3 Simple Ways To Socialize Your Dog

You can never start too early when it comes to socializing your new puppy. Part of their training is to ensure they’re comfortable around people and other pets. In fact, the sooner, the better. Discover a few ways to socialize your dog—remember to take things slow. Ease your young pup into different levels of exposure.

It’s never too early to start socializing your new puppy to ensure they’re comfortable around people and other pets. It’s best to start right away. There are many ways to socialize your dog—remember to take things slow and ease your pup into different levels of exposure.

Explore the Neighborhood

Familiarize your dog with your neighborhood and let them take in different sounds and smells. Bumping into other people and their dogs while exploring can be a good way to ease your pup into social interactions. This will allow them to become more comfortable around other dogs. Be aware—if your inexperienced pup gets too rowdy, give them an opportunity to calm down by walking away from the situation. You will need to stay calm too since your dog picks up on your energy.

Invite People Over

You can think of this as the next step after walking around the neighborhood. Invite a friend or two over so they can play with your pup; this is a great social event for your dog to experience and something you’ll feel comfortable with. Plus, having a consistent rotation of friends and family over will expose your dog to new people, getting them accustomed to new social environments.

Doggie Daycare

Once you feel your pup is tried and tested with socializing, take them to a local dog park. Or, drop them off at a doggie daycare center to run around and play with other dogs. This is a great way to observe their behavior as they exercise and have fun. It is important to note that every doggie daycare is different, so explore your options. Visit them first to see if it’s the best fit for your pup.

Remember to train your puppy early, coach them regularly, reward good behavior, and most of all, don’t push them too fast. You don’t want your little pup getting too anxious and stressed before they learn how to be sociable. Additionally, always be on the lookout for creative, new ways to socialize your dog.