How to socialise your puppy: our expert’s checklist

Dog

Behaviour

How-to: socialise your puppy

Advice by Sue Ketland, Dog behaviour and training specialist

Create a list of things you want your puppy to get used to. This could include children living in or visiting the home, travelling on public transport, being around livestock, normal household noises like the hoover and washing machine etc.

Think about how you want your puppy to go on to behave as an adult dog. Try not to over socialise them with attention from everyone they meet as a pup, as when they’re older they might just think it’s normal to be overexcited every time someone new appears!

Meeting other dogs is a big part of socialisation, but again, think about how you want your pup to behave as an adult. Balance out how often they meet and play with other dogs and time spent with you, so they don’t become overly excited by every dog they see!

Basic training is important, like teaching your pup to be calm and focus on you while there are distractions around them, which helps build a strong and trusting relationship.

Good puppy classes will help you with socialisation, and most will offer advice and even puppy play time.

More information

It’s important for your pup to realise that when meeting other canine companions, not all of them will want to play. A good way to teach them this lesson, is to organise some walks with older, more sedate dogs. Puppy playtime should be supervised and managed, as some pups may find it overwhelming or scary, as others could be a bit too excitable or learn to be a bully.

What your dog might be feeling

"I trust you to keep me safe and help me when approaching something new. Please try not to break that trust by overwhelming me with things I’m not used to".

Three things you can do today

Make a list

Think of all the things you want your new pup to experience while they’re young, then make a socialisation list for them.

Out and about

Find some safe dog friendly places to visit, like pubs, cafes, garden centres etc, where you and your pup can watch the world go by without any worries or pressures.

Puppy classes

Find a reputable, ethical dog trainer at ABTC – Animal Behaviour & Training Council

Hear from other humans

Picture of a dog — Carla

📍 Wales

Dog breed: Corgi

Dog age: 3 years

Owner expertise: Novice

I was struggling with my dog's anxiety, especially when we had to leave the house. Thanks to Woodgreen's advice, I've made some changes that have worked wonders. By sticking to a consistent routine, my dog knows what to expect each day, which has significantly reduced her anxiety.

This advice really helped me and my new pup! I tried teaching recall without your guidance and struggled. Woodgreen's step-by-step dog training videos break each action down for you and I'm happy to say we finally made progress!

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