Even with the best laid plans, stuff happens, and you might find yourself home bound during some of your puppy’s critical socialization period. Don’t panic! While getting out into the world is still important, in the meantime you can do a lot of great puppy socialization at home.
What to do
Your puppy should have the choice to approach or investigate things at their own pace. It’s best to avoid luring your puppy towards things with treats, but certainly give them treats as they notice and investigate things on their own. When you let your puppy work at their own pace, you’re providing a safe opportunity to build confidence. Your job is to make their experiences positive and fun! If your puppy is worried about something, despite several attempts to help them feel safe, please reach out to us for help!
Different Types of People
Puppies don’t need to meet everyone up close to be socialized to people. One of our favorite ways to socialize puppies to many different types of people is to do it from a distance. Sit on your porch or in the driveway and watch people from there. YouTube has a lot of great audio you can use to socialize to people sounds: look for sounds of children playing, people laughing, babies crying, etc.
YOU can also be the person your puppy is socialized to: dress up in hats, sunglasses, a raincoat, boots, a parka, etc and do a little training with your gear on. You could also wear sports equipment, carry an umbrella, try on a Halloween mask, etc.
Surfaces
Provide different surfaces for your pup to walk on. Their paws are very sensitive so it can be strange to them to encounter different things with their feet. There’s loads of stuff in your home to try: bubble wrap, tarp, cookie sheets, crumpled paper bags, tin foil, sandpaper…get creative! When you’re outside with your puppy, encourage them to walk on grass, gravel, dirt, pavement, or anything else that you can find that is safe for your puppy to investigate.
Sounds
Free audio files are abundant on the internet. Play sounds of different animals, trains, thunderstorms, forest sounds, sirens, etc. Hair dryers, blenders, coffee grinders, or the sound of the vacuum can also be used (you can record the sound on your phone so you can control the volume). Play or make the sounds quietly in the background while you do a little training and observe your puppy’s body language. If they’re worried about anything, you may need to reduce the volume or try again on a different day.
Wheels and Moving Objects
Many puppies are interested in things that move around, but they may find some things scary at first. It’s a good idea to introduce things on wheels/moving objects at a distance or deliberately create socialization opportunities with moving stuff so that your puppy feels safe. Some items you probably have at home that you can work with: a suitcase, the vacuum cleaner, strollers, bicycles, skateboards, trash cans, office chairs, etc. If your puppy is worried about the item(s) let them take their time and make their own choice to go over and investigate while the item is stationary. When you move the item, do it gently.
Other Novel Objects or Situations
Sit on your porch or driveway and let your puppy watch the world go by. You might get into the car together and hang out in there together for a bit. Set up a kiddie pool (or a big plastic storage bin) with a little bit of water and let your puppy explore that. Save your cardboard boxes and create box forts to explore. I also love setting up forts with chairs and sheets for the puppy to explore. Holiday decorations are also good to use – it doesn’t have to be Halloween to bring out a decoration or two for puppy socialization!
Other Dogs
Watch other dogs from a distance and practice polite body language. If your puppy is overexcited when they see another dog, move away to create a bigger distance from the dog. If your puppy is staring at other dogs, interrupt them after about 3 seconds with treats so they learn to look politely (staring can be very threatening between dogs). This kind of socialization to other dogs is just as important as actually meeting another dog. Maybe more important – since your dog won’t be able to meet every dog they see.
Grooming and Body Handling
Gently pick up your puppy’s paws, look in their ears and mouth, lightly brush them, explore the tub without water in it. Practice putting on equipment like collars and harnesses. Gently put your finger in their collar and give them a cookie. Keep the sessions short and sweet! If you notice that they don’t like being handled, please reach out to us for help! Vet visits and grooming will be a regular part of your dog’s life, so we want to help you get it right!
Contact us: marsha@learningtodog.com