When Should I Begin Socializing My Puppy?

Fear imprinting generally runs from about 8 – 12 weeks of age.  This period is the most important time to socialize.  After about 14 weeks, you’ll need to help the puppy unlearn problem behaviors before teaching more appropriate reactions to scary things. The best time to begin socialization is the day you bring your puppy home from the breeder or from the shelter.  Keep the sessions short at first because puppies have notoriously short attention spans.  Work with your puppy consistently every single day.  The more regularly you train, the better your dog will be socialized. Although the intensity may decrease over time, socializing should then continue throughout the dog’s life.

 Where Should I Socialize My Puppy?

Dog parks and doggie day cares are wonderful opportunities for your dog to get used to having other dogs around.  However, they are also sometimes a great place to catch a disease.  Make sure to keep your dog away from any poop that inconsiderate owners didn’t bother to clean up, and don’t let your dog near another dog who looks sick in any way.

Most dog parks have one area for large dogs and one area for small dogs.  Keep your puppy in the area designated for small dogs to prevent injuries. Before you spend the money to sign up for a doggie day care, ask about any special facilities they may have
for puppies.  At a minimum, they should have a separate area for small dogs.  Another consideration may be shorter climbing structures built to prevent puppies from falling or jumping off the sides.  They may also provide an introduction to obedience training, a play area devoted exclusively to young dogs, or toys big enough to prevent choking yet small enough to fit in a puppy’s mouth.

Getting your dog involved in sporting events at a very young age not only creates champions, it helps get them used to being around lots of people as well as dogs of every shape and size. Invite people into your home on a regular basis.  Whether you have your boss over to dinner or have your kids’ friends over to play in your rec room, having extra people and commotion in your home helps your puppy learn to tolerate crowds.  Maybe you can even find a neighbor who would appreciate an afternoon of babysitting from you or who has trouble feeding her kids because her aging parents take all of her time. 

You can do good while helping your dog learn.

If your two-legged children, friends, or spouse participate in outdoor sports, take your puppy with you to practices and games.  There may or may not be other dogs there, but there definitely will be lots of noise, plenty of people, and sometimes a ball that the dog is not allowed to chase. Teach your puppy to walk on a leash, and walk around the neighborhood as often as possible.  Doing so will get your dog used to traffic noises, barking dogs, kids on bicycles, and other people and dogs who may be sharing sidewalk space. Any activity you undertake with your puppy will help with socialization.  Remember that your dog craves attention and desperately wants to be part of the group.  Early and consistent socialization will enable your dog to join you in many activities throughout his or her life without having to worry about how the dog will react.