You’ve now finally taken your new puppy home, and are ready to proceed with socialisation – which things should you expose your puppy to at this stage?
We recommend involving the whole family in the creation of a socialisation checklist.
Make a list of things you want to expose your pooch to, and plan at maximum one new experience a day, with a “rest day” once per week.
Here is a basic socialisation checklist to get you started, in order from easy (early on) to more challenging (wait until your dog has had a solid amount of positive socialisation experiences):
Your Puppy Socialisation Checklist
Different floor textures
Have your dog walk on and interact with the following:
o Asphalt, grass, gravel
o Hardwood floor, tiles, carpet
o Manhole covers, metal grids
o Standing on tables (important for vet visits)
Everyday objects
Expose your dog to these objects, and use them while interacting with your pup:
o Umbrellas
o Plastic bags
o Prams, shopping trolleys
o Balls
o Brooms
o Vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, other loud household appliances
o Flags, tents
o Cars, trains, buses, motorbikes, bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates
Obedience, showing & touching
o Touch every body part, pick up paws, open the mouth, check inside the ears
Travel with your pup
o On cars and public transportation of all kinds
o Ride on Elevators
o Go outside in the rain, snow, wind
o Visit lakes, rivers, forests
o The vet’s office
Noises
o Kids playing and crying
o Music, radio
o Fireworks
o Storms
People
o Kids of all ages, babies
o People of all sizes and skin colours, male and female
o People wearing beards, hats, baggy clothes, hoods pulled up
o People with crutches
o People dancing, running etc.
Other animals
o Other dogs of all breeds and sizes
o Cats – very important!
o Chickens, birds
o Rabbits, guinea pigs
o Livestock
