Home Puppy Training – What is Socialisation?- Eazy Dog Training

What Is Socialisation?

Socialisation is the process by which puppies learn how to live in our human world. It involves meeting and having pleasant encounters with different types of people, dogs and other animals. It also involves becoming used to a wide range of situations, sounds, sights, smells and environments such as being washed, health checks, busy streets and cafes etc. Quite often people focus on playing with other dogs as their socialisation but this is only a very small part of the actual socialisation training needed – and not even the most important one if you ask me!

Between three and 12 weeks of age, a puppy needs to meet a wide variety of people, situations and other animals. This is crucial for their development. 

Experiences during the first year of a dog’s life can make all the difference to their future temperament and character. Taking the time to socialise a puppy can result in a friendly, well-adjusted adult dog who enjoys the company of people, can be taken anywhere and lives life to the full! A puppy who lacks positive experience with the world will find many things scary and is very likely to grow up to be an anxious dog. A timid and anxious dogs are more likely to develop behaviour problems than dogs who have had a rich, varied and positive puppyhood.

The Sooner The Better

The younger the puppy, the easier it will be to socialise them. As puppies get older, they become more cautious with new experiences. The early weeks are very important because most puppies will approach anything or anybody willingly and without any fear. By the time a puppy reaches 12 weeks of age, anything not yet encountered is likely to be approached with caution. How much socialisation training is done at this early age will determine how confident a puppy is around people, other dogs and new environments later in life. That’s why a puppy schools is recommended as early as possible, from 8 weeks of age. Some puppy owners think they should wait until the last vaccination at 16 weeks but then it’s too late.

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