The Critical Socialization Periods of a Pet Dog

Niki Tudge October 2011 Copyright

A few days ago one of our DogSmith Dog Trainers, Susan Barton, brought a new puppy into their home. I just love puppies of all shapes and sizes and feel very strongly about guiding owners in the right direction for their puppies socialization. Seeing Lucy reminded me that soon many of you will be out looking for your holiday puppies so i felt it was the right time to post a blog on the critical socialization periods of dogs. Susan congratulations on Lucy i am sure she is headed for great things and will become another great ambassador of The DogSmith Dog Training Programs.

The Critical Socialization Periods of a Pet Dog

There are key stages within a dog’s development where they are particularly sensitive to environmental influences. Scot & Fuller, (1965) and Serpell & Jagoe (1995) have described that conditioning of behavior during these sensitive periods is not easily changed in later years. Whereas genetics set the range for physical or behavioral traits the dog’s experiences during these important periods will determine where within that range the dog behavioral tendencies lie. Scott and Fuller (‘O’Heare p 47) concluded that “dogs should be introduced gradually and sensitively to the circumstances that they are likely to experience during their lives.” Socialization during the key sensitive periods is critical as dogs are biologically prepared to learn different things during different phases of their development. An emphasis and focus on socialization should be made around the 6 – 8 week mark as this is considered the peak of the socialization period.

During the prenatal period, studies have shown that environmental influences, such as stress, can affect the behavior of the fetus. If the mother is reactive, emotional or stressed then this may produce similar traits in her offspring.

During the neonatal period (birth to 2 weeks) puppies are slowly learning even though their ears and eyes remain closed. They are very sensitive to touch and smell and careful and reoccurring handling has been shown to be a valuable practice and can produce confident and exploratory behavior even though these learned associations may not carry over to adulthood (O’Heare 2010).

The transitional period (2-3 weeks) prepares dogs for the socialization period. Puppies begin to move, stand and walk during this period and many new behavior patterns emerge such as communication behaviors and simple associations (O’Heare p 46 2010).

During the socialization period (2.5-3 to 9-13 weeks) dogs form attachments to people, places and locations. During the first period of this socialization period puppies will begin to approach strangers and be tolerant of passive handling. This leads on to a period between 8 to 10 weeks where a ‘fear’ period begins. During this ‘fear’ period if a puppy is exposed to aversive stimulation it can have long term effects on a dogs behavior. This is the period where most new puppies are adopted or purchased making the timing of this homing event important. Puppies need time to settle into their new homes before they hit the ‘fear’ period at around 10 weeks of age. Placement prior to 6 weeks of age can also be detrimental to puppies’ behavioral wellbeing as it has been shown that they suffer from distress, lack of appetite and are susceptible to disease (‘O’Heare 2010).

The juvenile period (12 weeks to 6 months) sees puppies become less tolerant to change. There motor capacities emerge and they have an increased learning capacity. Social relationships with other dogs become more stable and at around 6 months of age they reach sexual maturity.



So for all you new puppy owners out there, be aware of the social development periods of your new puppy. If you are still looking and searching for your new puppy think carefully about where your puppy comes from, the early days are also critical on its long term development. Enroll your puppy into a well run puppy class free of aversives and punishment. Choose a force free trainer who can help you shape your puppies future behavior and they will get you quickly on the road to owning a happy and mentally healthy puppy.

O’Heare J. Domestic Dog Behavior 103 (2010)


To find out more about your local DogSmith, go to www.dogsmith.com/rwilliams

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The DogSmith® is Giving it Away for FREE!

The DogSmith of Palm Beach County announces its newest free puppy socialization class to be held at Hobe Sound Dog Beach.
Palm Beach FL – Animal experts agree, properly socializing your puppy during the critical developmental stage (for puppies that takes place between 3 and 12 weeks) provides the foundation on which all future training is based. Not only is this period critical to a puppy’s development but poorly socialized dogs may show behaviors of fear, aggression, or other problems. A good puppy program can head off these potential issues.

Though socializing a new puppy requires commitment it can be a lot of fun for both the owner and the dog if done properly and incorporated into a daily routine. To make the process easier, The DogSmith of Palm Beach County offers a regular series of puppy socialization classes that are free to the public and now available at Hobe Sound Dog Beach. According to Rachel Williams, owner of The DogSmith of Palm Beach County, “We are very excited to be able to offer our popular puppy classes at Hobe Sound Dog Beach. These classes are taught by Susan Barton, our local certified dog trainer. Puppies love her and she loves the puppies and her classes are a lot of fun so everyone should bring cameras to capture the comic shenanigans.”

The DogSmith even provides a handy guide to puppy socialization which can be downloaded for free from their website. Williams said, “Our mission is to help minimize the number of stray and unwanted dogs and we believe the best way to do this, in addition to the work we do with rescue groups and shelters, is by helping families get off on the right paw, showing them how easy, fun and effective training their puppy can be.”

The Puppy socialization classes focus on teaching owners of puppies from 8 to 24 weeks, the essentials of housetraining, crate training, bite inhibition and responsible dog ownership. The course will also include information for owners on canine communication so they can identify indications of stress in their puppy and socially rude behaviors. “The three most important factors of any socialization program is exposure, exposure, exposure. Puppies need to be exposed to as many different people, places, noises, smells and environments as possible in a safe and controlled manner and the best way to socialize your puppy is to enroll in a puppy class” said Williams. Each attendee will receive a copy of the DogSmith Socialization booklet and handouts on how to crate and house train puppies.

According to Williams, “Since Dogs learn self control, restraint and bite inhibition through play, a puppy that can play well is a puppy that can learn.” To enroll your puppy in a free class simply visit www.DogSmith.com and find your local DogSmith Professional Dog Trainer using your zip code.

About The DogSmith - The DogSmith Franchise Services Inc. is a Florida based company whose mission is to enhance the lives of pets and their owners by improving their relationship, and the quality of the life they share, through providing professional support and training to pet dog owners, supporting and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations to minimize the number of unwanted animals and offering affordable and professional care to family pets so that pet ownership is never a burden. To learn more about The DogSmith or to become a DogSmith Dog Trainer, visit www.DogSmithFranchise.com or call 1-888-364-7648.