Socialisation is about giving our dogs the best possible start in life, which will prepare them for living happily in a human world. We want our dogs to get on well with other animals and to be able to cope with a wide variety of different everyday experiences and situations. 
 
The first 12 -16 weeks of a puppy’s life are the most important weeks of their entire lives. This period is also known as the critical socialisation period and for good reason.

It is critical to socialise our dogs if we want them to grow into well-rounded adults. During this period we need them to learn as much as possible about their new world and how to interact with it and at the same time, we want them to learn that these things, are in the most part, not only safe, but can be a great experience too.  
 
During this critical period, it is essential to expose our puppies in a safe and gentle way, to meet a wide range of people, (including children), dogs, other animals, environments and objects, as often as we possibly can. Sounds are also something that they need to get used to so they don't become fearful, whether it be the vacuum, hair dryer, lawn mower or a loud motorbike.
 
After this period passes, anything unfamiliar will be treated with caution, which ultimately could lead to fear and aggression.

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Why Socialise?

Puppies that are well socialised grow up to be friendly, confident and happy dogs who enjoy being around people, and other animals and will take new experiences in their stride.
Unfortunately, a dog that has had inadequate or incomplete socialisation as a puppy, can often go on to develop a range of behavioural problems centred around avoidance, fear and aggression. 
 
These problems may manifest as aggressiveness towards other dogs and animals, fear of people, not liking being touched or handled and other fear related behaviour. A natural response of a dog that is frightened is to be aggressive and even bite if it feels it has no option or other way of getting out of the situation.
 
Dogs that have had inadequate socialisation are often difficult for many owners to live with and this may result in the dog being rehomed or in extreme cases, put to sleep.
 

How do I Socialise?

Well the good news is that socialisation is easy to do, you just need to do it regularly.
 
From the moment the puppy is born, the clock is ticking and so ideally the puppy socialisation should have started with the breeder. If your puppy was born into a quiet house or worse still, a shed or a kennel, you will need to do your best to catch up on lost time. With all puppies though, the sooner you start, the better.
 
You will need to carefully and systematically expose your puppy to as many new experiences as possible in these critical first few weeks of life. First experiences have the biggest impact on puppies, so the first time your puppy sees a strange person, ask them to give puppy a really tasty treat - imagine the puppy thinking “wow, that was interesting and I got a tasty treat too.”
 
Take them to as many places as you can and give them a good time. Try to think ahead and do all you can to ensure that your puppy does not have an unpleasant or scary experience. Don’t let puppy become overwhelmed with too much all at once, if they appear frightened or overwhelmed, give them some more distance by moving away and let them come back when they are ready. Have some tasty treats at the ready, make these new experiences even more pleasurable. Finally, when you are done, take them home for a well-earned rest. 
 
A good way to plan socialisation is to write down all the people, places and objects you are likely to come across and start ticking them off as you puppy experiences them.
 
If your puppy has not completed its course of vaccinations, it does not mean you cannot take it out - by following some simple rules you can still benefit from the opportunity to socialise and at the same time reduce the risk of infectious diseases: -
• You should not let your puppy mix with unvaccinated dogs.
• You should avoid walking your dog in areas where there is a high amount of dog activity.
• Ask visitors to remove their outdoor shoes before coming into the puppy area.
• Do carry your puppy to avoid contact with areas that other dogs may have soiled.

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Socialisation and Vaccination 

While puppies’ immune systems are still developing during these early months, the combination of maternal immunity, primary vaccination, and appropriate care makes the risk of infection relatively small when compared to the chance of death from a behaviour problem in later life.

Vets specialising in behaviour recommend that owners take advantage of every safe opportunity to expose young puppies to the great variety of things that they will experience in their lives.

Enrolling in puppy classes prior to three months of age can be an excellent means of improving training, strengthening the human-animal bond, and socialising puppies in an environment where risk of illness can be minimised.

In general, puppies can start puppy socialisation classes as early as 10 weeks of age. Puppies should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the 1st class but always seek veterinary advice.

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Socialisation sessions

Local veterinary practices or pet shops often run puppy parties, these are a great way to kick-start the socialisation process. Or invite a vaccinated, friendly dog into your garden for a meet and greet.

It is always difficult choosing a puppy class, look for classes that emphasise socialisation for very young puppies and use reward based training methods - you are always welcome to come and view our classes. We use positive reinforcement techniques, hand signals as well as voice cues, not forgetting that all important off-lead play!

Why is Socialisation Such a Big Deal Anyway?

All animals are inclined toward what’s called 'neophobia' the tendency to react fearfully to things that are new. And animals that are afraid engage in fight or flight responses, which is where fear and aggression problems originate. So puppies that are not socialised to a wide volume and variety of strangers are at huge risk of ending up fearful and aggressive to unfamiliar people.

The earlier you start socialising the puppy the better. Nobody knows for certain when it is too late to socialise but all behaviour experts agree the earlier the better. Dogs are sensitive to differences among people and so socialisation also needs to be wide-ranging. The puppy should encounter and get tasty food treats in the presence of:
· Men, including those with all manner of facial hair, women, children of all ages 
· Babies, strollers, carriages, baby bags, baby smells, baby sounds 
· People wearing hats, sunglasses, backpacks, iPods, headphones
· Childrens behaviour: running, skipping, playing, laughing, screaming, children in large unruly groups, wielding implements and on playground equipment 
· People with unusual gaits, using wheelchairs and canes, on bicycles 

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Make socialising fun with plenty of tasty treats along the way.