How to help your puppy become a social butterfly

Puppy socialisation, despite what you might think, is nothing about getting your new pup on Facebook or Twitter. But just as social media is important to you, so puppy socialisation is essential to making sure your puppy is a confident, happy, playful pooch.

The right socialisation will offer your puppy the best start to life, allowing them to grow into a confident, trainable and manageable adult dog.

So what is puppy socialisation, what is it all about and how can you be sure you’re doing it right?

A Little Help From My Friends

Socialise, socialise, socialise! Every puppy book you read will emphasise the importance of puppy socialisation. Often though, they don’t fully explain how you go about doing it, which can leave owners confused.

So what exactly is puppy socialisation? In summary, it means ensuring your dog has plenty of lovely encounters and meetings with as many dogs (puppies and adults) and other animals as possible. These meet and greets should occur in a wide range of environments and situations. Think of it as a form of puppy networking or over-excited cocktail party.

Essentially, these meetings are helping your fur baby become a fearless adventurer, who is both confident and friendly. The unknown is scary, so it’s your job to make them realise that nothing is as scary as it initially seems, and that you will always be there to help them figure everything out.

The school of life

A good way to start is by taking your puppy to a puppy class. A good pre-school will really help your fur-baby grow in confidence around other dogs. Don’t worry, puppy pre-school is not like human school, there are no mean teachers, just lots of fun for your pup!

Fun activities should encourage the students to engage in well matched play i.e pairing two or three puppies with a similar level of confidence and personality so the experience is positive for everyone involved. The trainer should also allow your puppy space to let new experiences soak in, especially if your puppy is timid or shy.

Just be sure your puppy is having fun! If they always hide or are hesitant to go in, you may need to try a different class.

People Puppy

Other dogs aren’t the only talking and walking obstacle your pup will have to face. New people can be scary for us humans, think how it must be for your little pup!

If a person tries to interact with your puppy and they seem afraid, encourage the person to offer treats to your pup — the quickest way to your puppy’s heart.

If your puppy still seems unsure and is refusing to approach the person who now has delicious treats, have the person toss the treats close to them and gradually shorten how far they toss so that your pup moves closer each time.

Just make sure every introduction is gradual and slow paced — your pup should never feel forced to do anything. Today your pup may only go within ten feet of the scary bearded man, but tomorrow you’ll try again and they should feel more confident. They may even grace the man with a sniff and a lick! This is a step-by-step process that should focus on boosting your puppy’s confidence and comfort level.

The sooner the better

The first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life are full of new experiences and happy, boundless, youthful energy. Kind of like when you first went to school, it can be a little unnerving, a little daunting but, if done right, HUGELY exciting. This crucial time will shape the type of dog your pup will become.

This short period (3–16 weeks) is when they learn best — their sponge like brain is much more open to new experiences — so most of their socialisation needs to happen during these months.

They have a lot to learn: who their new family members are, what around them is safe and who is in their social group, so it’s important you offer them support, build a strong owner-dog bond and happily experience positive things together. Remember you are their parent, they will look to you for reassurance on things they are unsure of.

Do You Want To Be In My Gang?

As soon as your puppy has had their vaccinations, it is important to start introducing them to fluffy friends outside of the inner circle. To do so, take them to your local dog park or arrange a doggy play date (can we come?).

They may be a little nervous at first (understandable) and try to hide behind you or under a nearby bench. If they do this, remember to remain calm, so as to reassure them that there is nothing to worry about. Let the other dogs sniff around them and soon your puppy will come out to play.

The more comfortable they get with other dogs and pets the easier the socialisation process will be. Like young human children new experiences can be intimidating but just you watch, before long they’ll be leading you to their favourite puppy play spots.

Into the unknown

Sometimes, your pup will just happen upon something new and out of the ordinary. When they come upon this strange phenomena — whether it’s a person, another animal, or even a strange object like a garbage dumpster — you want to encourage them to explore it.

Reward hesitant sniffing and gradual approaches with treats and praise, make them feel good about stepping outside of their comfort zone.

So there you have it — several ways to make sure your pup has lots of new experiences and knows where they stand (or run) in the world.

There’s SO much you can do to help your puppy socialise. In fact, so much you might struggle to remember everything. But don’t worry! We’re here to help, in this LINK you’ll find a host of information on puppy socialisation as well as a list of 60 things to help your puppy socialise! Now all you need to do is get you and puppy out and about.