When to bring your puppy home
If you are planning to get a puppy, the best time to bring it home is at around seven weeks old. Until then it needs to be with its mother and littermates. From seven weeks, it is very important for a puppy to start interacting with people.
New friends
Socialisation is the process by which a puppy forms bonds with other living beings around it. The first months of life shape what kind of dog it will become. If it does not have enough chances to interact during this time, the damage cannot be undone later. It shows up as fearfulness, shyness or aggression.
The most sensitive period for socialisation is the first twelve weeks of a puppy's life. Start from the first day at home and carry on until your puppy is fully grown.
First, calmly introduce your puppy to one person, then gradually bring in more people and noisier surroundings. Invite friends and relatives who have pets to your home so they can meet and play with your puppy.
Once your vet says your puppy is sufficiently protected (read more about vaccination), take it out for walks as often as you can. At first, avoid places with a higher risk of disease, such as local parks or areas where stray dogs go.
To make new encounters pleasant, give your puppy a small biscuit every time it meets someone. Once it has learned the "Sit" command, ask it to sit when you meet someone and let that person give it a treat. This teaches your puppy to greet people calmly instead of rushing at or jumping up on guests and passers-by.
All kinds of people, including children
Your puppy needs to meet, and get treats from, people of all ages and appearances. If it grows up in a narrow circle, for example only among adults or only among women, it may later become fearful or aggressive when it meets people who look or behave differently, such as children or men with beards.
Even if there are no small children at home, your dog will come across them from time to time. To some puppies, children seem like a different species altogether, because they walk, behave and talk differently from adults. If your puppy does not have pleasant experiences with children in its first months, it may never feel safe around them. Try to give it plenty of chances to play with children.
Puppy training classes
Puppy training classes are another good way to start early socialisation. The modern view is that training is best started while the puppy has not yet picked up bad habits and is learning very quickly. Many places run puppy training and socialisation classes that accept puppies from three months of age. In these classes your puppy not only starts a training programme but also meets other puppies and people. Ask your vet about classes in your area.
Avoid training that uses physical punishment, such as hitting, tapping the nose or rubbing the nose in mess. Punishment at a young age damages a puppy's relationship with people. It may only learn to fear a human hand, or start biting out of fear.
In the first months, also avoid contact with people who might make your puppy anxious.
Getting used to sounds and situations
Habituation means getting your puppy used to a changing environment. As it grows, new sounds and situations can make it anxious or afraid, so start early and regularly expose your puppy to a variety of sights, sounds, smells and situations.
For example, frequent short car journeys will get your puppy used to travelling and reduce anxiety in the car, as long as nothing unpleasant happens on those trips. Also get it used to:
- traffic noise
- sirens
- aeroplanes
- water
- lifts
- alarm clocks
If your puppy is overly cautious in a new situation or with an unfamiliar stimulus, start with mild versions. Every time it behaves confidently, reward it with a tasty treat. Move on to stronger stimuli gradually. If there are not many of these around you, you can buy recordings of everyday sounds.
Never give a treat when your puppy feels unsafe or is behaving fearfully. This rewards the wrong behaviour and only encourages it to be afraid.
Socialising your puppy and "polishing" its character takes a fair amount of time and effort. It pays off when your puppy grows into a sociable, friendly dog.
