When you welcome your puppy into your home, socialization should be at the top of your priority list. It’s crucial to help them feel confident and at ease with the new sights, sounds, and smells they’ll encounter when exploring the world outside your home. By exposing them to these new experiences, people, and dogs early in their lives, you are helping them establish positive relationships and prevent fearful and aggressive behaviors from developing.
Setting attainable goals for your puppy’s socialization is essential, and we have written a guide to help you get the most out of every socialization opportunity. This is particularly important during your puppies’ first 12 weeks of age when they can learn about appropriate play, communication skills, and self-confidence. We have written a guide on how to socialize a puppy below.
Remember to stay safe.
Before we set some socialization goals, it is important to understand the risks of having an unvaccinated puppy in public. When in public, we recommend that you follow the following rules to avoid exposure to any serious illnesses:
- Avoid going into busy and grassy areas.
- Keep your puppy on pavement and concrete.
- Only let your puppy greet or play with fully vaccinated dogs.
- Don’t let them put anything in their mouth
- Have wipes to clean their paws
Socialization goals:
Aim to have your puppy see 20 to 50 new dogs and people each week. This doesn’t mean your puppy needs to greet them; the exposure to seeing people and dogs helps develop socialization skills. We recommend going to parks with paved surfaces where your puppy will see kids and small animals. Bayfront Park and Glebe Park are lovely places for this, as they have paved walking paths, picnic areas, and playgrounds.
Try taking your puppy out 3 to 5 times a week. Luckily, Sarasota has many dog-friendly restaurants with outdoor seating, including Cha Cha Restaurant and Boca Restaurant. You can also take your puppy to dog-friendly stores like Lowes, Home Depot, or Hobby Lobby.
But remember always to make socializing fun; the best way to do this is through food. Give them a treat every time they meet a new person or dog. You can use kibble for this, but you can use tastier treats. When greeting strangers, if your puppy is trying to hide behind you, under a table, or growling, you may wish to reach out for a consultation. A promising sign that your puppy is excited to meet strangers is through a “helicopter” tail wag, trying to jump on them and nibbling their fingers.
Would you like further training?
Does your puppy need help with obedience or manners? are you worried about how to socialize a puppy? You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet Behavior Team. All our programs are personalized for private training at your home and local neighborhood. If you prefer virtual training or live outside the Sarasota or Tampa Bay area. You can schedule a virtual consultation with our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, who will develop a customized training program offering step-by-step guidance to achieve your goals.
