What a wonderful time this is! You’re either thinking about getting a puppy or you’ve already brought your fur baby home. Either way, you’re making plans for the future of your purrfect pal and you’ve come across the question, ‘Do I need to socialise my dog?’
The answer is yes and here’s why…
OK, hang on. What’s an informative post about dog socialisation without cute pictures of our canine companions? BORING, that’s what it is.
So before I jump into talking about why socialising your dog is important, I want to introduce our furry friends – who we met before we even brought Clover home!
The little ones with big personalities
The medium munchkins
The big kids.
Jenny is bigger now but I thought this was a beautiful picture of them both together.
Bella is a medium munchkin but this is a great picture of them both waiting for me to throw the ball.
As soon as we get to the park, Clover runs off without a care in the world because all that matters is her friends. She loves chasing and being chased. She’s very vocal and she’s often naughty. But she’s never acted aggressively towards another dog, if anything she’s very submissive and when she’s had enough playing she comes running towards me to be picked up.
Now that you’ve met our pack, let’s get into the important information!
Do I need to socialise my dog?
Yes, absolutely!
There are several reasons why you should socialise your dog. Dogs are pack animals and when socialised well, they get a lot of enjoyment from hanging out with other dogs.
- By socialising your dog, you’re reducing the chance of your dog becoming aggressive towards other dogs.
- They get more exercise. I’ve noticed that Clover runs significantly more with other energetic dogs than when we walk alone.
- Your dog will have more confidence.
- They will be more mentally fatigued after your walk.
- Puppies socialised from a young age will learn how to conduct themselves around other dogs.
The Kennel Club has lots of information about socialising your puppy which is really useful for new dog owners.
Take a Paws and Tell me:
Did you socialise your dog/puppy? Have you tried classes before?
