Socialising Your Puppy Safely (Before Vaccines Are Done)

Why timing matters\n\nThe critical socialisation period is 3–14 weeks. Puppies who miss out develop more fear and aggression as adults. The risk of behavioural euthanasia is statistically higher than the risk of infectious disease for properly-managed puppies.\n\n## Safe before vaccines complete\n\n- Carry your puppy in arms (not on the ground in public)\n- Visit fully-vaccinated friends' homes\n- Puppy classes that require proof of partial vaccination from peers\n- Inside the car, exposure to traffic noise\n- Inside your apartment, varied surfaces and sounds\n\n## NOT safe yet\n\n- Public dog parks\n- Pavements with stray dog density\n- Boarding/daycare with mixed populations\n- Pet stores with random dog traffic\n\n## What to expose to\n\n- Children, men with beards, men with hats, people in uniforms\n- Different surfaces (tile, grass, marble, mat)\n- Sounds (vacuum, doorbell, traffic, fireworks recordings at low volume)\n- Handling (paws, ears, mouth, tail)\n\n## After vaccines complete\n\nCarry on with full social access — but the window is closing. By 16 weeks, new fears form more easily.