01/06/2026
Puppy socialisation and habituation starts with the breeder. Be sure to ask about this when you are considering bringing a puppy into your home.
Did you know that a puppy's most important socialisation period begins at around 3 weeks of age and starts to close between 12 and 14 weeks?
That means that breeders have puppies for a significant part of this critical developmental window.
During this time, puppies are learning what is normal, safe and familiar. The sights, sounds, surfaces, people, environments and experiences they are exposed to now can have a lasting impact on the dogs they become.
This is why socialisation shouldn't begin when a puppy goes to its new home. It should already be well underway long before then.
Every breeder should be exposing their puppies, in a safe and positive way, to everyday household noises, different people, novel objects, various surfaces, gentle handling, new environments and age-appropriate experiences. In my opinion, that's not going above and beyond—it's the very least a breeder can do.
If you're thinking about adding a puppy to your family, don't just ask about health testing, vaccinations and pedigree. Ask what the breeder is doing to socialise their puppies before they leave.
Because puppies are not blank slates.
By the time they arrive in their new homes, they have already spent weeks learning about the world around them—and those early experiences matter more than many people realise.
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