Socialising your Puppy.

What is socialisation and why is it important?

Socialising your puppy is crucial, especially up to 12 weeks of age. Sometimes we can be worried about socialising a puppy of this age due to the risks of catching certain infectious diseases, especially if they are not yet fully vaccinated.

Puppies are developing rapidly from 3-12 weeks of age and this period is known as the sensitive period. All experiences that the puppy has during this time can have a lasting effect on your puppy.

Balancing the risk of disease with early socialisation is crucial. Your puppy is very open to a variety of new experiences before 12 weeks of age. If they do not experience a variety of situations around this time, they are at risk of developing behavioural problems into adolescence and adulthood which can be difficult to reverse.

Fear, anxiety and aggression and common behavioural problems which result from poor or inadequate socialisation in puppyhood and these can be very difficult or even impossible to reverse so prevention is best.

How do I socialise my puppy?

It is very important for your puppy to have lot and varied positive interactions with new people, dogs, animals, places and sounds.

If your puppy is showing signs of being overwhelmed, allow them time to relax and adjust and provide a favourite tasty treat so that the puppy has a more positive association with the experience.

Signs of your puppy being overwhelmed include holding the ears back, tucking in the tail, lifting a paw, crouching and lowering of the head.

We will speak to you about socialising your puppy in your free puppy check or at your vaccination. However, if you would like to discuss socialising or training your puppy you can book a behavioural consultation.