Socialization: Noises, People, & Environments
Amidst all of the puppy playing, eating, and cuddle time, socialization is a critical component to raising a confident puppy who is comfortable with many different types of noise, people, and environments. Well socialized puppies are more confident and happy, have less behavioral problems, are less destructive, and have a lower stress and fear level. Most of this critical time period is while the puppies are with their mama and in the care of the breeder - between 3-12 weeks of life. Proper socialization builds confidence and resilience in puppies, helping them navigate new situations with ease. A well-socialized puppy is more likely to grow into a calm, adaptable adult dog who can handle the ups and downs of daily life. This window of opportunity is short, and what they experience during this time greatly influences their future behavior!
Let’s talk about noise socialization
If the breeder has a quiet home with only one or two adults, they will have to be really intentional with adding in new noises for the puppies! Our five teenagers and three adult golden retrievers help us tremendously with noise socialization…naturally! New “upsetting” noises need to be introduced after the puppies’ ears open and they can actually hear the world around them - around 2.5 to 3 weeks old. Start with quiet music and gradually add in some disturbing noises such as the vacuum, a hair dryer, door shutting, phones chiming/beeping, pots and pans clanging, big dogs barking, the sound of cars driving by, and if weather and seasons permit introduce a lawn mower and fireworks! Again, start with gentle noise introductions and allow the puppies to startle and recover. Reassure them if needed, and then allow the sound to occur again to let them know everything is going to be a-okay!
Introduction to many types of people
A fantastic goal would be to introduce your puppy to at least 100 different types of people by 12 weeks of age. Now is not the time to hangout at home or be shy! Have your puppy meet different men, women, children, old, young, people with beards (yes - this can be scary!), different ethnicities, and different sizes & shapes of individuals. If you have many groups of people coming to your home, this might be easier. If not, you’ll want to make an effort to bring your puppy places where they can meet many types of people. Parks, parking lots, near schools, the hardware store, and downtown at an outdoor restaurant patio are just a few ideas of places to meet a variety of individuals. Anywhere your puppy is allowed to join you, bring them along! It will have life-long positive effects on their temperament and well being.
New environments and challenges
As your puppy grows, you can start to introduce them to anything that is safe for them to come in contact with! Take your puppy with you on as many outings as possible. Introducing your puppy to random and strange items can minimize surprise later on or reduce the risk of your pup being afraid of an innocent object or surface. Expose your pup to all kinds of textures, types of flooring, nature, and smells. Creating small challenges for the puppy builds confidence and engages their brains in a powerful way. Build a small obstacle course or have them navigate walking through puddles, over a bridge, across low stable rocks, on a crinkly tarp, through a tunnel, etc.
Important Note!
Please…before your puppy is fully vaccinated and you have the go-ahead from your vet, do not expose them to other dogs with unknown vaccination status. Keep this in mind when heading out to environments where other dogs might be present and do not let your puppy interact with dogs you do not know until they are fully vaccinated.
