SET UP FOR SUCCESS

The first three months of your puppy’s life is the most important time for exposing them to as many new people, animals, stimuli and environments as possible so they can learn to behave and interact successfully with the world around them. Early socialization and positive reinforcement (R+) training classes can go a long way to creating a lifelong bond between you and your dog. San Diego Humane Society offers a number of classes for puppies and adolescent dogs both in-person and online including our free Well-Socialized Pet Chats hosted over Zoom each weekend! These chats cover six topics related to socialization; how animals learn, desensitization to sounds, socializing with animals and people, conditioning body handling, exposure to novel objects and environments, and enrichment each of which are followed up by an email full of related resources. Sessions are appropriate for all pets of all ages; register for six consecutive sessions to hear all the topics. 

This is where your Puppy Socialization Checklist comes into play. It is divided into two parts of activities for you and your puppy to experience together. The first part contains a priority checklist of activities you should try to expose your puppy to before they are 12 weeks old. The second part offers more ideas for activities that will continue helping their development. Ideally, they should experience all of these items before they are 18 weeks of age.

MAKE IT POSITIVE

When introducing your puppy to all of these new experiences, reward with treats and praise so they create a positive association with the new activity (How do we know what our pet finds rewarding? read this!). Observe your puppy’s behavior to see if they are enjoying the experience; are they eating treats? Do they seem relaxed and comfortable? If not, take a break from the activity. Check out this B&T Lecture: Can You Speak Dog or Cat? to get an in-depth feel for the nuances of body language and then explore this video on reading body language while in the context of a training session. 

TAKE IT SLOW

Doing too much too fast can lead to overstimulation, which can result in fear or anxiety. Start with small experiences like the feeling of grass, walking on tile or meeting one new person. Don’t force your puppy to interact with a new environment or a new object; instead back away a bit until the puppy relaxes. Always give them a choice in how they engage with - or don't - new experiences. Then use a silly voice, treats and praise to help them feel more confident in approaching the scary item or sound. As the puppy becomes more relaxed, gradually they will get closer to the stimuli, pairing praise and treats with the experience.

WATCH OUT FOR

Please consult a professional trainer/behaviorist to assist you in your socialization process for fearful puppies who display extreme behavioral responses such as shaking uncontrollably, urinating/defecating, growling, snapping or biting. See the B&T Lecture: How to Pick a Trainer 101 to learn how to find an appropriate trainer. 

For more info on early puppy socialization, visit the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s position statement on early socialization.

PEOPLE

1. Adults
2. Babies
3. Toddlers
4. Children
5. Teenagers
6. Seniors
7. Different ethnicities

PEOPLE USING

1. Canes
2. Crutches
3. Metal walkers
4. Wheelchairs
5. Baby strollers
6. Backpacks
7. Luggage

PEOPLE IN UNIFORM

1. Police officers
2. Postal workers
3. Vet clinic staff

PEOPLE WITH

1. Umbrellas
2. Baseball caps
3. Helmets
4. Mustaches
5. Beards
6. Glasses

ATHLETIC FOLK

1. Joggers
2. Skateboarders
3. Cyclists
4. Rollerbladers
5. Roller skaters
6. Soccer players

INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE

1. Holding puppy
2. Touching paws
3. Touching muzzle
4. Touching ears
5. Touching collar
6. Checking teeth
7. Clipping nails
8. Brushing teeth
9. Checking between pads
10. Cleaning ears
11. Touching rear legs
12. Brushing/grooming

PEOPLE SOUNDS

1. Talking loudly
2. Laughing
3. Crying
4. Shouting
5. Arguing
6. Newborn crying
7. Newborn laughing
8. Infant crying
9. Infant laughing
10. Children playing
11. Children laughing
12. Children crying
13. Children shouting

DIFFERENT SETTINGS

1. Rides in vehicles (other than to vet)
2. Socialization classes
3. Vet clinics
4. Groomers
5. Elevators
6. Automatic doors
7. School grounds
8. Car washes
9. Walks after dark
10. Busy intersections
11. Crowds of people
12. Your family’s homes
13. Sleepover visits
14. Department stores

HOME ENVIRONMENT

1. Phone ringing
2. Doorbell
3. Knocking at the door
4. Hair dryer
5. Vacuum cleaner
6. Dishwasher
7. Electrical appliances (i.e. blender, can opener, mixer)
8. Sweeping
9. Mopping
10. Guests
11. Gatherings in home
12. Repair people
13. Delivery people
14. Gardeners
15. Dropping a hair brush
16. Washing a load of laundry

OUTDOOR EVENTS

1. Parade
2. Live music band
3. People dancing

CONSTRUCTION SITES/ GARDENING

1. Jackhammers
2. Cranes
3. Front-end loaders
4. Bulldozers
5. Sledgehammers
6. Power tools
7. Forklifts
8. Carrying shovels
9. Wheelbarrows
10. Lawn mowers
11. Weed whackers

MOTORIZED VEHICLES

1. Cars
2. Motorcycles
3. Screeching brakes
4. Cars backfiring
5. Street cleaners
6. Garbage trucks
7. City buses
8. Electric wheelchairs
9. Firetrucks
10. Police cars
11. Mail trucks
12. UPS/delivery truck

ANIMALS

1. Friendly, healthy dogs
2. Puppies
3. Cats

DIFFERENT SURFACES

1. Going up stairs
2. Going down stairs
3. Ceramic tiles
4. Carpet
5. Slippery surfaces
6. Manholes
7. Grates
8. Grass
9. Gravel
10. Children’s playground equipment

STRANGE SIGHTS

1. Scooters
2. Tricycles
3. Hula hoops
4. Remote-control toys
5. Flags/banners
6. Statues of people
7. Statues of animals

SOUNDS

1. Sirens on police vehicles
2. Sirens on ambulances
3. Sirens on firetrucks
4. Thunder sounds
5. Fireworks
6. Construction site noises
7. People yelling
8. Trucks backing up with alarm sound

CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST