Common Puppy Questions
WHEN CAN MY PUPPY BE AROUND OTHER DOGS?
It really depends, mostly on the other dogs, and also by what is meant by “be around.” If the other dogs are friendly, tolerant of puppies, and vaccinated against parvo, then they can be around and interact with the puppy from a very young age, 4+ weeks.
If the other dogs’ vaccine history and temperament is unknown, be very careful if you want your puppy to interact with them. Simply observing these dogs from a distance is fine, but I wouldn’t want a puppy (under 18 weeks) interacting with a dog I didn’t know well. A bad experience with a dog can cause lifelong problems for a puppy, and it doesn’t take much for a dog to injure or even kill a puppy should a fight or attack occur.
Once the puppy is 18 weeks, we’re now entering adolescence, so things are changing a bit. First of all, by this age your puppy will have had several vaccines, so there’s less worry about contagious disease. BUT - if you haven’t socialized your puppy before now - be careful. Young puppies get a pass for rude behavior - adolescent dogs do not. By 18 weeks, your dog is expected to know how to behave appropriately and adult dogs will be far less forgiving of a doggy faux pas.
In general, my advice for puppy owners is to start Puppy Class at 8 weeks. This will allow you puppy interactions with other vaccinated puppies and help them develop their dog-dog social skills in a safe environment. Being around and playing with other puppies is fine at any age. I would not recommend dog parks until at least 6 months.
WHEN CAN MY PUPPY START TRAINING CLASSES?
At 8 weeks. The sooner you start classes, the better. The socialization period for puppies is over at 12 weeks. Adolescence begins at 18 weeks. Puppyhood is actually quite short, so don’t waste time! It’s absolutely possible for puppies to learn, and they tend to learn very quickly. Puppy Class is designed for short attention spans with a puppy-specific curriculum.
WHEN CAN YOU START TRAINING A PUPPY?
Puppies are capable of learning simple things at 3-4 weeks when their eyes and ears open. By the time you get your puppy, they are more than capable of learning, so start training immediately to prevent your puppy from learning new bad habits.
WHEN IS THE PUPPY FEAR PERIOD?
Fear period is a bit of a misnomer, but puppies typically have peak cortisol levels between 8-10 weeks. Keep socializing and training, but be sure you aren’t causing them too much stress during this time because they’ll be extra sensitive to it.
WHAT SHOULD I TEACH MY PUPPY? WHERE DO I START WITH TRAINING?
Olive, 8 weeks, napping under a table on a pet-friendly patio while I have lunch.
In addition to house training and socializing (teaching your puppy that new things are no big deal), these are the skills I started teaching to my puppies from day one:
their name, and when I say it to turn and check in
settle
how to be left alone
come
loose leash walking
middle
Puppy Class is a great help with getting started with the basics and is so much easier than trying to figure it all out yourself!
HOW DO I SOCIALIZE MY PUPPY?
Most puppy owners don’t understand socialization. It’s not dog-dog play. It’s teaching your puppy how to behave in society, teaching them how to be neutral and okay with new people, new dogs, new things, new sounds, etc. It’s exposing them to many, many, many new things so that they know what to make of it when they see it again in the future. This is most helpful before 12 weeks. I socialized my puppies by taking them everywhere - pet-friendly stores, parks, hiking trails to see bikes and runners and wildlife, farmer’s markets, etc. I had them walk over wood bridges and metal grates, climb on benches and rocks. I exposed them to the sounds of thunder, fireworks, traffic, other animals, household appliances.
There’s a whole separate post about socialization here.