Socialisation and environmental training for your puppy
Once your puppy has settled into its new home and learned who’s part of the new pack, it's time to start environmental training and socialising them. This is one of the most important things you'll do with your puppy. With most pups, you can start about a week after you bring them home.
It’s important not to wait too long, as the 'socialisation window' closes around 3-4 months of age. After this, it becomes harder for your puppy to bond with and trust new people.What’s the difference between socialisation and environmental training?
Socialisation means getting your puppy used to and comfortable around people and other animals. Environmental training is about getting them used to all the different smells, sounds, surfaces and more.
We usually distinguish between active and passive training within these two categories. Taking your puppy to sit on an outdoor patio to watch people can be classified as both environmental training (because it’s a new environment with new smells and sounds) and socialisation (because your puppy gets to see many new people pass by), but it’s passive in both cases.
Active socialisation, on the other hand, involves letting your dog greet new people: children, the elderly, someone walking with a crutch or in a wheelchair, etc. Active environmental training means seeking out new environments such as different surfaces, statues, riding the bus, or listening to traffic and noise.
