From when puppies are born, up until they are 16 weeks old, they are in a stage of development called the socialisation period, with the main socialisation period being between 3 and 12 weeks.

This period in their lives is essential for ensuring your puppy grows up into a happy and confident dog – but what exactly is socialisation?

Socialisation is when puppies learn about the big wide world around them. They’re figuring out what is safe and what is scary and it’s up to you to help them learn the difference. A puppy with poor socialisation can grow up to be anxious and fearful of the world around them and may even develop behavioural problems in their later life.

Normally, by the time you bring your puppy home, reputable breeders will have begun socialising the litter by handling them and letting them meet all sorts of different people and introducing them to other animals. They will have been introduced to normal household noises, like the TV, washing machine and hoover, and might even have been on short car journeys.

When your puppy arrives home, it’s up to you to continue this socialisation to ensure they keep making positive associations with the world around them.

To help make the socialisation period easier, we’ve put together this handy checklist of all the sights, sounds and experiences your puppy needs to have during the early weeks of their lives.

Remember to take socialisation nice and slow and to go at your puppy’s pace. If your puppy seems nervous about something new, take a step back and try re-introducing it slower.

Until your puppy is full vaccinated, you’ll be limited on the amount of socialisation you can do outside in the real world but it’s not impossible. You can carry your puppy for walks around your local area, take them for rides in the car, and sit down together on park benches for example and calmly watch the world go by.

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