Puppy Socialisation and Habituation

One of those skills is that we need our dogs to be social and safe when they encounter people and other dogs when out and about, and we need them to take in their stride all the things that form part of the day-to-day life of a modern companion dog. By doing this, you prevent many future behaviour problems and avoid a dog who may have fears and phobias, or be reactive and worried.

This doesn’t happen naturally – it happens as a result of the experiences and interactions your dog has in their early weeks of life. This takes a lot of work, first from the puppy’s breeder, and then from you as the new owner. But time spent on this vital part of your puppy’s life will pay off later as they turn into the go-anywhere dog of your dreams.

What is socialisation?

Most people know that puppies need to be socialised but few people really understand what that really means, how to do it and when to do it. The first thing to note is that there are two parts to what is usually just called ‘socialisation’.

The first, the actual socialisation bit, involves introducing the puppy positively to all the things you might want them to have a social relationship with (so play with and interact with). Generally this is just people and other dogs. It includes all kinds of people – women, men, children, babies, people with hats, people with umbrellas, people with flapping clothing… you get the picture.

This doesn’t mean however that they should charge up to every dog or every person they see! But it does mean that they can be calm and listen to you when they are around them, and be able to make friends and play where it is appropriate. 

It’s a bit like us going to a supermarket. We are social, in that we are happy to be around other people and will talk to those that we know or need to interact with, but we largely just get on with our shopping without the need to talk to everyone! 

The other bit, called habituation, is teaching the puppy that there are lots of things in their new life that while they could be potentially scary or wildly distracting, are just things to ignore and not get worried or excited about. This can be everything from vacuum cleaners to fireworks, joggers to livestock, traffic to cyclists and so on…

The socialisation window for puppies

The tricky bit of both part of this socialisation is that there are only certain times during the development of your puppy’s brain when these things can be learnt. After that the window of opportunity in the part of your dog’s development responsible for the soft skills and staying safe, closes - and the way that dog will react to people, other dogs, situations, their social skills and their behavioural competencies, are pretty much now set in stone, as once brain connections are made, they can’t easily be unmade.

The socialisation part starts when your puppy starts to become sentient at around 15 days old and finishes at about 14 weeks old (this varies in different breeds and types). During this time, a puppy is learning who their social group is, who they feel safe around, and who they are happy to look on as part of their family.

The habituation window for puppies

The habituation part is far shorter – as all animals need to learn very quickly what is safe and what is dangerous if they want to survive - and this starts at sentience and largely finishes at around 7 weeks old (some breeds differ) – although reassessments (“is it really safe?”) and generalisations (“I know it was safe when I was with the breeder but is it safe here too?”) are being made for a few more weeks.

Keeping it fun

And it’s not just introducing puppies to all these things either… It is about doing it in a positive fun way so they feel happy around these things. As well as learning what things are safe, they are also learning what things are scary or potentially dangerous – so when it comes to socialisation it’s as much how you do it as it is about what you do.

It’s easy to push a puppy into doing things that scare them. Either because you are luring them with treats, or just because you are bigger and stronger and don’t notice that your puppy is worried by something.

Let them approach everyone and everything in their own time. That mean they approach and retreat several times or that may mean that for now, it seems safer at a distance. Be quick to notice approaches and reward your puppy when they do – and of course, pair every new encounter with a treat!

How to socialise your puppy

So…how can we use this knowledge of our puppy’s early development to make sure our dogs are well adjusted and safe members of canine society?

• Make sure your puppy comes from a knowledgeable breeder who understands socialisation and habituation and has prioritised this both with the dogs they breed from and with their puppies. Much of the vital work happens in this time.
• Once the puppy comes home with you, make sure everyone in the family handles them gently, let’s all interactions be the puppy’s choice, and that they get time in the early weeks to learn to trust their new people.
• Make a chart for each week up to 16 weeks and include all the things you want your puppy to be social to, and not worried about. This could include different people, different dogs, traffic, trains, pubs, groomers… anything and everything you might need them to accept as an adult. Tick off every positive experience they get – and try to get three exposures to each one in each week! The chart will help you see what you might be missing.
• Do not allow your puppy to be frightened in these early weeks – but make sure they get a chance to see and hear all the usual household objects at a safe distance (vacuum cleaners etc.) – and reward them every time for ignoring them.
• Introduce them to a variety of different people – men, women, children… anyone you can find! Make sure they have good experiences with them – and are rewarded with treats from you to make the association that people mean ‘good stuff’. Make sure you are giving the treats, not the new person. You don’t want a dog who ignores you while they mug everyone they see for treats!
• While everyone loves a puppy, don’t let strangers interact with your puppy at a time when they can’t retreat (if you are holding them or if they are on a short lead or in a corner).
• Find a good puppy playgroup so they can mix with other dogs and people in a safe and controlled environment.
• Find an app with strange noises on it (thunderstorms, fireworks, gunshots etc) and play these quietly at random times when your puppy is doing fun stuff like playing or eating. This can reduce noise phobias. Watch your puppy carefully to make sure they’re not worried by this.
• Take them out and about as much as you can to a variety of places (carry them if they are pre-vaccination) – always making sure they are happy and not worried by anything. If anything gives them concern, move away from it and let them look from a safe distance. Give them plenty of treats to teach them that the world is a safe and wonderful place!
• If you have any concerns, find an appropriately trained and qualified behaviourist to help you.