Socializing your puppy is essential for their development and overall well-being. However, it’s important to take precautions when exposing your young puppy to new experiences, as they may not yet be fully vaccinated. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to safely socialize your puppy before vaccinations, ensuring they grow up to be a well-adjusted and happy dog.
Puppies are curious by nature and eager to explore the world around them. Socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to new people, animals, and environments to help them become confident and well-adjusted adult dogs. However, puppies are not fully protected against diseases until they have completed their vaccination series.
What Is Socialization?
Socialization is the process of learning new things and adapting to the norms, values, behaviors, and customs of a particular society or group. It involves acquiring the skills, knowledge, and habits necessary to function effectively within a social context. Socialization typically begins in childhood and continues throughout an individual’s life, as they interact with family, peers, educational institutions, and various social environments.
In the context of pets, such as dogs, socialization refers to the process of exposing them to various people, animals, environments, and situations, helping them become well-adjusted, confident, and comfortable in different settings. Proper socialization is essential for a pet’s mental and emotional well-being, ensuring they can interact safely and positively with others.
Poor socialization can be associated with behavioural problems.
Understanding The Risk With An Unvaccinated Puppy
The problem with quickly trying to go to dog parks, or with older dogs, is that whilst you do get the opportunity to create positive associations, you open up your pup to the risks such as infectious diseases that unvaccinated dogs and wildlife represent such as;
- Canine Parvovirus
- Distemper
- Canine hepatitis
- Kennel Cough
- Leptospirosis
- Rabies (where appropriate)
For these reasons, most public places present a serious risk to young, unvaccinated dogs.
Something Genna, a Veterinarian at Virbrac wanted to remind us of here is that “Potentially fatal infections such as parvovirus enteritis are ubiquitous and can live in the environment for more than a year.” So it’s good to realise that sometimes this can extend to our own yards and the floor at the vet’s office.
The Critical Socialization Period
The critical socialization period in dogs is a crucial phase in a puppy’s behavioral development, occurring between 3 and 14 weeks of age, as this is when puppies go through the most mental growth, and they’re absorbing things like a sponge!
During this time, it is essential to expose puppies to various positive experiences with other dogs, people, noises, and environments. And this absolutely should have began with your responsible breeder. Genna, Veterinarian from Virbrac agrees that it’s important for pups to be safely socialized. “Under most circumstances, many veterinarians agree that the benefit of puppy socialization at an early age outweighs the minimal risk of disease transmission in puppies within a controlled environment who are least partially vaccinated (have yet to finish their complete vaccine schedule due to age).”
The problem this presents is that the critical socialization period is almost over by the time your puppy is fully vaccinated – so, how can you safely socialize your puppy before they are fully vaccinated?
The good news is it’s totally doable – without puppy classes too. Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Introduce Your Puppy to Family and Friends at Home
One of the easiest and safest ways to socialize your puppy is by introducing them to family members and friends at home.
This allows your puppy to meet new people in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of exposure to diseases. Encourage your guests to interact with your puppy, allowing them to get used to different voices, smells, and personalities.
2. Visit Friends’ Homes with Your Puppy
To expose your puppy to new environments, consider visiting friends’ homes. This will help your puppy become more comfortable in different surroundings while still being in a controlled environment. Make sure your friends have a clean and safe space for your puppy to explore.
Just be aware that this absolutely will test your puppy’s toilet training.
3. Use a Stroller for Neighborhood Walks
Taking your puppy for walks around the neighborhood is a great way to expose them to new sights, sounds, and smells – and particularly ones that will be a part of their normal existence. However, it’s important to keep your puppy off the ground to reduce the risk of contracting diseases. Using a stroller or carrying your puppy in a sling can help you achieve this while still allowing your puppy to experience the world around them.
Slings are a great way to carry small dogs and puppies and create opportunities to expose pup to places, sights, sounds and smells. They can be a little awkward in practice though.
Strollers are a better option for larger pups, they do, however, keep your pup at snoot level with other dogs. So do be aware that this is great for vet visits, store visits, and local walks, but not so much for the local park...
This works quite nicely for pups, as it keeps them up and out of the way, however it does mean that they're walking backwards - I've yet to know a pup who has an issue with it, but there will eventually be one...
4. Arrange Play Dates with Responsible Children and People.
Teaching your puppy how to interact with children and people is an important aspect of socialization. Arrange play dates with responsible kids who can follow your instructions on how to properly handle and interact with your puppy. This will help your puppy learn to be gentle and respectful around children and people – however it’s really important that you choose these people wisely! They have to be able to follow instruction as you’ll have to guide them as much as puppy – which can be a lot for a new puppy parent.
5. Expose Your Puppy to Other Vaccinated Puppies and Dogs!
Introducing your puppy to other puppies of the same age that have received their complete set of vaccinations and/or are up-to-date with their vaccines is a great way to socialize them with other dogs. Make sure to choose playmates that are healthy and have a similar energy level to your puppy, with good manners.
6. Socialize From The Car
Similar to a sling or stroller, you can socialize from the safety of your car! You can watch the dog park happen in front of you, roll down windows a little whilst you’ve created a totally safe little bubble for your puppy.
My favourite thing here is watching both people outside of schools, or stores, and watching at dog parks and getting them used to the different sounds and the sights of different people – it also stops that awkward “Can I say hi?” moments if you’re not ready for that to happen.
Also! Car rides themselves are an important thing to get dogs used to, as we also want pup to know that not every time they get in the car, they’re going to the vet, otherwise that caution a lot of dogs get when going to the vet could expand to the car…
If you’re struggling with car sickness, you might try this.
7. Use YouTube.
Using YouTube to socialize your puppy can be an effective way to expose them to various sounds without direct contact with other animals or environments. You can play videos of different animals, people, and environments to help your puppy become familiar with various sounds – particularly thunder, traffic and fireworks. I even used youtube to prep my dog for flying in a plane!
Additionally, YouTube offers instructional videos on puppy socialization, which can provide guidance and tips on how to socialize your puppy in a safe and easy way.
However, it’s important to remember that watching videos alone won’t be enough to fully socialize your puppy. You still absolutely need to do the other aspects.
8. Get Crafty
Whether that’s a shallow tray with water in it to adjust to puddles, or walking on different surfaces like bubble wrap just to get pup used to weird things and grow confidence! Think about surfaces like Gravel, tile, carpet, water, ice, wood, grass, concrete, and then wobbly surfaces and things like that. The more you can expose them to, the easier it will be to live with your puppy in the long-term in the outside world! Some pups will conquer this with ease, others may find it a little slow.
9. Puppy Socialization Classes
Some local trainers or vets may offer socialization classes! It’s good to note that you want to make sure this is a safe environment, and that whoever is leading the group is appropriate to do so, and checks what status the socializers are bringing in terms of puppy vaccinations, and what they’re using to clean the space that the classes go on within.
What About Totally Unvaccinated Puppies?
Most puppies come from their breeder, or rescue with at least some vaccinations, but a healthy mother will impart some level of innoculation from birth, but the most important things should be vaccinated as soon as appropriate. If you’re worried that mum was a sick dog, or the young puppies are showing signs of sickness at a young age, then it’s just not worth interacting with even humans. Focus on their health and complete their vaccine series. Sure it’ll be a bit of a set back, but it’s better than the alternative.
Remember; Quality over Quantity!
One good quality interaction is worth a dozen poor ones in my opinion. Focus on finding a way for your pup to succeed. Focus on a way for your pup to learn that the world is a wonderful place, and introduce to only friendly dogs in a positive way, and slowly? You’ll start showing your dog that good experiences are always what are going to happen.
Note; Socializing a sensitive dog
Some pups are more sensitive than others, in a sensitive period (known as fear phases) or are naturally more cautious. This can be both genetic, and a consequence of what mum went through when she was carrying the litter. But it can be overcome. You just need to give them more time, and whilst early socialization is important, it’s still possible to adjust them and give them more confidence in later life too. Positive reinforcement is imperative, never resort to punishment.
Conclusion
Socializing your puppy before they are fully vaccinated can be done safely and effectively by following the tips mentioned above. Remember to consult with your veterinarian about your puppy’s vaccination schedule and when it is safe to introduce them to new environments and other animals. By taking the necessary precautions, you can ensure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted and happy member of your family.
If you need more help socializing your puppy? My I have a really great ebook ready for downloading!
Author, Ali Smith
Ali Smith is a professional, qualified, and multi-award winning trainer is the founder of rebarkable. She has always believed animals deserve kindness and champions force free methods. Believing that dog guardians will all choose the kindest options if proper information is provided, she aims to help all dog guardians who need it and make dog training as accessible as possible
Ali lives win Maryland, US with her husband and her three dogs.
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