Puppy Socialization Outings Done Right
You’ve got a new puppy and you’re excited to take them out and show them the world! In any puppy resource, you’ll see folks mention the importance of early socialization. You may even read time and time again that you should prioritize “quality over quantity” while socializing your puppy, but what does a quality socialization outing actually look like? We’re here to share how professional trainers orchestrate fun, safe, and productive outings for our own dogs and client pups!
Why are socialization outings important?
Puppies have a critical socialization window from roughly 7-16 weeks of age. During this time, they are primed to learn about their world and make determinations of things that are safe, and things that are unsafe. We can take advantage of this brief but significant phase of development by strategically exposing our puppies to novel environments, people, sounds, animals, and objects while they are the most likely to create positive associations. This is one of our most reliable safeguards against future behavior problems, and our best bet for helping our puppies grow up to be happy, stable, and confident dogs.
Keeping puppies safe while socializing
Young puppies are extra vulnerable before completing their vaccination series. And the tricky part is that by the time they’re fully vaccinated, their socialization windows have closed! This means we need to find creative strategies to keep our puppies safe from pathogens while actively socializing them. Luckily we can balance safety and exposure by keeping our puppies off the ground and away from areas heavily trafficked by other dogs.
Carrying your puppy: Having your hands full (literally) can make rewarding your puppy challenging, and inevitably your pup will want to be put down to explore, but in a pinch there’s nothing wrong with simply carrying your puppy or having them sit in your lap.
Pet slings and backpacks: There are multiple styles of wearable pet carrier that free up your hands while navigating a public space. Larger breeds may have a limited window where this is possible.
Pet strollers: Specific pet strollers are one of our favorite tools for socialization! Strollers give your puppy some room to move their bodies while staying contained and up off the ground. Most models will have a mesh cover than can be fully zipped closed, or seatbelt straps to attach to a harness for extra security.
Shopping carts: Some pet friendly stores have shopping carts you can have your puppy ride in, with some modification. We recommend lining the bottom of the cart with a thick blanket and a dog bed, and puppies should be fitted with a harness and leash to prevent them from leaping out. (Fun fact: the Diggs Groov lick mat fits in the bars of most shopping carts!)
Where and when to socialize
Even though young puppies in their socialization window tend to be more accepting of novelty, we like to start them off easy to prevent any overwhelm. We like to start in public spaces at quiet times of day; weekday mornings tend to be the best for this! We can gradually increase the intensity of outings by opting for busier times of day or more complex environments.
Our preferred types of environments for early socialization outings include local parks, pet friendly stores (but not pet stores), and any specific places you know your puppy will be spending a lot of time. Here are a few of our favorite pet-friendly public places for outings (listed in increasing order of difficulty):
Craft Stores
Barnes & Noble
Nordstrom Rack
Hardware Stores
Feed Stores/Tractor Supply
Bass Pro Shops/Cabella’s
How to structure an outing
A good socialization outing should be short and sweet, aim for about 5-15 minutes as a general rule. The primary goal of these outings is exposure and forming positive associations! Training games can be a great way to further those goals, but the function of those games should be joy rather than obedience.
Acclimation: Give your puppy a minute or two observing from the car. In this time you can observe their body language and test their ability to eat by offering a few free treats. If your puppy is eating and demonstrating relaxed or excited body language, move on to step 2!
Exploration: With your puppy secure in their carrier, stroller, or cart, take a stroll starting at the quietest spot. Reward your puppy for noticing people, other dogs, cars, or any other new stuff. For puppies with all of their vaccinations, you can have them walk on the ground to sniff and explore at their pace.
Short Training Session: Simple games like the Up-Down Pattern or Touch can be done even in a stroller or cart! Doing a short 1-2 minute training session can give you and your puppy a fun activity, build even more positive associations, and will act as a litmus test for their comfort level.
Relax & Observe: Once you’ve explored, you can find a quiet spot of the space and give your puppy a chew, prepared lick mat or stuffed enrichment toy. They can passively observe things in the environment while enjoying their activity, and work on some
Keeping things fun
You’ll often hear trainers telling you to “go at your puppy’s pace,” which is absolutely correct! A solid understanding of body language is critical to ensuring every socialization outing is going well, and will help you determine whether it’s time to keep going or take a break.
Green flags: A puppy who is happy and confident in a new place will often have a loose, wiggly body. Their mouth may be slightly open, but not tightly pulled back in a grimace, their eyes should be soft, tail at a neutral position relative to their body and possibly wagging. A puppy’s ability to enthusiastically engage with you, treats, and their favorite toys is often a good indicator that they are having a good time!
Yellow flags: It’s normal for puppies to have some moments of uncertainty in a brand new situation. A puppy who is feeling unsure may sit suddenly or freeze. Their mouth may tightly close, their ears may pin back slightly, they may lick their lips and their tail carriage might drop somewhat. An uncertain puppy may take treats hesitantly, or may even snatch them harder than usual. If you notice any yellow flags, it’s time to retreat to a quieter area or create space between your pup and whatever they seem worried about.
Red flags: In the unlikely event that your outing is going sideways and you need to abort mission, you’ll notice more intense stress signals from a puppy. A puppy who is severely uncomfortable and needs to be removed from the situation might tuck their tail completely under their body, flatten their ears or body, vocalize or try to flee. When a puppy is distressed, they likely will refuse even their favorite treats and remain fixated on the stress-inducing stimuli in the environment. If your puppy ever displays high levels of stress, get them out of there ASAP and see if they can recover in the car with some treats and cuddles.
At Clickstart we pride ourselves on helping puppies and their parents thrive. Check out the rest of our website for upcoming seminars and classes, and as always happy training!
