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Puppy Socialization

How to Create a Lasting Bond with your Puppy

How to Create a Lasting Bond with your Puppy - Happyoodles.com

Over the years I have come across first time puppy parents that were disappointed with the relationship they had with their young puppy. They felt like they were unable to form a bond with them. This is not an uncommon feeling. As a new puppy parent or someone that has not had a puppy in the house for a long time you might not realize that creating a bond with your puppy takes time. Join us as we discuss our need to bond and what we did to bond with our puppy.

The Need to Bond

We’re social animals because we need other people to survive “

The Science of Human Bonding – Prof. Vivian Zayas, psychology at Cornell University

According to Zayas, human bonding is an outcome of evolution. By creating bonds early in life we are able to secure what we need for survival. For us as individuals, the bonding process starts before birth, while we are still completely dependent on our mothers. The bond with our primary caretakers then continues after birth and throughout our lives. Overtime our need to bond develops to include people beyond our primary caretakers, such as friends and romantic partners.

But beyond human survival the need to bond is also an emotional need.  This is because we have evolved so that the things we need to do for survival is also pleasurable. Since it’s important to maintain these relationships to survive, the interactions with the people we bond with are also pleasurable.

Human Canine Bonding

So we talked about why as humans we need to bond with other people but that doesn’t explain why we want to bond with our dogs. To understand this desire we need to look at a small study completed by Takefumi Kikusui, an animal behaviorist at Azabu University in Sagamihara, Japan. In the study Kikusui showed that when human and dogs gazed in to each other’s eyes the level of oxytocin sometimes called the “love hormone” rose in both the owner and dog.

So much like the human to human bond, we want to bond with our dogs because it makes us feel good.

Of course as dog lovers we don’t need a study to know that one of the great things about dogs is their ability to understand us and always be there for us. Unlike humans, dogs show us a greater level of unconditional love, plus they don’t judge us. Wouldn’t it be great is everyone was like that?

Can a dog smile? Check out our post to find out.

The Power of Bonding with your Puppy

So, thinking about our need to bond, had me reminiscing about a time when Bella was around 11 weeks old. She was still pretty small at the time. She couldn’t have been more than 7 pounds. We had her out on our back deck which has a railing around it and two gates to keep her in. This wasn’t the first time she was loose on the deck. We would let run around on the deck whenever the weather was nice enough. This allowed her to get some of her puppy energy out.

But this time I guess she was feeling more confident with her new surroundings. So every so often she would go up to the railing and stick her head through. Most of the rails were too close for her to put more than her head through. But this one spot on the railing was slightly warped and she managed to squeeze her body through.     

Running loose

I had just turned my back to pick up a toy when the kids, who were playing with her, started yelling that Bella was loose in the yard. Our yard is not fenced in and there are woods behind our house. There are also fox and other wild animals that live in the woods, which is why we only allowed Bella to play on the deck.  At her small size she would be a tasty treat.  

You could tell she was absolutely thrilled to be loose and loving the freedom.  She was completely unaware of the dangers nearby. The kids tried calling her but she didn’t listen.  They tried to capture her but it just turned into a game of chase and Bella was winning. 

I went inside to get her leash and some treats to lure her back when my husband came out.  He called her name with a loud, commanding voice.  She immediately stopped the chase, than she ran to him.   The fun and games were over.

Why did she listen?

Why did she listen to my husband and not the kids?  Some might say that it was the fact that my husband is a male therefore he shows more strength then the kids do.  But I believe it’s because he was the one she bonded with first.

After all it was my husband that slept on the kitchen floor next to Bella the first few nights of her living with us.  Although the rest of us fed her, played with her and trained with her, he was the one that protected her and comforted her when she was most scared.  

Now-a-days Bella sleeps in her bed next to my husband’s side of the bed. So she is still close to him when she sleeps. She also enjoys the occasional nap on the couch with him.

11 Ways to Bond With Your Puppy

The below suggested ways to bond with your puppy are based on having a puppy that was not abused. If you have a rescue puppy that was abused you will need to work towards basic trust before being able to bond with them.

1. Start the Bonding Process Early

The best time for a puppy to bond with you is between 8 and 12 weeks of age. This is when they are most open to new things. In reality you start the bonding process as soon as you bring them home regardless of their age.

To get a jump start on the bonding process plan to bring your puppy home when you have a few days to devote solely to them. This means that even if you work from home you should still take time off. Taking a week or two off not only helps to bond with your puppy but it also leads to quicker potty training.

Keep in mind that the first week or two is a difficult time for your new puppy. They may have just left the only family they knew.

2. Spend time with your puppy

I am sure you have heard that dogs are pack animals. This means that they want to live in a close family setting where they are protected and cared for by the pack. It also means they want to be around you all the time, even if you are not actively engaging with them at the moment.

Here are a few ways to be close with your puppy when you are not engaging with them.

  • A very popular suggestion these days is to tether your puppy to you using a 6 foot leash. This way the puppy is always with you no matter where go. While this may work for some, I just couldn’t see myself being tied to my puppy all day. Also I believe a puppy needs to be alone for at least nap times so they do not develop separation anxiety.
  • Instead, I gated the entrances to the kitchen, made sure the kitchen was puppy proofed and moved my computer to the kitchen. This way I would be near her when I was checking emails or trying to get some work done. Not that I got much work done the first month. But it did afford me the ability to be close to her and keep an eye on her potty signs.
  • If you don’t have a kitchen or other small area that can be closed off and puppy proofed consider getting a playpen and place it near where you are during most of the day. This way your puppy can see you.

3. Train your puppy

Training your puppy is different than playing with them or just spending time with them. When you train your puppy you are showing them you are the leader. All dogs either want to be lead or be the leader themselves. You must show them that you are their leader and protector.

Start the training process with the 5 basic commands that every puppy should learn. Sit, Stay, Come, Leave it, and down.

Before you can start to teach them these commands you need to teach them their new name. This one is easy. Just call their name in a happy, but strong voice. When they look at you give them a small treat. Repeat until they consistently respond whenever their name is called.

Whichever training method you choose, always make sure it is a positive one. Dogs will not bond with someone they are afraid of.

4. Play with your puppy

You might have guessed by now that the best way to bond with your puppy and to have a happy pup, is to be around them. But you don’t want to just be around them, you want them to enjoy being around you. You can do this by playing with them.

There are a number of games you can play with a puppy. Hide and seek, fetch, and chase just to name a few. Bella’s favorite play time activity was the flirt pole. You can make your own or buy one. Since Bella was small we could play with her inside the house using the flirt pole. It also enabled us to control how much she ran. Bella loved chasing the soft prey.

Whatever games you decide to play just make sure it doesn’t involve jumping. According to the American Kennel Club dogs under a year old can become hurt if they jump. Therefore while your puppy is still growing you need to be careful about how you play with them.

5. Work on socializing your puppy

Puppy socializing is not only important to your puppy’s development, but it is also a great way to bond with your puppy. Taking the time to teach your puppy about their new world in a calm and controlled environment teaches them that you will lead and protect them when they are scared. Here are 5 safe and easy ways to socialize your puppy.

When socializing your puppy there are 10 common mistakes people tend to make. You can learn all about them here.

6. Explore with them

Your puppy is trying to learn about their new world so exploring that world is a big part of puppyhood. Make sure you are part of this exploration. You can do this by taking them for walks or taking them with you on trips. Just make sure it is done in a safe manner. You don’t want to take your puppy anywhere they can pick up an illness before they are fully vaccinated.

If you have a yard, you can walk around the yard exploring with your puppy. If you don’t have a yard, explore different parts of your home with them. Once they are fully vaccinated you can take them on short walks. Keep them on a short leash so they get used to staying by your side, but let them smell and explore the area.

7. Spend time grooming your puppy

Mother dogs will lick their puppies to clean them after birth and also to stimulate them. This is their way of taking care of their puppies. You can achieve the same response from your puppy by brushing them with a soft brush. Not only does this teach them that you care but for long haired breeds it’s important to get them used to being groomed.

Did you know that studies have shown that just 15 minutes of petting can decrease a shelter dog’s heart rate and increases their positive state of relaxation? Just image what it would do for your puppy.

8. Hand feed your puppy

Hand feeding does a number of things; first it teaches your puppy that food comes from you; it also teaches your puppy to trust you. They have to get close to eat the food from your hand.

It also shows that you care. When Bella first came home she did not want to eat. We all took turns sitting on the floor with her food and feeding it to her. For some reason she did not trust the bowl that her food was in, but she did trust us not to harm her.

9. Learn how to communicate with your dog

You and your dog have th18e ability to communicate with each other through movement, sounds and looks. I know when Bella needs to go out because she sits by the door. If we don’t notice her, she starts to cry. I know when she wants my attention because she stares at me until I give it to her. When she is hungry she paws at me. You and your dog can also communicate with each other. You just need to learn how to read your puppy’s signals.

If you are new to having a dog, there are books that can help you learn the many ways that dogs communicate with us. How to Speak Dog: A Guide to Decoding Dog Language is actually geared towards kids, but has useful information for people of all ages who want to learn to communicate with their canines.

Note: As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

10. Have them sleep near you

As I mentioned in my story above, my husband slept on the kitchen floor the first week Bella lived with us. At first we tried placing her in a crate next to our bed. However, after spending time in a shelter and a road trip up north, Bella did like being crated. So instead of letting her cry in her crate at night we adapted.

For the first week she slept in our gated kitchen next to my husband. After that we slowly transitioned her to sleeping in her crate next to our bed. We did not force the crate on her. We wanted to make sure she felt comfortable in her new house first.

Where your puppy sleeps is completely up to you, however I recommend that they are allowed to sleep near you. This will help strenghten your bond with them.

A word on crate training: I do believe that crate training is important for all dogs to go through. Not only do their crates keep them safe when they are a puppy, but if they ever need to spend time at the vets they will need to be crated. So I feel its better that they see the crate as an acceptable place to be early on, rather than a scary place later in life.

11. Be consistent

You might be wondering what being consistent has to do with bonding with your puppy. It has to do with developing trust. If every day you walk and feed your puppy at the same time, they learn to trust that you will provide for their daily needs. If sometimes you go for a walk but other times you don’t, the puppy doesn’t know what to expect and will not trust that you will take care of them.

12. Respect your puppy

Get to know your puppy’s likes and dislikes. If you know that your puppy dislikes something, like a certain sound, don’t make the sound. Respect is a two way street. If you want their respect you need to also respect them.

How long does it take for a puppy to bond with you?

Some people claim that they bonded with their puppy the day they came home. While this may be true, for most people it takes a couple of weeks or more for your puppy to be bonded to you. It also depends on what you view as being bonded. My definition of bonding is when your puppy wants to stay close to you and comes as soon as you call them.

Don’t be discouraged if you feel that you are not bonding with your puppy as quickly as you like. The type of breed your puppy is will factor into how quick and strong your bond will be. Breeds that were bred to work with humans will develop a stronger bond then breeds that are bred to work alone. Of course that doesn’t mean the independent breeds won’t bond to you, it just may look different then you are expecting.

5 Things to Avoid When You Are Trying to Bond With Your Puppy

1. Don’t lose your patience

Try to keep your patience with your new puppy. They are just babies when they first come to live with you. They are unable to control certain behaviors, like chewing and bathroom accidents. If your puppy becomes fearful of you because you yell at them when they make a mistake, it will be harder for you to create that lasting bond.

2. Limit the amount of time your puppy spends with other dogs in your home

If you have another dog in the house you want to make sure your puppy does not bond to the other dog before they bond to you. Dogs tend to form bonds with other dogs quicker than they bond with humans.

To make sure this doesn’t happen, keep the puppy close to you during the first couple of weeks they are living with you. Don’t use the other dog as a babysitter for the puppy.

3. Spending all your time with your puppy

I know, didn’t I just say in the 11 ways to bond with your puppy that you should spent a lot of time with your puppy. Yes I did, but although spending time with your puppy will help you bond with them quicker, it can also lead to puppy separation anxiety. So although you should spend a lot of time together you also need time apart.

The best time for the alone time is during nap time. Puppies need to take a few naps a day, otherwise they will to start to misbehave. Nap times should come at the same time each day. Having a routine that leads up to nap time makes the process easier. Don’t forget to let them out just before putting them in their crate. Place your dog’s crate or safe area in a quiet part of the home away from you when it’s time for a nap.

4. Unrealistic Expectations

Try not to have unrealistic expectations of what your puppy can do. It takes time for your puppy to learn the rules of the house. Having unrealistic expectations can lead to the puppy blues. Plus if your puppy senses you are unhappy with him, he may shy away from you out of fear.

5. Don’t rush the process

Bonding with your puppy takes time. They first need to feel comfortable in their new home, and then they need to learn to trust you. Once those two things have happen your bond will begin to grow.

Make sure you are not forcing the bonding on your puppy. Let them do it in their own time.

It’s also important not to become discouraged. Your puppy will be able to tell if you are upset with them.

Are You Looking for a Rescue Dog to Adopt?

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How to Socialize A Puppy – Made Easy

How to Socialize A Puppy - Made Easy - Kitten holding a puppy

When you think about puppy training, what comes to mind might be how to teach them where to go to the bathroom; or how to teach them to sit and stay on command; or maybe how not to jump on people. But at the top of everyone’s list should be how to socialize a puppy. This is because a well socialized pup is so much easier to train. When a puppy is not properly socialized they tend to be fearful. That fear causes them to be less focused on you and more focused on what they are afraid of. This makes training very difficult.

However, if you have ever looked at some of the puppy socialization checklists, the process can feel a bit overwhelming. I know I was. But it doesn’t have to be. Join us as we show you easy steps to follow to socialize your puppy.

How to Socialize A Puppy - Made Easy - Puppy near water on leash

What is Puppy Socialization?

Puppy socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to everyday events in a calm and secure environment. The reason you want to do this, is to teach your puppy not to be afraid.

An example of this would be a vacuum. You and me know it is not something to be afraid of. But that loud sound can be very frightening to a puppy that doesn’t know what it is. This is where you come in. It’s your job to turn the scary things in life into non scary things.

When Can You Start to Socialize a Puppy?

The puppy socialization process starts with their first ride in your car as you bring them home. That very first experience with your new puppy is teaching them what you are like and what it is like to go for a car ride with you. If they have a pleasant experience and continue to have pleasant experiences in the car, they will learn to love the car. However if it’s a traumatic experience your puppy might hate car rides for the rest of their life. But no pressure.

The reality is puppy socialization starts before your puppy comes to live with you. They begin to learn about the world through interactions with their previous family, the puppy’s mom and their litter mates. Hopefully what they have learned before living with you was positive. But even if it wasn’t, at 7 or 8 weeks old they are still young enough to overcome any bad experiences they may have had. You just need to give them lots of good ones.

Limited Time to Socialize a Puppy

The time you have to socialize your puppy is not unlimited. Puppies are most open to new things prior to 3 months old. Sometime between 3 and 4 months old your puppy will naturally start to become weary of the unknown.  But that doesn’t mean you should stop socializing them after 4 months old. A dog that has been taught to be confident will continue to be open to new things for life.

Health Concerns

Although it’s important to socialize a puppy early, it’s equally important not to expose them to deadly diseases before they are fully vaccinated. You can safely socialize your puppy in your home assuming there are no other non-vaccinated dogs.   Start the process by introducing them to all the sights and sounds that make your home a home. But do it slowly. Too much too soon can be overwhelming to a small pup that was just taken from the only home they knew.

First on the list should be the members of their new family and any other animals in the house. Next show them where they will sleep and eat.  Keep your puppy close to the family as much as possible so they can see and hear everything that is happening.

Happyoodles.com Puppy in grass

Taking it outside

Socializing your puppy outside of your home has its risks. But the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends that you start to socialize a puppy in safe places outside of your home once a puppy has received their first set of vaccinations and deworming at around 7 to 8 weeks old. But make sure it is a safe place. Pet stores and dog parks are not safe places for young puppies. For safe places to socialize your puppy check out our post, 5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize a Puppy

Before we get into how to socialize a puppy, I just want to touch on the Puppy Blues. Dealing with a new puppy can be hard, especially if you are a first time puppy parent.  It’s common to feel like you made a mistake.  It’s important to understand that you are not alone. I also went through the puppy blues.  You can see how I handled the puppy blues in my post on Puppy Blues: Dealing with the Regret.

Pup and little girl nose to nose

How to Socialize a Puppy  

As I mentioned above the process of socializing your puppy can be overwhelming if you try to do everything on the checklist before your puppy reaches 4 months old. Plus some of the items on the list may not even be necessary. An example of this is taking your puppy to a pet store. It is not necessary that your puppy go to a pet store. Any type of outing that involves people and other animals should suffice. In fact a pet store is not a safe place to take a puppy that has not been fully vaccinated, yet it was found on multiple checklists.

I strongly suggest that you use a checklist as a guide to help you think of all the things they should be exposed to. But you should prioritize what is most important to you and start there.

How to Introduce a Puppy to Something New

The most important thing to remember is to make sure the experience is a good one. One bad experience will last a lifetime. Also you do not need to make a big deal out of every new experience your puppy has. Your Puppy will learn that the sound of clanging pots and pans are just the normal sounds of making dinner without a special introduction. Same thing goes for noisy kids or any other sounds they will encounter in everyday life. As long as the puppy is not hurt they will learn that these noises are just the way things are when living with a family.

For new things that frighten your puppy, give them a treat to distract them the next time they are exposed to it. That way they will begin to association the event with something good.  This trick should work for new experiences but may not work if the puppy has already developed a fear of the event.

Exercise 1: Introducing Something New

As I mentioned above most puppies are afraid of the vacuum due to the loud noise they make. So it is your job to show your pup that the vacuum will not hurt them. Here are simple steps to teach your puppy not to be afraid of the vacuum.

  • Start the process by leaving the vacuum on the floor where they can see and smell it.
  • Don’t force them to go near the vacuum. When they are ready, they will explore it on their own.
  • After they are done smelling it, turn it on. Make sure they are a safe distance from it. Since they will not expect the loud noise, turning it on right next to them will frighten them.
  • Vacuum the room like normal while the puppy is close by. Try not to get too close to them. You don’t want them to think the vacuum is chasing them. They will most likely be afraid but curious at the same time.
  • While you are vacuuming throw some treats around the room you are vacuuming in. Keep the vacuum away from the treats.
  • Do not engage in your puppy while you are vacuuming.
  • Repeat this process each time you need to vacuum.

Over time your puppy will become use to the vacuum. They may even start to like it if they get treats every time it comes out.

The Goal is to Build Confidence

It’s impossible to introduce your puppy to everything they may encounter in life in their first few months. Therefore your goal is to teach your pup to be comfortable with new experiences. A puppy that is taught not to be afraid will grow up to be a confident dog. This also means teaching them how to react when they encounter something new.

Remember you are their greatest teacher. As a puppy they will learn to count on you to keep them safe. They will also learn how to react to things based on how you react. If you remain calm your puppy will also feel calm.

You may not realize this but your dog can pick up on subtle clues when you are feeling stress. Although well known by dog lovers this knowledge was re-affirmed by a recent study in Sweden. They compared the stress levels in dogs to their owners by measuring the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their hair. They found that there was a strong correlation between the dog’s long-term cortisol levels and their owners.

Socialization Process

The socialization process can be broken down into four main parts: Handling; Sounds; Interactions; and Experiences. We will take a look at each one and give easy ways to accomplish them.

Bella

Handling

Handling refers to touching your pup in places they may not like. Places like their paws, ears, tail and mouth. It also means to be able to restrain them calmly when needed. Typically puppies don’t like to be handled. They want their freedom.

However learning to be handled is a very important life skill for dogs. A puppy that is not taught to be comfortable with being handled will make a difficult patient in the veterinarian’s office. It also will be difficult and dangerous to cut their nails or to groom them. Puppies that are not taught to be handled may become aggressive as an adult when someone tries to touch them.

Exercise 2: Handling

It’s easy to teach your puppy to become comfortable with handling. Try to do this exercise every day for the first month. Then do it a few times a month until they are an adult. It works best after some playtime or exercise, right before they are ready for a nap.

  • Start by sitting on the floor next to your puppy.
  • Pick them up and gently lay them on their back in your lap. Be careful of their back when you flip them. You want to make sure your puppy feels comfortable and secure. They will probably try to flip over but don’t let them. Talk calmly to your puppy and pet them to help relax them.
  • Once they have relaxed in your lap, start to touch them in different places. I provided a list below of places to touch them but don’t do everything every time you do this exercise. Pick a couple of spots to focus on each time.
  • Remember this is supposed to be a positive experience. Stop if your puppy is really struggling and try again later.
  • If your puppy really doesn’t like this exercise try giving them a treat to distract them.
  • If possible have other people you know and trust to perform the exercise as well. That way they will learn to be handled by a variety of people.

Handing Socialization List

  • Gently touch paws
  • Gently squeeze paws
  • Hold paws
  • Touch nails
  • Push back hair around nails
  • Touch bottom of feet in between their pads
  • Touch their face
  • Open eyelids
  • Touch their legs, belly and backs
  • Cradle puppy in your arms
  • Brush their teeth
  • Examine mouth and gums
  • Place your fingers in mouth
  • Touch nose
  • Check ears
  • Gently touch tail
  • Gently grab the skin
  • Hold puppy tightly
  • Hug puppy
  • Wipe puppy with towel
  • Grab their collar
  • Practice putting on collar or harness
  • Gently brush puppy with soft brush

Sounds

Many dogs are afraid of loud sounds like the vacuum, fireworks or thunderstorms. For sounds you can control like the vacuum follow the steps above on ‘How to Introduce your Puppy to Something New’. But for sounds that you cannot control, like thunder, you either need to wait for a storm to happen or you can use a YouTube video that play the sounds. I personally did not find the videos affective because it lacked the vibrations you feel in real storms. However if you have top of the line speakers you may be able to get the same effect as a real storm.

Sirens are another scary sound that might be hard to introduce them to. However, some volunteer firehouses have an open house for the community. You could attend one with your pup and ask if they will play the sirens.

How to socialize a puppy

Exercise 3: Thunderstorms

  • To introduce your puppy to the sounds of thunder keep a watch on the weather forecast to see when the next storm might be.
  • Then try to make arrangements so you are with your puppy at the time of the storm.
  • Gather a few toys and treats your puppy really likes before the storm hits.
  • When the storm starts to become loud, watch your puppy to see if they notice the sound.
  • Remember at this age they will react the same way you do. If you ignore the storm chances are so will they.
  • You want to distract your puppy from the sound as much as possible.
    • Play a game of tug or fetch
    • Work on some simple commands like sit and stay. Remember to reward them with their favorite treat to keep their focus.
    • Play the Go Find game. In the Go Find game you scatter small pieces of their favorite treat around the room for them to go find.
  • Do Not make a big deal of them being scared or of the sound. You need to act as you always do.

Sounds Socialization List

  • Fireworks
  • Doorbell
  • Smoke alarm
  • Car honking
  • Fire engine
  • Motorcycle
  • Yard tools (mower, leaf blower, etc.)
  • Baby crying
  • Thunderstorms
  • Grooming clippers
  • Kitchen appliances
  • Pots and pans
  • Vacuum Cleaner
  • Truck backing up
  • Traffic noise

Our Story

Since Bella was born in December she was over 6 months old the first time she heard fireworks. Even though the sound was new she was confident enough that she did not over react when she heard them.

Interactions

Interactions means meeting new people, dogs, or other animals.   Make sure you introduce your pup to a wide range of people and animals.   This includes a groomer if you have a dog that will need to be groomed.

An easy way to introduce your puppy to other dogs is to take them to a Puppy Socials.  Puppy socials allow you to introduce your pup to other puppies in a safe environment.   Look for a puppy social that is run by an experienced dog trainer. They should require proof of up-to-date vaccinations and deworming.   Not only will your pup get to meet and play with other puppies, you get the benefit of a trainer who can help you understand what normal play is versus aggressive play.  To learn more about Puppy Socials read Puppy Social – What to Expect.

Exercise 4: Interactions with People

An easy and safe way to introduce your puppy to new people is to do it in your home.

  • Invite people you know to come over and meet your new puppy. We invited the neighborhood kids to come over.
  • Keep the invite to only one or two people at a time
  • Allow the puppy to sniff the newcomers
  • Most puppies love to meet new people but if your puppy appears scared asked your guess to ignore them
  • Make sure your puppy has a safe place they can retreat to if they want
  • As you interact with your guess your puppy will follow your lead and start to relax around them.
  • When your puppy is ready to meet them they will move closer to your guest.
  • Remember the experience needs to be positive so don’t invite people who do not like dogs.
  • Ask people to wear different clothing (Hats, glasses dark coat, etc.)

Interactions Socialization List

Try to introduce your puppy to a wide range to people and animals. But don’t worry if you miss one or two. If your puppy has had a good experience with most people they will assume all people are good. Most issues with dogs not liking certain types of people come from a bad experience they had with that type of person.

  • Women
  • Men
  • People of all ethnicities
  • Children
  • Elderly
  • People with a cane or walker
  • Toddlers
  • Men in uniform
  • Other well behaved dogs
    • Large dogs
    • Small dogs
  • Cats
  • Any other animals they might reasonably encounter

Experiences

Experiences can be anything your dog may encounter in their life.  Things like going swimming or having a bicyclist past by. Think about how you plan to include your dog in your activities, than slowly introduce them to it. Start out with a less stressful experience like wearing a collar and walking on a leash. When they have mastered that you can move on to a more stressful situation like walking on the sidewalk on a busy street. 

An easy way to provide a vartiety of experiences in a safe environment is to go to Puppy Kindergarten. In Puppy Kindergarten, your pup will learn basic commands like sit, stay and come. In addition they will meet new people and their pups. They will also be exposed to things like being handled by a trainer or playing on different surfaces. Look for a puppy kindergarten that requires proof of vaccines and deworming. If they don’t require proof, look for another place.

Exercise 5: Practice Being Alone

Puppies are social creatures that want to be with us all the time. If it was up to them they would stay by our side always. But for most of us that is not possible. Since being alone is not something most puppies want, they need to be taught that being alone is ok. Our next exercise shows you how.

  • It’s important that your start off slow with this process. It will take weeks before your puppy will accept that he needs to be left alone sometimes.
  • Start when your puppy is young by placing them in their crate with a special treat or SAFE toy.
  • Make the crate comfortable with something to lie on and a shirt or blanket that smells like you.
  • Leave the room for a couple of minutes. At least until your puppy realizes you have left.
  • Come back in the room
  • Do not make a big deal of leaving or coming back
  • If your puppy is crying do not let them out of the crate. Wait in the room until they have stopped crying and then let them out.
  • Continue this exercise daily increasing the time.
  • This exercise will teach your pup that you will always come back.

Once you have increased the time to a half hour try leaving your home for short periods of time. Remember to always give them a treat.

Experiences Socialization List

It’s impossible to come up with a comprehensive list of experiences. The most important thing to think about is what your life is like now and what you plan to be dong in the next 15 years. Then try to include your puppy in as many of those experiences as you can early on.

  • Car rides
  • Umbrellas
  • City traffic
  • Walking on a busy sidewalk
  • Water/Swimming
  • Parking lots
  • Going inside building
  • Automated doors
  • Bicycles
  • Roller Blades/Skates
  • Strollers
  • Someone running
  • Beach

Here are 5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize your Puppy before they are four months old.

Where NOT to Socialize a Puppy

There are certain places you should never take your puppy before they are fully vaccinated. This includes any places where an unvaccinated dog might go. Places like pet stores or dog parks at not safe. If you must bring your puppy into a pet store carry them around.

Don’t Overdo It

Remember not to overdo it. When you socialize your puppy take it slow. Give your puppy time to rest in between new experiences. It is also important to make sure they have a safe place they can retreat to when they start to become over whelmed. Too much too soon can cause your puppy to become over stimulated and stressed.

The purpose of puppy socialization is to help your pup feel confident with the world around them.  A confident, at ease dog will be easy to control and a pleasure to be with.

Common Socialization Mistakes

Sometimes, even though we have the best of intentions, we still make mistakes during the socialization process.  Here are 10 common puppy socialization mistakes you don’t want to make.

For More on How to Socialize a Puppy

Puppy Socialization Basics – What You Need to Know to Get Started

How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs

How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Search on separation anxiety in dogs and you will find a ton of articles on the subject. It seems to be a growing issue for many dogs and their owners. Growing up we had a total of four dogs. For a few years we had three dogs at once but most of the time there was only one dog in the house. They were all different breeds. We had a Siberian Husky who loved to run, a German Shepherd, and a mutt we rescued from the streets. We also had a Belgian Shepherd who watched over me, her flock, very carefully. As an adult, my husband and I had two dogs which we adopted at various ages. All of the dogs in my life stayed at home by themselves at some point during the day. None of them had separation anxiety. That is until our newest pup, Bella.

Now, I am not saying separation anxiety in dogs didn’t exist in the past. Just because we didn’t have issues with it, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. But I do feel that it is more common now.

Join us as we discuss some of the possible causes of separation anxiety in dogs and some practical ways to prevent it from starting.

What is Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

Separation anxiety in dogs is a condition where a dog will become stressed when their family leaves them alone. The stress can cause the dog to bark, cry or become destructive to their environment or themselves.

What Causes Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

There is no single cause for separation anxiety in dogs. All dogs are different and what trigger the condition with vary too. However it is believed that a traumatic experience in a dog’s life may be the cause for many dogs. For dogs that find themselves in a shelter, it makes sense that they may have had a traumatic experience in their past that is causing the anxiety. A dog that was dumped by their previous owner will worry that their new family will leave them. Same thing goes for a dog that was abused or had to fend for themselves on the streets. They may worry about losing the comforts of their new home.

For a dog that did not experience a traumatic event in their life, a change in routine could be the cause. Dogs are creatures of habit. If anything changes in their daily routine or their lives, they can become stressed. Changes like someone leaving their family or a change in where they live can trigger separation anxiety.

But it seems that even dogs without the trauma or change in their lives can still end up with separation anxiety.  This is the category our pup fell into.

Black and gray long haired dog lying on bed - Part of How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Our Story

When we were looking for a dog to adopt we found that many of the rescue groups required that someone was home during the day. Since we were looking for a puppy this time around, we didn’t think twice about the requirement. We knew a puppy needed a lot of attention in their first year.

However, I think we took the requirement a little too far. We had arranged our schedules so that Bella was never alone. On one hand she potty-trained really quickly. But on the other hand when we finally did need to leave her alone she was not used to it. The first time we left her alone she put up the biggest fuss I had ever seen. She cried, barked and howled so loud that you could hear her outside of the house. Even with all the windows closed. Since she was too young to be loose in the house we had placed her in the crate. That meant she couldn’t be destructive, but she did throw herself against the crate trying to get it open. I was worried that she would hurt herself.

It was at that moment that I realized we had spent a lot of time socializing her with new people, places and animals but we never thought that she needed to be taught how to be alone. But it did make sense, if she was never alone before why would she want to be alone now.

Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs

According to the American Kennel Club if your dog exhibits some or all of these behaviors when you leave them alone or when you are preparing to leave, they may be suffering from separation anxiety.

  • Excessive barking or howling
  • Destructive Acts, like chewing the furniture or clothing
  • Frantically scratching on doors and windows to get out
  • Indoor ‘accidents’ when they are fully house trained
  • Intense pacing
  • If crated, escape attempts so desperate, the dog may actually harm themselves.
  • Although not part of the AKC list
    • Excessive drooling and
    • General nervousness can also be signs.

Do Puppies Grow Out of Separation Anxiety?

Generally a puppy will not grow out of separation anxiety on their own. Learning to be comfortable when left alone is an important life skill that all puppies need to be taught. It should be part of every puppy socialization checklist but it is often overlooked. You should start to teach your pup how to be alone before they are 3 months old. If you start young, your puppy should grow up to be a confident dog that is ok with being left alone for short periods of time.

But remember dogs are social animals. They want to be around people or other animals. Even a well-adjusted dog will become lonely if left alone too often. If you are unable to be with your dog for large periods of time consider sending them to doggy day care or get a dog walker so they can interact with other dogs and people.

Is it Really Separation Anxiety?

Poor behavior can be caused by the stress your dog feels when you leave them alone. But not all bad behavior is due to separation anxiety. Sometimes a dog is just bored and has too much pent up energy. In these cases it is not an emotional response to being alone but just them trying to entertain themselves.

Also there are medical issues that can cause your dog to eliminate in the house. If your dogs is having ‘accidents” when you are not home, you may want to visit your vet to make sure they are ok.

How to Stop Separation Anxiety Before it Starts

As I have already mentioned the best way to stop separation anxiety before it starts is to teach your puppy to be comfortable with being alone at a young age. Here are a few simple tricks to get you started.

Give them plenty of exercise before leaving them alone

A tired pup is a happy pup. The biggest mistake people make is leaving a puppy that is full of energy alone. This may take some planning but go for a walk or play games with your pup right before you leave. Whatever you do just make sure they are ready for a nap. If they are sleepy they will not mind the quiet as much.

Give them an inviting place to stay

Hopefully your pup is ready for a nap when you leave. The next step is to give them a nice place to snuggle up and sleep for a while. Giving them a shirt or blanket with your scent on it will remind your pup of your presence.

Make it a positive experience

You can make it a positive experience by giving them something special that they do not get otherwise. It can be a special treat or a toy to play with. If you give them a toy make sure it is safe. Don’t give them a toy that can be pulled apart and become a choking hazard. We preferred giving treats for this reason.

Keep it short

When starting out you want to keep the time they are alone fairly short. It is important to teach them that you will be back. Start the process by leaving them alone in their crate with a treat and going into another room. It will probably take a minute for them to realize you are not there. Return to the room after a couple of minutes.

Gradually increase the amount of time away from them. They will most likely whine in the beginning. That is ok. Just don’t give into their demands.

After a while you can start to leave the house for short periods of time.

Make sure they are safe

When leaving a puppy alone you must make sure they are in a safe place. If you don’t have a crate for them, place them in a small area that has been puppy proofed.

Also make sure to take off their collar before you leave. If left on it can become a strangulation hazard. A previous pup of ours was able to slip her bottom jaw into her collar while we were out. We found her crying on the floor with her mouth forced open.

How to Help your Puppy with Separation Anxiety

Even if your puppy is showing signs of separation anxiety you can still teach them how to be alone. It will just take more time and patience. In addition to the items mentioned above here are a few more tricks to deal with separation anxiety.

Give them something to do

Food is always a good motivator for good behavior. Fill a Kong with food and give it to them right before you leave. Hopefully they will be too busy trying to eat that they won’t even notice you left.

Now that our pup is no longer kept in a crate when we leave, her favorite place to hang out is in our front window. Here she can watch the world go by while she waits for us to come home.

Give them some noise

For some dogs staying in a completely quiet house can be nerve racking. If your dog is like this you can leave the TV on or play some music. Just make sure you know what will be playing while you are out. Sounds can soothe the sole but they can also make a dog (and people) stressed if the sounds are loud or hectic.

Stick to a routine

Dogs like to have a routine that they can count on. If you leave and come back at the same time every day your pup will become used to it. He may not mind you leaving, if he knows you will be back at a predetermined time.

Don’t make a fuss

Don’t make a big fuss when you leave or when you return. Your comings and goings should just be part of the daily routine. If you treat it this way they will learn that is is no big deal.

Of course that doesn’t mean they won’t be happy to see you. Even though our dog no longer has an issue with being left alone she is still excited to see us.

How to Stop a Dog from Whining When You Leave

A really simple trick to stop your puppy from whining when you leave the house is to play the Go Find game. As I mentioned above, Bella would throw a fit when we left the house. To break her of this habit we needed a way to distract her. The Go Find game did just that.

We started to teach her how to play the Go Find game when we were still home. For this game to work your dog needs to know how to sit and stay on command. After getting the kids on the bus and going for a walk we would come inside to play the game.

How to Play the Go Find Game

First give the sit and stay command, then grab some treats. You can use small training treats or break larger soft treats into small pieces. Show the treats to your pup so they know what they are looking for. They may want to smell them. Then leave the room and spread the treats around the areas they are allowed to be in without supervision. Depending on how well they are at staying you might need another person to make sure they do not get up to follow you. Toss the treats so they can hear them drop. I prefer to leave the treats out in the open for Bella to find. When you are done spreading treats come back to your dog and drop a few pieces where they can see them. Then give the “go find” command.

At first your pup will not know what you are asking them to do. To get the game going you may need to call them to where a treat is. For most dogs, once they realize they can have the treats they will start to search for them. For the first few times you may need to show them spots where they missed a treat. It should only take a few days of playing the game for your pup to learn the command.

Safety First

Now we did not start to play the Go Find game until Bella was old enough to be in a safe part of the house alone. The larger the space the longer it will take them to find all the treats, but it can still be done in a smaller space. The key is to break the treats into small pieces and scatter them around. The more pieces there are to find, the longer they will be distracted from you leaving.

Life Skills

Being comfortable when they are alone is an important life skill your puppy needs to learn. But remember puppies are born into this world with many siblings.  From the very start they have their family to sleep with, eat with and play with.  Then when they are 7 or 8 weeks old they are taken away from everyone and everything that has given them comfort up to that point.  It is only natural that they will miss their family and want to be close to someone.  As their new family that someone is you.  And when you are not there they can become anxious, sad and lonely. But if you start early your puppy can learn this important life skill.

Other Posts You May Like

Puppy Socialization Mistakes: 10 Things to Avoid

The benefits of a well socialized dog are endless. Puppies that are properly socialized are easier to train and a joy to be around.  They typically do not have the fear or aggression issues that are associated with dogs that have not been properly socialized. This in turn makes it easier for us to share our lives with them.  For these reasons we want to make sure we socialize our dogs properly.  But sometimes, even though we have the best of intentions, we still make mistakes during the socialization process.   I sure know I have. Here are 10 common puppy socialization mistakes people make.

Before we get into the 10 common mistakes people make while trying to socialize their puppy I just wanted to take a moment to talk about the Puppy Blues. Dealing with a new puppy can be hard, especially if you are a first time puppy parent.  You might even feel like you made a mistake. Let’s face it puppies generally come untrained, they bite, and they’re not potty trained. But it does get better. Check out my post on Puppy Blues: Dealing with the Regret to see how I managed my own puppy blues.

Puppy Socialization Mistakes - Black and white picture of puppy

10 Common Puppy Socialization Mistakes:

1. You stop socializing your puppy

Socializing your dog is a lifetime event. Just because they are no longer in the critical early socialization period, doesn’t mean you should stop socializing them.   We made this mistake with our current dog.  

From the time we brought her home at 9 weeks old until about 4 months old we made sure to bring her on car rides that did not include going to the veterinarian. We took her to fun places like the park or to our kid’s baseball games.  But over time the car rides stopped being a focus. What we didn’t realize at the time was that while the weather was cold the only time she went for a ride was to go to the groomers.  Not a favorite place for her.  This caused her to associate the car rides with unpleasant events.  This in turn caused her to cry whenever she was in the car.   

It took a lot of car rides and patience, but we were able to retrain her so she did not associate the car with something that was unpleasant.  As a poodle mix she will still visit the groomer, but we make sure it is not the only reason she goes for a ride.

Not sure how to get started with socializing your puppy? Check out our post on How to Socialize A Puppy – Made Easy

2.  Changing the tone of your voice

This is another one of the puppy socialization mistakes I am guilty of making. Speaking in a higher pitched calming voice worked for my kids so why not my fur babies?  That high pitched cooing voice you use with the kids tells your puppy that something has changed. With dogs, change is not good. It tells them they need to be on guard as they try to figure out why you are acting different.  Instead try to remain as clam as possible and speak to them in your normal voice. The goal of introducing your pup to new experiences is to show them that “new” is no big deal.  

In addition to speaking in your normal voice, you need to relax your body. If you become tense during an encounter with something new, your pup will follow your lead.  

In a recent study Swedish researchers compared the stress levels in dogs to their owners. They did this by measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the hairs of both the dogs and their owners.  It was found that there was a strong correlation between the dogs long-term stress levels and their owners.

Puppy Socialization Mistakes Number 3 Bring your dog to a dog park.

3. Bring your puppy to a dog park

Dog parks are not a place you want to bring your puppy. There are many dangers lurking in a dog park that you cannot see. Since young puppies are not fully vaccinated they are vulnerable to picking up diseases in the park.   Canine diseases can be transmitted either through direct contact with a sick dog, through animal feces or picked up through the soil and water bowls.  Did you know that Canine Parvovirus can live in contaminated soil for a very long time?  Even if there is no other dogs at the dog park you still run the risk of your dog getting sick.

To learn more about the risk of disease at dog parks, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s page on Dogs’ Social Lives and Disease Risks – Tips for Canine and Human Safety

In addition to the risk of disease, you risk your puppy getting hurt by another dog. Larger dogs may look at a small puppy running around and view them as prey.  Even dogs with the best recall might ignore their owners when the hunt is on.

In dog parks you often cannot control the situation.  We took our adult dog to the dog park once.  It was a very bad experience. Once she was loose in the park, she was mobbed by a pack of dogs.  They were mostly friendly, but being surrounded by dogs was overwhelming for her.  Plus there were a few dogs that wanted to show their dominant by nipping at her. The other dog owners did nothing to help. Remember when you socialize your puppy you want to make sure all the experiences are positive.

For more information about the dangers of Dog Parks read; Dog Park Concerns and Tips on How to Protect your Dog

Puppy in cart

4. Taking your puppy to any kind of pet store

Pet Stores have some of the same issues as dog parks.  You won’t know if the other dogs there are aggressive or if they might be sick. Although you shouldn’t have to worry about loose dogs roaming the store, it is still possible for an aggressive dog to lunge at your puppy as they walk by.  It is also not uncommon to see a store employee cleaning up after an accident.  Remember, canine diseases can last a long time and are hard to kill.

If must bring your puppy to a pet supply store you should carry him at all times.  I recommend never taking your puppy into a place that sells puppies.  To understand why read the Humane Society of US investigation of puppy stores: HSUS undercover investigation reveals more sick, dead puppies at Petland stores

5. Taking your puppy from their mother too soon

Some breeders will allow you to take your puppy home at 6 weeks old. This is generally not recommended.  According to the AKC article What Is the Best Age to Send Puppies to Their New Homes?, “most veterinarians and breeders agree that 7-to-8 weeks of age is the prime time for a puppy to meet its new family.”  Prior to this age your puppy’s first teachers should be their mother and littermates. It’s at this time that puppies are learning to be dogs. Through play they learn what is acceptable and what is not. This includes learning impulse control and bite inhibition through feedback from their mother and siblings.

6. Overwhelm your puppy

One of the common puppy socialization mistakes is trying to do too much too fast.  I know, because I have been there. We received a puppy socialization checklist at our first puppy kindergarten class. It must have had 50 or more recommendations of things we should expose our puppy to.  Just looking at the list was overwhelming to me. It’s natural to want to combine a few items on the list. However, it’s more important that each experience is a positive one, even if you don’t accomplish everything on the list.

In my post 5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize your Puppy, I mentioned how we invited our neighbors over to meet our puppy. When doing this we always made sure it was only one or two people at a time.  If we invited the whole neighborhood over to meet her at the same time, she would most likely become over stimulated by all the attention.  You need to make sure every encounter is a safe and comfortable one. Also it is very important that your puppy has a way to retreat if they are feeling overwhelmed.  

Happyoodles.com Puppy Socialization Mistakes Puppy playing outside

7. Socialize them outside of the house too soon.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that you wait until at least 7 days after your puppy has received their first round of vaccines and a first deworming before you begin to socialize them outside of your home.  The first round of vaccines and deworming generally happen at around 7-8 weeks of age.  However these are general guidelines. You should ask your veterinarian when it is safe for your puppy to go to public places.   Puppies that are taken out in public before their first round of vaccines run the risk of picking up a disease.   Puppies should then be kept up to date on all vaccines going forward.

8. Start the socialization process too late

Because of health concerns some people wait until their puppy is fully vaccinated at 4 months old.  If you wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated you will miss out on the critical socialization period. This is the period where sociability outweighs fear. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that “the most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life.”

Puppy socialization Mistakes - Puppy with red ball

9. Restraining your pup while introducing something new

This is one of the puppy socialization mistakes I see most often.  The typical scenario is when two puppies meet for the first time.  The puppies are pulling on their leash to get closer and the owners are pulling them in the opposite direction.  While this might make sense to do with your older dog, restraining your puppy while they are investigating someone or something new will signal to them that this is something to be afraid of.

Try not to restrain your puppy when you introduce them to something or someone. As long as you know the situation is safe, give your pup a chance to explore without restraining them.

10. You wing it

Every time you introduce your puppy to something or someone new you should be in control of the situation.  Do your research.  You should know what to expect ahead of time.  Some things you should think about when deciding to take your puppy out to socialize them are:  

  • How might the puppy react?
  • Will there be a lot of people there?
  • Will it be overwhelming for your puppy?
  • It is safe?
  • Will there be other dogs?
  • Is there a safe place for them to retreat?

Taking your puppy out somewhere and hoping for the best is not the right way to safely socialize your pup.

These 10 mistakes are not the only puppy socialization mistakes one can make, but it is a good start.  

For more information on puppy training, check out these posts:

5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize your Puppy

Socializing your puppy before they turn 4 months old will lead to a confident and well behaved dog. This is because a well socialized pup is so much easier to train. When a puppy is not properly socialized they tend to be fearful. That fear causes them to be less focused on you and more focused on what they are afraid of. This makes training very difficult. But you need to socialize them in a safe manner before they are fully vaccinated. Join us as we review 5 safe and easy ways to socialize your puppy.

If you are unfamiliar with puppy socialization, or why you should socialize your puppy a good place to start is to read the How to Socialize A Puppy – Made Easy

5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize your Puppy

1. Join a Puppy Social

Puppy socials are a great, easy and safe way to expose your young puppy to other dogs, people and experiences.   Many dog trainers will offer puppy socials for their clients.  Unlike puppy kindergarten or dog training, puppy socials do not provide training.  The main purpose of a puppy social is to give puppy owners a safe place to bring their puppy to play with other puppies.  

In addition to providing a safe place for puppies to meet and play, a good puppy social should offer other experiences like obstacles to play on, toys to share and different surfaces to explore.  

The puppy social should have enough trained staff to watch over the puppies and handle any issue that may arise. Puppies should be separated based on size and energy level to avoid injury.

Also there should be a requirement to provide proof of up-to-date vaccines and deworming before attending a social.   If you find a puppy social that does not have this requirement, look elsewhere.

What to Look For in a Puppy Social:

  • Requires proof of up-to-date vaccines and deworming
  • Located in a clean environment, with safety features and an easy to clean floor
  • Separates puppies by size and energy levels
  • Has adequate trained supervision

To learn more about what to expect at a Puppy Socialization class and to read about our own experience taking our puppy to a class go to Puppy Social- What to expect

2. Setup a Puppy Play Date

If you are unable to go to a puppy social you can create your own.  Invite a couple of friends and their pups for an hour of free play in a fenced in backyard. All puppies should be healthy and up-to-date with their vaccines and deworming.

Make sure all the dogs have a good temperament and are none aggressive.  Larger dogs may view smaller puppies as prey so you should try to invite the same sized dogs to the party. Also try to keep the dog’s ages close.  An older dog probably would not like a bunch of young puppies running around and jumping on them.

If you don’t have access to a safe, fenced-in backyard, an unfinished basement can work.  Remember to take a water break and then a bathroom break halfway through the time allotted to limit the potential accidents.

All dog owners should stay for the romp to make sure their pup behaves.  Any aggressive dogs should be removed from the area.

To break up the excitement and to give the puppies a chance to rest you can sprinkle plain cheerios around for them to find.   This should not be done around any dog that has shown food aggression.

Tip: Do not meet at a dog park. Dog parks hold many dangers for young puppies. To learn more about the dangers of dog parks and how you can protect your dog read: Dog Park Concerns and Tips on How to Protect your Dog

3. Go For a Ride

Whether it is a trip to the vet or a family vacation unless you live in a city (and never leave) most dogs will need to get used to going for a car ride.  Despite the many pictures of happy dogs with their heads sticking out the window of a moving car, enjoying a car ride is a learned reaction. It is also one of the safer socialization activities you can expose your young pup too, as long as you don’t take them out of the car.    

Because many puppies can experience motion sickness, it is best to start taking short trips and built up to longer ones.   It is also important to make the trips fun.  If the only time they go for a ride is to go to the vet to be poked they will associate a ride in the car with pain and discomfort.

To make the trip more enjoyable have someone sit with the puppy so they don’t feel isolated.  The puppy should be secured in the middle seat with either a car restraint or a carrier for their safety and yours.  Give your puppy a favorite toy that they only get on car rides to take their mind off of the motion of the car. You can also play soothing music.  But don’t coddle your puppy.   A trip in the car should be viewed as no big deal.   

A Word on Motion Sickness

As I mentioned before puppies are prone to motion sickness, but according to the VCA “Many puppies will “outgrow” motion sickness by the time they’re about 1 year old.” To reduce the risk of motion sickness you should:

  • Wait several hours after eating before going for a ride.
  • Secure the puppy in the middle of the car where they can look forward
  • Take short trips and gradually move up to longer ones
  • Keep the car cool
  • Open the windows to reduce the pressure on your pup’s ears

When you are able to move up to longer rides remember to bring water and stop often if they are prone to get sick.

4. Have a Meet and Greet

Having a meet and greet in your home is a great way for your puppy to meet a variety of people in a safe environment. Setting up times for people to come over and meet your new puppy is an easy way to socialize them.

When we brought Bella home it didn’t take long for the neighborhood kids to start coming over to meet our new puppy.   We limited their visits to one at a time and no longer than a ½ hour at a time.  This allowed Bella to meet children of all different ages, looks and personalities in the comfort of her own home.  

We also invited our adult neighbors and our extended family members to come visit our newest addition.  When people came over we asked that they remove their shoes and wash their hands before going near her to reduce the risk of Bella picking up a disease from the outside. As with the kids, we only allowed one or two adults to meet her at a time. Too many people can overwhelm a young puppy.

In addition to the in house meet and greets we would carry Bella out with us each morning to wait for the school bus to come.  The kids loved the opportunity to pet her soft fur and get puppy kisses. 

5. Puppy Kindergarten

Puppy kindergarten is more than just a dog training class for puppies.  A good puppy kindergarten will provide time for puppies to mingle and play together. Plus experienced trainers will further your pup’s socialization by introducing them to new experiences through role playing.

For more information on Puppy Socialization:

Puppy Socialization Basics

Why Puppy Socialization is So Important

If you have or are planning to get a new puppy, you may have heard that the key to a happy, well-adjusted, well behaved dog is to socialize them properly as a puppy.  The reason for this is that puppy socialization teaches your puppy about the world around them. Through interactions with other living and non living things, they will learn what is safe and what is not. It also teaches your puppy how they should react to commmon situations. A puppy that has not been socialized properly may grow up to be fearful of the unknown

To give you an idea of just how important it is to socialize your puppy the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior issued a position statement on the subject.  In AVSAB’s Position Statement on Puppy Socialization, it states that “it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated”.  They go on to say that “early and adequate socialization and programs of positive training can go a long way to preventing behavior problems”. Studies have shown that behavior problems are caused by poor socialization and is the number 1 reason dogs are surrendered to shelters. It is also the primary cause of death for dogs under three years of age. 

Having had a dog that was not properly socialized as a puppy, I can attest that it does cause you and your dog hardships for their entire life.

Our Story

After having a rescue dog with many behavioral and medical issues we decided that our next dog would not be a rescue. This time we were going to look for a reputable local breeder.    But we really didn’t know what breed of dog we wanted, so we decided to look at puppy stores just to see what was available.  This of course, was a mistake.

Molly

Molly was the cutest, little tail wagging puppy I had ever seen.   She was a 2 month old friendly English Springer Spaniel that just wanted to play.  When we took her to a room to play with her she was so excited that she was literally sliding up the walls. I told my husband that she was too hyper for us (actually I told him the dog was crazy) and that we shouldn’t buy from a puppy store, but he was falling for her.   I convinced him not buy her and left the store.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about her and two months later he stopped by the store to find that she was still there.  After hearing that she was going to be put down, we decided to buy her at a steeply discount price.  

At this point Molly had been living in the store for two months.  Since she was a puppy mill puppy, I assume she was born in a crate and lived in one until she was shipped thousands of miles to the store.  

We knew puppy mill puppies could have medical issues, what we didn’t know at the time was that living in that environment for so long, severely affected her social skills. 

Social Skills

Soon after bringing her home we started noticing Molly’s lack of social awareness.  Since she was four months old and fully vaccinated we were free to take her out for walks to the local park. We had a friend that lived near the park that we would visit on the way.   There we would meet up with other dog parents to chat and our pups were free to mingle. But Molly always seemed to annoy the other dogs.   She didn’t notice the social clues they were giving her.  One day, one of the adult dogs snapped at her.  She took notice at the time, but continued to be clueless around other dogs. This lead to her being bit in the park by an older dog who did not appreciate her high energy.  

When she turned 6 months we sent her to doggy day care a few times a week to socialize with other dogs, but just like at the park she didn’t seem to be able to get along with the other dogs.  Again she was bitten. By the time she was 1 year old she started to go on the offense. When she met another dog, she would bite them before they bit her.  This was a problem. 

Afraid of People

Molly was also afraid of people.   She was ok with adults, though she would urinate whenever an adult would pay attention to her, sometimes on their feet.  Children were a different story.  She was afraid to let them near her.  If they got too close she would let out a warning bark.   We were afraid that one day she would bite a child, like she did with dogs.

Over time she learned to trust people and we learned she could not be near other dogs.   Although we were able to correct some of her issues through training, she never completely overcame her fears. I do believe all her issues arose from not being socialized at that critical stage in her life.

What is Puppy Socialization? 

What is Puppy Socialization? Gray puppy with black cat

Socializing your puppy means introducing them to as many new people, places, sounds, and experiences that can be safely achieved without causing overstimulation. The optimal time to socialize your puppy is before they are 3 months old. Sometime between the ages of 3 and 4 months your puppy will naturally start to become weary of the unknown.  Now that doesn’t mean you should stop socializing them after 4 months. It just means they are the most open to new things before 3 months old.

But exposing your pup to new experiences is not enough. You want to teach them how to react when encountering something new.  To do this you must be calm when exposing them to new situations.  You can also use distraction as a way to keep your pup calm. Giving them their favorite treat can turn a frightening experience into a pleasant one.

In a recent study Swedish researchers compared the stress levels in dogs to their owners by measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their hair.  It was found that there was a strong correlation between the dogs long-term stress levels and their owners.

When to Start Socializing

Puppies start the socialization process when they are still with their litter.  They follow clues from their mother regarding the rules of the house and they learn about proper play through interactions with their littermates.   But when you bring your puppy home, you become their primary teacher.

Socialization can begin inside your house as soon as you bring them home.  Introduce them to the other members of your family, to where they will sleep and to their new food bowls.  If you plan to crate train them, you should introduce them to the crate.

For simple steps to get you started on crate training read: Crate Training Made Easy

According to the AVSAB position you can start to socialize them in safe places outside of your home once your puppy has received their first set of vaccinations and deworming at around 7 to 8 weeks old.

How to Socialize a Puppy  

The socialization process can be broken down into main three categories:

Handling

How to socialize a puppy - Black puppy

Handling means getting your pup used to being touched, either by you, family members, the groomer, the veterinarian or other people.  It can be as simple as having new people pet them or a trip to the veterinarian.

When working on handling your pup, think about all the things that might be done to your pup as they grow up. Things like grabbing their ears, looking in their ears, holding their paws, touching their nose, rubbing their tummy and holding them in your lap.

Interactions

Interactions are meeting new people, dogs, or other animals.   Make sure you introduce your pup to a wide range of people and animals.  

Puppy Socials are a great way to introduce your pup to new people and puppies in a safe place.   Most puppy socials are run by professional trainers who require proof that the puppies are up-to-date with their vaccinations and deworming.   Not only will your pup get to meet and play with other puppies, you get the benefit of a trainer who can help you understand what normal play is versus aggressive play.  To learn more about Puppy Socials read Puppy Socialization Classes- What to expect

Experiences

Puppy Socialization Basics - Puppy on blue stand

Experiences can be anything your dog may encounter in their life.  Think about how you plan to include your dog in your activities, than slowly introduce them to it. Start out with a less stressful experience like getting used to wearing a collar and walking on a leash. When they have mastered that you can move on to a more stressful situation like walking on the sidewalk on a busy street. 

A good way to provide experiences in a safe environment is to go to Puppy Kindergarten. In Puppy Kindergarten, your pup will be exposed to different dog owners and their pups. In addition to new people and dogs they will learn basic commands like sit, stay and come. They will also be exposed to things like being handled by a trainer or playing on different surfaces. However, if you find a puppy kindergarten or puppy social that does not require proof of vaccines and deworming look for another place.

Here are 5 Safe and Easy Ways to Socialize your Puppy before they are four months old.

Don’t Overdo It

White puppy laying down

Remember not to overdo it. Puppy socialization should take place over time with time in between for your puppy to rest and feel safe.  Too much too soon can cause your puppy to become over stimulated and stressed. The main purpose of puppy socialization is to help your pup feel confident with the world around them.  A confident, at ease dog will be easy to control and a pleasure to be with.

Sometimes, even though we have the best of intentions, we still make mistakes during the socialization process.   I sure know I have. Here are 10 common puppy socialization mistakes you don’t want to make.

To learn more about puppy socialization and training read: