Socialize Your Puppy
- tips & advice to get you started

If you're first thought is "What do you mean socialize your puppy?" then keep reading, because this guide is for you!

Of course, if you already know about the importance of socializing a puppy, then the tips and advice we're about to give you will simply help put you on the road to success that little bit faster.

Why socialize your puppy?

Little Fifi is going to be a big part of your life for many years to come, and to get the very best out of your relationship you want her to grow up to be the kind of dog you can take anywhere.

As with most aspects of puppy care and training, socialization success won't happen overnight. In order to socialize your puppy you'll need plenty of time and patience, but the reward will be well worth the effort you put in.

Most of us have met dogs that cower or run away (or worse, growl or snap) when faced with a stranger or encounter a situation or environment that's unfamiliar. This is usually the result of poor, inadequate or non-existent socialization.

It's no fun to take your dog to the park, only to find her tripping you up in her attempts to run away or hide from the other dogs. And dog obedience school can be a nightmare if Fifi stubbornly insists on hiding under your chair.

If you don't want want to find yourself in this position, it's important to socialize your puppy early - and thoroughly.

Ready to learn the basics of puppy socialization? Okay, here goes...

When to socialize your puppy

Puppy socialization isn't limited to learning about the human world, it also includes learning proper 'dog' behavior within a 'pack' or family of canines.

That's why it's generally recommended that you don't remove a puppy from it's mom and litter mates before a minimum of 8 weeks of age. Puppies begin learning about their world as soon as their eyes and ears open at about 2 - 3 weeks old, and the intricacies of canine behavior are a good place to start.

If their mom is a well socialized, calm and friendly dog, her attitude and behavior will rub off on her puppies. Puppies also learn bite-inhibition (how hard they can bite without getting in trouble!) through play with their siblings.

It's very important that you begin to socialize your puppy as soon as you bring her home. The most critical socialization period for puppies is between 3 and 17 weeks of age, and studies have shown that the effectiveness of socialization begins to decline slowly somewhere between 12 and 16 weeks.

How to socialize your puppy

For a very young puppy (who hasn't yet completed her puppy shots puppy shots), socialization experiences need to be a bit more limited than those of an older, fully vaccinated pup.

Once little Fifi has had a week or so to adjust to her new home and family, (and while she's between 8 & 12 weeks old), you can begin to socialize your puppy by inviting people of different ages, sexes, sizes etc., over to meet her.

Have the visitors feed her treats and pet here quietly and calmly. Praise your puppy whenever she reacts with confidence and is friendly and outgoing. Don't 'coddle' her if she seems afraid, instead encourage her to be social, using a bright, friendly voice and upbeat manner.

Fifi's first visit to the veterinarian's office can be a terrific early socialization experience. Most staff will greet your puppy warmly and be only to happy to give her treats and cuddles.

Again, don't make the mistake of 'baby-ing' your pup if she seems nervous, use a confident, happy voice and show her there's nothing to be afraid of.

You can also arrange some 'play-dates' with other friendly, vaccinated dogs/puppies at your house. Your best friend's pooch, or your sister's pup are a good place to start.

Always supervise these interactions carefully though, so that Fifi doesn't get scared or overwhelmed. When you're socializing your puppy you want the experience to be fun for her and have pleasant associations in her little puppy brain. That's how you build up her self-confidence and help her learn that the world is full of exciting new people, places and fun!

As soon as your puppy has had at least 2 sets of shots you can usually enroll her in a puppy socialization/puppy obedience training class. Individual dog obedience schools do have different policies regarding shot requirements though, so check first. Some want your puppy to have had ALL their vaccinations first, others will accept a puuppy who is up-to-date on the shots required for her age.

These puppy obedience classes are a great way to introduce your puppy to other puppies of different ages, sizes and breeds. They provide a safe environment for little Fifi to learn how to play and interact with other members of her own species. They also give you the opportunity to socialize with other puppy parents and learn from tips from professional dog trainers!

After your puppy is approximately 12 - 16 weeks old, and has had all her puppy shots, you can safely begin to take her out and about in the big, wide world!

In order to fully socialize your puppy, you need to introduce her to as many different people, places, things and experiences as possible.

Don't try to cram it all into a week or two though. When you're socializing a puppy you don't want to overwhelm or overstimulate her, that can be counter-productive and stress her out.


Allow each new experience time to be absorbed and processed before moving onto the next one. When you're trying to socialize your puppy, one new person, place or thing per day is usually enough. If possible, leave a day or a couple of days, free every now and then for Fifi to relax and re-charge her batteries.

Puppies are adorable and people usually react favorably to a cute furball. So take advantage of Fifi's puppyhood and let her experience as many new sights, sounds, people and places as you can manage.

Puppy socialization shouldn't end at 17 weeks of course, it should be an ongoing, life-long commitment. Somewhere between 4 & 12 months of age, breed-specific differences in behavior start to appear.

For example, a pup from one of the guardian breeds will begin to show signs of increased territorial and protective behavior. It's especially important to continue to socialize your puppy in this case so that appropriate social behavior is reinforced and rewarded.

A puppy socialization checklist will give you tons of great ideas about what kinds of people, places and things you can use to help socialize your puppy.

Man's (and woman's) best friend!

If you take the time to socialize your puppy properly, you'll reap the rewards for years to come. Fluffy little Fifi will mature into a loving, confident and reliable companion that you can be proud to have accompany you anywhere, anytime.

Now that's worthwhile isn't it?


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