Here’s Why You Need to Socialise Your Dog ASAP
Waiting until full vaccination to socialise can cause huge problems for your pup
Everybody loves a meet-cute. Whether it’s Julia Roberts bumping into Hugh Grant at a bookshop or Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan reluctantly carpooling from Chicago to New York City, a heavily orchestrated yet charming encounter never gets old. With that in mind, you’d think vets would be more on board with the puppy version, but they are far from it. Most veterinary professionals strongly advise against any puppy socialisation until they are fully vaccinated. And while their hearts are in the right place, sheltering young dogs from the world can result in major issues later on.
Not unlike most of my past relationships, the core issue with puppy socialisation seems to be how you define it. “Most people get socialisation wrong and think it is allowing their new puppy to play and interact with other dogs. As this poses a huge risk to unvaccinated puppies, vets have always said to wait until fully vaccinated to socialise,” says Charlie DiBono, trainer and founder of Body and Mind K9opens in a new tab.
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What does it actually mean to socialise puppies?
DiBono explains that puppy socialisation is about much more than just meeting other dogs; it involves introducing pets to the world. The first three or four months of a dog’s life are critical to how they will respond and interact with their surroundings going forward. This can create a bit of a problem because this window typically overlaps with the last round of vaccinations. But if you give your pup the full bubble boy treatment, they’ll be terrified whenever they’re faced with new stimuli.
“After the crucial socialisation period ends at 16 weeks, puppies begin to meet everything with fear. Prior to this, they are much easier to rebound after a ‘scary’ moment,” says DiBono. And this fear can manifest as more than anxietyopens in a new tab. If a puppy views anything unfamiliar as scary, behavioural issues can begin to develop. Lead, animal and human reactivity are all potential risks of shielding your puppy from the outside world.
“By properly socialising your puppy at a young age, their quality of life will be significantly better. They won’t live their life fearful, you won’t have to spend time worrying how they are going to react to someone or something, and when training is continued into the puppy’s adult life you will end up with a well-rounded dog who can go with you everywhere,” adds DiBono.
How can you keep your dog safe while socialising them?
To be clear, this is not to say vaccines are unimportant or unnecessary, and you definitely shouldn’t bring your pup to play with other dogs at the park until they’ve had their shots. If you did, it would leave your puppy vulnerable to a slew of dangerous conditions like parvovirus, leptospirosis or distemper – all of which they can get from contact with other dogs.
Now, that might initially seem like a tricky situation to navigate. How do you prioritise socialisation without affecting your dog’s health ahead of full vaccination? According to DiBono, finding a puppy preschool classopens in a new tab with only pups between the ages of eight and 16 weeks is the ideal solution. “A good puppy preschool will introduce novel stimuli in a low-stress and positive way for the puppies, as well as help educate puppy parents on basic puppy manners such as mouthing, house-training, body conditioning, and the beginning factors of how puppies learn,” he adds.
DiBono notes that puppy preschool is a fairly low-risk endeavour, especially in comparison to the alternative: withholding your pet from reality. He confirms that most will require all puppies to have at least one round of vaccines and parents sign a contract stating they won’t be around other dogs. This ultimately helps keep the puppies healthy, while allowing them the benefits of socialisation.
Another solution: you can safely take your dog everywhere you go
That being said, if you are unable to find or afford puppy classes nearby, there is a home-school option. Carefully permitting your pup to accompany you as you go through daily life will help them adjust to various stimuli and everyday encounters. This will, in turn, minimise the risk of fear-based behavioural issues.
“Whether or not you can find a puppy class near you, a new puppy parent should be taking their puppy everywhere and working on their puppy being neutral in new situations. Teaching your puppy to engage with you around other people and dogs will set you up for great success as they age,” says DiBono.
