21. Puppy Socialisation Week By Week

In the first weeks, you have to be very careful with your puppy. Most puppies won't be fully vaccinated, and this is a very dangerous time for them.

As a rule, most dogs are fully vaccinated by 12 weeks old. Then the real socialisation game begins.

Why Socialisation Matters More Than Commands

This is where your puppy's "world" will begin to expand day by day.

As a rule, you want to be aiming for between 1 and 2 new experiences per day once it's safe to do so.

The biggest error owners make is that they fall into their own pre-puppy routine.

Humans are very routine-based. We go to mostly the same places every day (work, the gym). We interact with broadly the same people.

The best way to give your puppy a range of experiences is to make it into a game.

Socialisation Bingo

This isn't an exhaustive list. It's meant to give you ideas.

People experiences: Met a man with a beard. Saw a person in a hat. Person wearing glasses. Person with walking stick. Met a child.

Environments: Car ride. Vet visit (happy!). Pet store visit. Busy street sounds. Carried in public place.

Surfaces: Walked on grass. Walked on gravel. Metal surface. Different floor surfaces. Stairs.

Sounds: Heard a vacuum cleaner. Heard thunder (recording). Doorbell ring. Bicycle passing.

Other animals: Different dog breed met. Cat (safe distance).

Objects and experiences: Saw a skateboard. Umbrella. Tunnel/under object. Water bowl in new place.

The goal is variety. New experiences. Different people, places, sounds, and surfaces.

Not sure if you're socialising enough? Our community has socialisation trackers and bingo cards you can print. You'll also find other owners sharing creative socialisation ideas you haven't thought of.

The Week-By-Week Socialisation Guide

Week 1 (8-9 weeks):

Focus: Home environment, family, gentle handling.

Household sounds (start low volume). Different rooms. Meeting immediate family. Gentle handling exercises. Crate as safe space. Car rides.

Week 2 (9-10 weeks):

Focus: Expanding comfort zone.

Friends visit home (vaccinated dogs only). Carried outings (pet store, pavement café). More household sounds. Different surfaces at home. Many puppy pre-schools start this age.

Week 3 (10-11 weeks):

Focus: Controlled public exposure.

Outdoor surfaces (if breeder provided early vaccines). Meeting new people (controlled). Sound recordings (thunder, fireworks). Other friendly dogs (one-on-one, vaccinated).

Weeks 4-8 (11-15 weeks):

Focus: Maximising the window.

More public outings. Diverse people (age, appearance). Appropriate doggy playdates. Different vehicles. Grooming experiences. Various environments.

Week 16+:

Focus: Continued exposure and building confidence.

Window is closing but keep going! More challenging environments. Off-lead training areas. Groomer visits. Nail trims at vet.

A Note On Puppy School And Puppy Pre-School

Going to puppy school is a great idea. It gives a safe space for socialisation and helps you with basic commands.

Puppy schools can be broken down into two categories:

Puppy pre-school (8-12 weeks):

These have become more popular in recent years. In all honesty, we're not sure what the purpose is other than making you more likely to sign up for full puppy school.

The puppies aren't vaccinated and have an attention span of less than 30 seconds. This is more for you than your puppy.

Puppy school (12-16 weeks, recommended):

We cannot recommend doing one of these enough. Fully vaccinated puppies that need to learn to play.

The marks of a high-quality puppy school: they teach you behaviourism (not common), give you longer-term support, allow puppies to actually play (not everything on a lead), and are breed agnostic (there should be a mix of breeds which may be grouped by size).

How Is Your Socialisation Going?

Signs of good socialisation:

Puppy is curious and engaged. Loose, wiggly body language. Recovers quickly from startle. Returns to investigate after backing away. Wants to explore. Takes treats easily.

Signs of struggle:

Won't take treats. Tucked tail. Hiding behind your legs. Frantic panting. Trying to escape.

If your puppy shows fear, calmly create distance from whatever is causing it. Avoid forcing any interaction.

Allow your puppy to observe from a safe, comfortable distance. Pair the experience with treats to build positive associations.

Always end on a good note. Revisit the situation another day when your puppy feels more confident.

The Progression You Should Follow

Week 1: Home environment. Immediate family. Gentle handling.

Week 2: Expanding comfort zone. Controlled visitors. Carried outings.

Week 3: Controlled public exposure. Meeting new people. Sound recordings.

Weeks 4-8: Maximising the window. Public outings. Diverse experiences.

16+ weeks: Continued exposure. More challenging environments.

Get Ongoing Support For Your Puppy Journey

Socialisation is complex and time-sensitive. Having support as you navigate the critical windows makes all the difference.

That's why we created our free Skool community - to give you continuous support every step of the way.

Inside the community, you'll get:

• Weekly live Q&A sessions where you can ask about YOUR specific socialisation challenges
• Complete puppy courses with detailed week-by-week socialisation guides
• A supportive community of other owners in the same socialisation window
• Printable bingo cards and socialisation trackers
• Troubleshooting help when your puppy shows fear or anxiety
• Updated resources including age-appropriate socialisation activities

Best part? It's completely free. No subscription. No catch. Just dog owners helping dog owners.

Join The Toe Beans Co community today and get the ongoing support you need to properly socialise your puppy during the critical windows that shape their entire life.