The puppy socialization period spans from three to twelve weeks of age and is one of the most crucial times in their development. Most owners typically bring their puppies home at around 8 weeks old, so it’s essential you hit the ground running. During this important period, expose your puppy to everything you want them to be comfortable with as an adult dog, especially people (including children) and other dogs. This blog will help you learn how to properly socialize your puppy.
Socializing your puppy
The best way to socialize your puppy is through food and praise. Pair meals, treats, and positive associations with the presence of new people, animals, loud noises, and potentially scary environments! During your puppy’s socialization period and into adolescence, it’s crucial to have treats on hand to help counteract any scary or unpleasant events that may occur.
Quickly and continuously place treats in your puppy’s mouth until they appear relaxed. It’s more beneficial to maintain an upbeat atmosphere with praise and continue feeding rather than trying to comfort or coddle them. Your puppy doesn’t need to look at you or follow a command during this process. The goal is to associate something enjoyable (the treats) with something that seems scary or aversive. Be sure to observe the context in which your puppy became fearful. In the future, repeat that situation with less intensity while offering tasty treats several times. Be sure to note the context in which your puppy became fearful and repeat it with less intensity and with tasty treats several times in the future.
Socialization goals
- Twenty to fifty people per week, with a focus on children. It’s important to monitor these interactions to ensure that puppies are not mishandled. A positive way to involve kids is to have them hand-feed the puppies.
- Strive for introductions to twenty to fifty new, vaccinated, friendly dogs each week. If you find it difficult for your puppy to meet that number of new dogs, regular walks in a local park can be a good alternative. Off-leash play with known, friendly dogs or puppies is essential, even if the total number doesn’t reach twenty.
- Visit one to three new locations each week. These may include parks, large retail stores, and coffee shops. If your puppy seems uncomfortable in any particular environment, focus more on those locations. Consider the settings your puppy will encounter as an adult (such as walking near a stroller, attending sports games, or going on a boat ride) and prioritize socialization outings that target those contexts.
Where to socialize your puppy
You should socialize your puppy at:
- Public parks, such as Alexander Deussen Park and Levy Park, are popular places for dog walking
- Trails
- Playgrounds
- Dog-friendly “people stores” with wide aisles, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Hobby Lobby, Bass Pro Shops, and Michaels, etc.
- Pet stores, including Petsmart and Petco
- Puppy playdates
- Dog-friendly restaurants and cafes. Including Little Woodrow’s, Truckyard as well as Gaspacho’s Mexican Bites at Levy Park.
- Farmers markets
On dog parks
Dog parks may not always be the best places for young puppies because you cannot guarantee the health or friendliness of other dogs. Negative experiences at dog parks can leave lasting impressions on your puppy.
If you visit a dog park, choose one that you are familiar with. We have published a blog on some of our favorite dog parks in Houston. Go at a time when regular attendants are there (i.e., not the first beautiful Saturday morning of spring). Be sure that the other dogs are having safe and friendly interactions and not fighting. It can be helpful to stand outside and observe for a few minutes before entering the park. If you notice a dog that seems like a bully, wait until that dog leaves.
We love bringing vaccinated puppies to fenced-in dog parks and “pairing” while others stay outside. Remaining on the outside allows your puppy to approach different breeds and sizes of dogs that might play too roughly if they were inside the park. This way, your puppy can control how close they get to the other dogs and how much time they spend interacting with them.
What if my puppy isn’t vaccinated yet
If your puppy is not vaccinated, we still recommend socializing them as much as possible, but with minimal contact with unfamiliar dogs. It’s best to keep your puppy on concrete surfaces rather than grass in public parks, ensuring they do not pick up or chew on anything from the ground. Be sure to wipe down their paws afterward.
If you’d like your puppy to interact with other dogs, make sure that any other dog is fully vaccinated before allowing them to play together. When visiting dog-friendly stores to help with socialization, you can place your puppy in a shopping cart instead of letting them walk on the ground. In restaurants, you can bring a towel for your puppy to lie on. Instead of going to dog parks, consider arranging playdates with familiar people and dogs in private spaces.
Training as socialization
Daily training sessions all around your city are a great way to get your puppy exposed to a variety of different environments, people, and other dogs. Our in-home and board and train puppy training programs were designed with achieving your puppy’s socialization goals in mind so that fear-related behavior does not develop later in life.
We are here to help
Do you have any questions about socializing your puppy? Would you like to address behavioral concerns, obedience and manners training? You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet Behavior Team. Our team can provide professional advice and discuss our training programs and methods with you. All of our training programs are customized to your training goals, with one-on-one sessions taking place at your home and local Houston neighborhood.
Our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, offers virtual consultation training programs. During these programs, she will connect with you virtually to design a personalized training plan with step-by-step guidance and support.
