It’s a common myth that puppies must stay in your house and garden until a week after their vaccinations are completed. And, in some cases, this may be true for some animals with health concerns, however for the most part, the newest science now suggests that puppies CAN be socialised before their vaccinations are completed.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour states:
“The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life. For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the *standard of care* for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.”
To clarify, puppies as young as 7 weeks old that have had their first round of vaccinations and been de-wormed can be socialised.
To be extra safe, I would recommend sticking to socialising your puppy with vaccinated dogs only, in your home, garden, and in their home and garden. To socialise them out and about, you can carry them or take them in a pushchair.
So why is this so important?
Between 8 and 14 weeks (or 12 weeks for some smaller dogs, who mature faster), dogs go through a crucial development stage called the ‘socialisation period’. During this time, they soak up everything around them and learn what’s scary and what’s not! Puppies that are not socialised (or have bad socialisation) during this time are more likely to be anxious and fearful of either a particular thing, or anxious and fearful of new things in general. They are also more likely to develop other behaviour problems such as aggression.
Behavioural problems (often caused by a lack of puppy socialisation) are the top cause of rehoming and one of the top causes of euthanasia.
Getting your puppy socialised is like a vaccination against behaviour problems.
If you want to know more about puppies and training, make sure to check out my other blog posts: BLOG | Mucky Pups (muckypups-dogtraining.com)
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