I cannot begin to emphasize how important socializing your puppy is. Terri and I had an Australian Shepherd mix for 17 years that was a misery at times as a result of poor socialization and we learned our lesson, the hard way. Yes, she loved us and the family unconditionally but she displayed really scary fear aggression with all small mammals (including infant humans), nervous people, was very aggressive at the front door and did not play well with other animals. She even made our grandsons scared of dogs in general (which we later turned around with our lovely Golden Retrievers) The sad bit is all of this could have been prevented with just a little effort early on; we live and learn and I hope the following information can spare you that pain.
What is Socialization?
Socialization is essentially the act of acclimating your puppy to many new sights, sounds, smells and experiences that will help pave the way to a calm, confident and happy life. Proper socialization will make your Golden Retriever happier and YOU happier for the rest of your pet’s life. It can even save your fur baby’s life. Imagine a scary sound that makes the pet panic and that results in them running into a busy street!
When Should I Socialize My Dog?
The short answer is: always, but start EARLY. The prime time frame to socialize a dog is in the first four months of life. During this time the puppy is still trying to figure out the basics and has no clue about why anything should be scary. Socialization can be accomplished later but it’s much more difficult and time consuming at older ages because the dog now has experienced fear of
some sort and is more cautious. Even as a newborn puppy they can be introduced to human handling, petting and handling paws. You will likely get your puppy somewhere between 2 and 3 months old so start right away! Note that your puppy should be close to or completely done with it’s vaccination series before you venture much outside your own property.
How can I Socialize My Dog?
Remember that your puppy comes into this world only knowing what it feels and sounds like in the womb; everything after that is new; literally everything. The key is to find new sights, sounds, tastes, smells and tactile experiences and make them a positive experience. Always make each experience fun and reassuring. Here is a limited list of suggestions in no particular order but be creative; there is is am amazing amount of things you can safely do with a young puppy to get them socialized well.
- Walk on carpet, concrete, tile, grass, stairs, rocks, puddles, snow, crinkly plastic, tarps, dirt and any other safe surface you can dream up that does not hurt.
- Climb on things
- Toys
- Stairs
- YOU
- Rocks
- A pile of garden hose
- Ramps
- Introduce new people (every person looks, smells, tastes and sounds different)
- Introduce other animals.
- Use some care here. Make sure the animal is clean, properly vaccinated, properly supervised and provide a positive experience for the puppy. Start slow and watch closely and constantly encourage.
- Dogs
- Supervise but try to let them sort out their own relationship if you can. Other dogs may eventually wrinkle their noses or even bare teeth. These things are ways that dogs communicate their feelings. don’t allow true threats or attacks but some amount of posturing is normal.
- Cats
- supervise closely. If you can find a Rag Doll cat, they tend to be the gentlest
- Lizards (don’t let the puppy eat them)
- Ferrets
- Chickens (careful here, chickens can be dirty and tend to peck – don’t scare your puppy – a fence between them is probably wise at first)
- Hamsters
- Birds
- Dogs
- Use some care here. Make sure the animal is clean, properly vaccinated, properly supervised and provide a positive experience for the puppy. Start slow and watch closely and constantly encourage.
- Different healthy foods and snacks.
- Take them places in the car, the truck and the SUV or van but avoid dog parks until all vaccinations are done. Take both short and long trips (our first two Goldens had traveled in our car over 4000 miles by their first birthday).
- Hope Depot
- Lowes
- Almost any pet store
- Academy Sports and Outdooors
- Feed stores
- Pet friendly restaurants (ohhh the smells!)
- Pet friendly hotels
- Pet friendly parks (see note about dog parks above)
- A friend’s home (check that all their pets are current on their shots and nice)
- Introduce new sounds (slowly)
- Clap your hands close to them
- Power drills
- Music of different types and volumes
- Video Games
- Television
- yes, dogs can see and hear the television. Be sure to include shows that have dogs, horses and wildlife
- Chair legs on a hard floor
- Squeaky chairs
- Crunchy plastic
- Pop packing bubbles
- Thunder
- Do this EARLY but start mild and move up
- Introduce handling
- Pet them
- Rub their bellies
- Manipulate their feet (even between the toes)
- Brush them
- Pick them up and hold them (while they are still small enough to do so)
- Gently hold and stroke their tail
- Brush their teeth
- Rub their ears
- Clip their toenails
The “Rule of 7”
If you want to keep it simple, the following is my own adaptation from Battaglia’s guide for increasing puppy’s exposure. My guide is not strict nor all inclusive and you can be creative with the specifics but it gives a very good list of ideas that you should tick off before your puppy reaches 4 months of age. Some of these activities and places will have already happened if you get a puppy from Texas TLC Goldens but you should do them all again. Important note: It is critical that your puppy be fully vaccinated before going places outside your home and known safe areas.
- Been on 7 different types of surfaces
- carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips and a tarp
- Eaten in 7 different locations:
- crate, yard, exercise pen, garage, laundry room, living room, bathroom, back yard.
- Met and played with 7 new people:
- children and adults of all ages and sex, someone walking with a cane or in a wheelchair or walker, someone tall, someone in a hat, someone with an umbrella, someone in work clothes, someone in pajamas.
- Been exposed to 7 challenges
- climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence.
- Been in 7 different locations
- front & back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, kids room, living room, hallway, Vet’s office, groomers.
- Played with 7 different types of objects
- rope toys, plush toys, big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, toys hanging from strings, sticks.
- Eaten from 7 different containers
- metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, human hands, pie plate, tin pan, frying pan, Frisbee, elevated bowl.
Can I socialize my older dog?
You can socialize a dog over 4 months old but be patient. After their first 4 months they are more aware of their surroundings and can experience fear easier. This especially true of some experience has scared them in the past. Use treats and positive reinforcement and patience.