How to help your puppy become the best dog they can be

Just like humans, puppies aren’t born with the social skills that they need to face the big, scary world. They rely on you, their carer, to teach and help develop these key life skills. A healthy and well-structured puppy socialisation period will ensure they grow into happy, well rounded dogs who are confident in their environment and ready for the challenges ahead.

A healthy and well-structured puppy socialisation period will ensure they grow into a happy, well rounded dog who is confident in their environment and ready for the challenges ahead.

Puppy socialisation should occur whilst the puppy is between 6–16 weeks old and continued throughout the first year of their life. During this period, a puppy’s brain is ready to learn about new and novel things. It’s the perfect time to encourage positive experiences with people of all ages, different kinds of animals and situations they are likely to encounter as an adult dog i.e crowds, car travel & the outside world. Dealing with these experiences at a young age will help create a dog that is comfortable, friendly, and calm both at home and outside.

Here are some tips to ensure your puppy has a positive experience in the early stages of its life:

• Understand your puppy’s personality and temperament; keep experiences at a level that does not frighten, stress or scare your puppy. This may mean just letting your puppy hang back a bit to watch before they choose to engage with new things.
• Always have food nearby to offer a tasty treat so your puppy associates what you are doing with good things.

• Never force your puppy to do anything. If they hang back, go further away until they calm down and reward them with food.
• Special focus should be on meeting different generations of people especially children.
• Get them used to delivery people who can offer treats so they are not scared by people coming to the door.

• Never punish your puppy if they shy away, offer support and give them encouragement and time. If they really don’t want to interact, do not make them.
• Do not forget to take your puppy to the veterinarian for vaccinations but also to get them used to the veterinary setting.
• As soon as they’re old enough, take your puppy to the dog park. It’s the ideal way to introduce your puppy to different kinds of dogs in a safe environment.

• Fitting an Adaptil Collar at this stage has been shown to influence a puppy’s development and help them grow into a well-behaved and confident adult dog. It is recommended that puppies wear an Adaptil Collar throughout the socialisation period (for 8 weeks, this has been shown to be beneficial through clinical trials).

Remember, this is a long-term project to help your puppy experience and enjoy the world they live in.

Do not just stop at 16 weeks. Keep introducing your puppy to all sorts of experiences in a kind, measured way for an entire year. For any pet dog, it’s essential to get them used to the common types of people, dogs, sights, sounds and physical handling and grooming that will be a sure part of their daily life.

And finally, always keep in mind that socialising your puppy should be a fun and special time for you and your pup. It should never be treated as a stressful task. The bond you make with them now will last a lifetime and your encouragement and support will help them grow into a truly amazing dog.

The risk of poorly socialised puppies and dogs

Not properly socialising your puppy can lead to the development of major behavioural problems as an adult dog. This includes aggression, fearfulness, and reclusiveness, all of which are symptoms of anxiety due to stress.

Prevent these issues by following our tips provided on socialisation and by using Adaptil during these formative beginning months in your puppy’s life.

For more on how puppy socialisation and training, visit the Adaptil website.