From a little puppy’s point of view, the world looks very different to how we see it. For her, people who move in different ways than the members of her own family, people of different ages and people who wear big hats or other strange looking accessories or clothes can be very scary.
How your puppy reacts to new people, dogs, and different environments depends on many things. Her breed and other genetic factors, as well as the number of different things she has been exposed to by her breeder or rescue organisation, will all have an impact on how she experiences her surroundings.
How to help your puppy feel safe in new environments
Puppy socialization is one of the most important things you can invest your time in during the first weeks you and your puppy spend together. This is the time when you can teach her to see the world as a safe place. The things your puppy sees and gets used to during the first months of her life she will consider normal later, so the more different things you introduce your puppy to, the fewer things she’ll have to be afraid of in the future.
Here are some key things you can do to help your puppy feel safer in new environments:
- The first rule of getting your puppy used to different kinds of people is never to let anyone scare your puppy.
- As with everything else, let your puppy set the pace. Let her approach people, instead of them moving to her.
- Give your puppy all the time she needs to feel safe to approach people. The more you are able to offer her positive experiences, the easier it will be for her to gain confidence and trust.
- Learn to see things through your puppy’s eyes: she notices details in people’s body language that are not always obvious to us humans.
Some puppies need more help during the socialization period than others, but new experiences are valuable for all puppies. Every puppy is an individual and following her body language when she’s meeting new things is the key to creating pleasant experiences for her and for you to get to know your puppy.
In Online Puppy Training by OneMind Dogs we’ll give you suggestions for new things to introduce your puppy every week, and instructions on how to proceed.
Online Puppy Training by OneMind Dogs
To give the best possible start for your new best friend, check out OneMind Dogs puppy training. Learn how to potty train your puppy and how to get a puppy to stop biting in more than 100+ lessons. It’s a fun way to connect with your puppy on a completely new level and teach him the skills she needs to have a happy life in the human world!
