for this and the whole puppy learning process is from birth to 14-16 weeks. And for the first 6-8 weeks (a puppy should not leave its mother before then) it’s very much down to mum and siblings to teach all the essential skills needed.
Socialising your puppy should be gradual and controlled so every experience is positive and enjoyable.
By slowly introducing them to new sounds and experiences it will help them understand what is normal and stop them from becoming fearful. Just like children they can become quickly overwhelmed so it is important you watch their body language and step in if things become too much for them.
The easiest way you can begin socialising your dog is at home with family and friends. Getting your puppy used to different people of all ages with cuddles and playtime will get them ready for the outside world. Introduce them to household sounds like doorbells, washing machines, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners.
It is also important to get them used to being handled. This will make trips to the dog groomers or vets easier in the long run. By checking their ears, teeth, bellies, feet and claws regularly, it will also help you make sure your pups health is ok in the process.
As soon as you get your new puppy you can go out with them in a carrier and a sling if you want to start socialising with them and showing them their local surroundings. Once they have had their vaccinations you can also take them on their first walk.
Start slowly by showing them their lead and get them used to their collar. When walking outside remember all the smells and even the textures on their feet from pavements to grass will be new so take it at a slow pace.
Using a puppy socialisation checklist is a great way to tick off new experiences and gives you ideas of where to take your dog next. It’s an exciting journey you can all enjoy.
At Bruce’s, we take on puppies from 12 weeks old at our puppy preschool where we help ensure this steep learning curve is followed through three key steps.
While puppies should mix and interact with other dogs, they mustn’t be over-exercised as their bodies are still developing.
Therefore at our puppy day care we provide big comfy beds and quiet rest areas for them to seek out when they’ve finished exploring. This is essential at home too. Puppies love to play but they instinctively know when they’ve had enough and need to chill-out.
Puppy sleep guide:
Puppies need more food, and usually several smaller meals a day.
This ensures they have all the nutrition required to develop and grow into a healthy adult dog. Whilst in our care we will feed them regularly and separately where they can eat at their own pace
Social interaction with humans is also important for our puppies and should be frequent and positive!
This is not just a good social skill but a safe one too – all dogs are so much easier to train and develop when they are puppies, rather than when they are fully grown.
Bruce’s puppy preschool is a great way to combine puppy socialisation with positive enrichment activities.
Our dedicated puppy programme concentrates on nurturing development and providing a safe and fun doggy day care environment for puppies to prepare for the wider world. We do this via basic training and a variety of dog enrichment activities.
Basic puppy training plays an important part in raising a happy dog.
Positive reinforcement and reward based training is the best way to engage and have fun with your pup whilst teaching them new skills.
We offer a 4 week puppy training package dedicated to unleashing your puppy’s happiness.
A fantastic real-life example of puppy socialisation in action is in the training of guide dogs. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association does incredible work producing fully trained dogs resulting in life-changing experiences for their new owners. And it puts much of this success down to its puppy walkers who help play a vital role in the early socialisation and education of those guide dogs.
If you are looking to get a puppy check out our New Puppy Checklist which will help you prepare for bringing your pup home.
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