Early Puppy Socialization
Why You Should NOT Wait Until Your Dog Has All Its Shots
It seems to be Standard Operating Procedure for some “byb” breeders, rescue groups, veterinarians, and many others to recommend to you to not let your puppy’s feet hit the ground until they have all their shots. Many take this even further and say don’t let your dog around other dogs until they have all their shots.
It needs to change, safely.
Blows my mind.
Puppy Socialization
Yes, I have to preface yet again, I’m not a vet, but…. If you have received your dog from a reputable breeder, and the health of the mother is good, your dog is going to have immunity from the mother for a period of time. The puppy schedule for vaccines suggested by Dr. Jean Dodds and other holistic veterinarians is designed to keep the immunity high while your puppy’s own immune system mounts immunity to the diseases for which we vaccinate. So, if we believe the vaccines work and you are smart about outings and socialization — you shouldn’t have to worry. Certainly not to the degree that everyone seems to believe in today’s day and age!
Healthy Bodies make terrible hosts. Focus on your dog’s nutrition and natural wellness.
Socialization is crucial for a puppy's development. Avoiding outings & meeting other puppies and adult dogs can be detrimental to a puppy's mental and physical health. Many of you are waiting way too late to take your pup out and about and to meet other dogs.
Unfortunately, many pet owners believe that they should wait until their puppy has received all its vaccinations before socializing them. While it's true that puppies may be more vulnerable to diseases and infections, delaying socialization until they have all their shots can be more harmful than helpful. Here's why:
You cannot get development time back, and if negative imprints are made they are much harder to undo later than when your pup is a pup. I’m really good at what I do, but trust me it’s easier to create these experiences as a puppy than it is to try and fix them later.
A very important developmental period is between 3 to 16 weeks of age during which puppies are most receptive to new experiences. Ideally, your breeder/rescue has kept your puppy until around 9 weeks of age. And hopefully, they have done a lot of prep work for you. Unless your puppy is a singleton, he at least had siblings to learn from. Now it’s time to take on the big scary world with you!
After this period, it becomes more challenging to introduce them to new experiences, and they may become fearful or aggressive towards them. Waiting until your puppy has all its shots to socialize them means you miss this critical period and may hinder their socialization process.
Early socialization can prevent behavior problems
Socialization can prevent behavior problems in adult dogs, including aggression, separation anxiety, and fearfulness. Puppies who miss out on socialization are more likely to develop these problems, which can be challenging to correct later on. Early socialization provides the foundation for a well-adjusted, confident, and socialized adult dog.
Your puppy is more likely to develop behavior problems if isolated
Puppies who are isolated and do not receive proper socialization are more likely to develop behavior problems than those who are socialized correctly. These problems include fearfulness, separation anxiety, and aggression. Waiting until your puppy has all its shots to socialize them means you miss out on valuable opportunities to prevent these problems.
So how can you socialize smartly and keep your dog healthy
Puppies can still socialize without being exposed to potential diseases.
I got Poppy at 8 weeks of age. And truth of the matter is, her mama probably did not have the best care — after all they were both found on the side of the road. I took her literally everywhere with me for the first several months. She rode in the car in a crate, Starbucks, drive throughs, the beach, and RV, went to lessons with me, and so on. I took her to the playground and let children pet her, we visited people, we played with other dogs. We did everything!
Meeting Other Dogs
You can still socialize your puppy without exposing them to potential diseases. For instance, you can introduce them to neighbors, friends and family who have healthy dogs and have a playdate in your yard. No, don’t take them to the dog park. But a controlled environment provides opportunities for your puppy to socialize safely. Some well-maintained training centers will have appropriate puppy play groups — these are fantastic.
You can take your dog to the park and practice a few skills while you sit on a mat! Meet a neighbor with their dog at the park and sit and watch the kids play. This is an amazing social experience for your pup!
Without proper dog-to-dog socialization, puppies may develop anxiety, fear, and aggression, which can be challenging to correct later on. They also miss learning opportunities that are very important from friendly, balanced adult dogs, and from other puppies. My Great Dane Lexie was an excellent puppy raiser, and so is Poppy. A well-balanced adult dog will match the play style of a puppy, but also correct them appropriate for nonsense behaviors. This is so important!
If you have a dog friend at home that’s excellent and helpful. But it is NOT a socialization experience. In fact, your two dogs could bond in such a way they become inappropriate with other dogs that you may see on your walk, along your fence line, visiting your home, etc. It’s so important to let your new puppy meet new friends that are not part of your family pack.
Meeting People
Take your puppy to Lowes, Home-Depot, Hobby Lobby, or other pet-friendly places and let them ride in the shopping cart. Greet friendly strangers and have them offer your puppy a treat (one that you provide). Go visit a neighbor and check out their house and yard.
Unless your community is having an outbreak of parvo, go to Starbucks and sit outside with your pup on a mat. Clean his little feet when you leave and get back to the car. (I use Thieves wipes for this!)
People and new environments is a critical step if you plan to take your dog with you to new places in everyday life, visitors, etc. It’s especially important if you plan to have your dog become a service dog, therapy dog, or travel companion.
Remember, Socialization is not limited to greeting other dogs and people! Socialization includes new environments, people from all walks of life (men in hats, women in sun glasses, motorcycle helmets, trash trucks, school busses), sounds (vacuums, motorcycles, dogs barking), motions (ballons, Halloween decorations), visuals, and so much more to help prepare your puppy for all that life has to offer.