Get them off to a great start.

See what they’ve been up to today with a PitPat dog activity monitor.
The experiences that your puppy has whilst they are young will stay with them for the rest of their life. That’s why it’s so important that they are introduced to both every day and novel situations in a safe and managed way.
When we’re talking about experiences, there are two main types – socialisation and habituation. We outline what each type means and our top tips for making sure your puppy has great experiences.
See what they’ve been up to today with a PitPat dog activity monitor.
Socialisation refers to the range of experiences your puppy will have with other dogs and people. Whilst those first introductions are amongst the most important, socialisation is an ongoing process that will continue throughout your dog’s life, and especially in their first year.
The place you choose for your puppy’s first interaction with other dogs is a key factor in making sure their experience is positive.
When choosing dogs to introduce yours to, start with dogs of a similar size and age, which will be far less intimidating for your puppy. Eventually you’ll want to make sure they get to meet a range of dogs, young and old, big and small.
Before making introductions, make sure your puppy has burned off excess energy with a good play or training session. This will help them to be calmer around the other dogs, which will make for a more manageable interaction.
When you’re ready to introduce the dogs, first of all sit a short distance away with your puppy. Once they are calm, move closer in. You may want to keep both your puppy and the other dog on leads at this time. If you do, avoid letting the leads get tangled and watch their body language closely.
If the dogs are getting on well, you may wish to let them off lead. Play is a great signal that they are comfortable, but don’t be afraid to intervene if it starts to look a little too rough. Introduce dogs one at a time rather than in a big group and keep sessions short and fun.
The key to avoiding any negative experiences with socialisation is to watch your puppy’s body language closely and react to what they are communicating to you. Signs that your puppy is having a good interaction include:
It’s perfectly natural for your puppy to be nervous when meeting other dogs. If they are, you’ll need to provide plenty of reassurance and take things slowly with them. You’ll need to watch out for their body language that will suggest they are uncomfortable, including:
If you spot these signs, remove your puppy from the situation, calm them down and try again when they are ready or on another day. If they are particularly nervous, you may benefit from working with a dog behaviourist or trainer to help create good experiences for your puppy.
Habituation is all about getting your puppy used to the big wide world. It involves exposing your puppy or dog to both common and uncommon experiences, and encouraging calm and relaxed behaviour.
Habituation starts from the moment your puppy is born and will continue throughout their life. The key to great habituation is making sure the experiences are fun or calm for your pup.
In some situations your puppy won’t know how to behave yet, so you’ll need to take appropriate steps to keep them safe and comfortable. This could include keeping them on a short lead, bringing a handful of their favourite treats, and removing them from the situation if they become overwhelmed.
Here’s our list of just a few of the many situations you should aim to introduce your puppy to. Why not make it a challenge to see how many you can tick off?
Around the house
Different types of people
Out and about
Weather
Surfaces
Handling
Experiencing so many new things is tiring work for your pup. Make sure they’re getting plenty of rest to balance out all that fun with a PitPat dog activity monitor.
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