Your Puppy Meets the World

A new puppy has so much to see and learn. They have to take in a host of new environments and build familiarity with other people and pets. Essentially, they have a lot of new information to take in!

AT HOME

Firstly, your puppy will be introduced to its home environment. To help build familiarity at home, take care to introduce them to their essentials, such as their basket, toys, food and water bowls. When they begin to feel more comfortable in their home setting, you can begin to think about socialising your puppy with other people and other environments.

OUTSIDE

After your puppy has completed their necessary vaccinations, and they are feeling comfortable with their home environment, you can help them begin to discover the big, wide world. This should be done in a calm and safe environment so your puppy does not become frightened. When they’re ready, take them for walks in lots of different places. This will expose them to different sights and sounds, and will help them know that anything unfamiliar is not scary. You could try taking your puppy to shopping centres, parks and other places that allow dogs, to help them get used to new environments.

WITH OTHERS

Letting your puppy socialise with other people is key for their development. It will encourage them to become more friendly and outgoing as they get older, rather than shy or frightened. Exposing your puppy to lots of family members and visitors between the age of three and sixteen weeks will significantly lessen the chance of them being fearful around strangers as an adult. Make sure your puppy is introduced to a variety of people, young and old, including children.

Keeping the situation calm when introducing your puppy to other people and pets is essential. You can do this by using clear and concise commands, such as “sit”. If you introduce your puppy to people whilst they’re wearing a collar and lead, they will be less inclined to jump up, and the interactions will be as relaxed as possible.

If you have further questions on introducing your puppy to the world contact our Purina Pet Care Advise Team here.