Socialising your dog 

Whether you have adopted your dog or brought them, whether they’re older or a puppy, it is essential to socialise them with other dogs and people as much as you possibly can.

Dogs that are introduced to, and have the opportunity to get used to, other dogs, different types of animals, people of all ages, noises, transport, and traffic can learn to take these things in their stride, calmly and confidently.

Top tips for effective socialisation:

• Take things slowly – puppies will never have seen things like vacuum cleaners before, and re-homed dogs may have had bad experiences with certain people, other animals, or traffic – they will need to build up their confidence in these new experiences
• Praise and reward positive behaviours, such as when they’re happily exploring, gently sniffing, being quiet, staying calm
• Take dogs in the car as soon as possible so they get used to the motion and the noises – traffic, radio, and windscreen wipers can all sound startling to a dog. Make sure they’re used to the car (or bus / train / van) that you might need them to go in when they visit the vets / doggy day care / groomer
• If you’re calm, they’re more likely to be calm – so practice taking them places when you have time and you’re not in a mad rush to get somewhere
• Walking by busy roads is important, to get them road aware and used to the sound of traffic rushing past
• Take them to a variety of different places – parks, streets, by playgrounds, by water, different gardens – so they get used to being in new places and situations

If you would like to find out more about how we can help socialise your dog, please call us on 07716 347428 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..