Puppy Socialisation
5 cards · about a minute
The window closes early
The socialisation window runs from roughly three to sixteen weeks, and what a puppy meets calmly inside it shapes what they can meet calmly for life.
Quality over quantity
One short, chosen, good encounter beats a chaotic afternoon in a crowd, a puppy who is overwhelmed is learning fear, not confidence.
Surfaces and sounds too
Grates, stairs, tiles, wet grass, the pressure cooker, the doorbell, traffic: socialisation means the whole world, not only other dogs.
Let them retreat
Always leave a way out, and never carry a puppy towards something they are backing away from, the choice to approach is what builds the confidence.
Before the vaccines finish
Carry your puppy out to sit and watch the street, away from unknown dogs: waiting for the final vaccine before leaving the house costs more than it protects.