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Puppy Socialization

Socialization Isn't Just Puppy Playtime

Socialization is the process of thoughtfully exposing your puppy to novel sights, smells, sounds,  textures, and people while helping them create positive associations. The easiest way to help convince them that new things are good is to pair the new thing with treats. See a dog? Treat. A kid on a scooter? Treat. A man with a baseball cap? Two treats! While you can–and should–continue socializing your dog through to maturity, the impact on your dog’s worldview will be much greater if you can expose them to novel experiences before they turn 16 weeks of age.

As always, be very mindful of your puppy’s body language. If they are showing signs of fear or anxiety (tail tucked, ears pinned back, corners of lips pulled back, making their body small, trying to run away), it’s important to get farther away from the “scary thing.” Otherwise, you actually risk sensitizing your puppy rather than desensitizing them–they will be more afraid than they were before. If your puppy appears to be scared or can’t stop staring, cheerfully walk your dog away from the “scary thing” and when your dog is able to look at the stimulus and then look back at you, pause there and give treats simply for looking and checking in with you.

Below are just a few of the many ways you can socialize your puppy at home to have a happy, confident, well-adjusted dog you can take anywhere after shelter-in-place ends. This list is not exhaustive by any means, so get creative and have fun!

Sight

Smell

Sound

Touch

Strangers

Sight

  • Create a discovery room where you continuously rearrange objects and furniture (even flipping a chair over makes it a new object).

  • Put up a tarp in the backyard.

  • Go outside on garbage day and watch the trash pickup from a safe distance.

  • Go on a walk to find bicycles, skateboards, and strollers.

  • Create an obstacle course using chairs and couch cushion.

  • Set up a tent in your living room and let your puppy explore in and around it.
  • Inflate a balloon or air mattress. Bring home a helium balloon (it’s the creepiest after it starts sinking on the second or third day.)
  • Blow bubbles for your puppy to chase and pop.

Smell

  • Ask your friends or family to mail you a sock of theirs and play hide & seek with it.

  • Use different lotions, soaps, or perfume everyday. You could use hotel soaps and lotions, or samples from Sephora.

  • Go for a drive around the neighborhood with the windows rolled down.

  • Put a couple drops of essential oils in your backyard. Or sprinkle some dried herbs around.

  • Let your dog sleep on a towel, and swap with a friend who has done the same with their dog (or other animal).

Sound

  • Pair treats with some sounds from this YouTube playlist.

  • Ask your Alexa or Google Home to play animal sounds (e.g., dogs, cats, cows, horses, owls, etc).

  • Find construction sites, leafblowers, and trucks in your neighborhood.

  • Find a video of a live concert or play other loud music.

  • Operate your blender or vacuum cleaner (initially, you may need a helper to assist in operating the blender while you treat in another room to ensure the intensity of the stimulus is low enough).

  • Play an instrument.

Touch

  • Flip your puppy’s metal crate pan upside down to turn it into a vet table! If your crate doesn’t have a metal pan, use a cookie sheet.

  • Work on body handling by trading treats for touches (all parts of their body). If they are sensitive (e.g., pulling away when you touch their paws), make it an extremely light touch and treat. Increase intensity over the course of days, not minutes.

  • Practice brushing their fur, clipping nails (start just by pushing their nails out and tapping their nail), cleaning ears, putting in eye drops, etc.

  • Have them step on as many textures as you can think of:
    – Grass
    – Brick
    – Cement or asphault
    – Wood chips
    – Sand
    –     Sandpaper
    – Plastic garbage bag
    – Aluminium foil
    – Shipping paper
    – Bubble wrap
    – Wobble board
    – Plywood ramp or seesaw (use a PVC pipe as fulcrum)
    – Trampoline
    – Tarp or tent

Strangers

  • Post up by a street-facing window and give your dog a treat every time someone walks past. Two treats for looking back at you.

  • Make a scarecrow in your backyard with PVC pipes and a coat hanger.

  • Walk around with a tennis racket or golf club while tossing treats at your puppy (think crossing guard).

  • Have a costume party and YOU be the “stranger.” You can even leave the house and come in through the front door. Here are some dress-up ideas:

    – Winter coat with a hood, ski goggles, helmet
    – Hats (baseball cap, wide-brimmed hat, beanie)
    – Feather boa, scarf
    – Sunglasses
    – Face mask
    – All of the above

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