When you bring home a small breed puppy, it’s important to begin socializing them right away. Socialization is a key developmental period in every puppy’s life when they learn big lessons about the world around them. The first three months of life can influence a puppy’s perspective on the world for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, some small dogs miss out on socialization because people don’t realize it’s as necessary for small-breed puppies as it is for larger breeds.
Melissa McCue-McGrath, CPDT-KA, the former Co-Training Director of New England Dog Training Club in Boston, advises that while the term socialization gets used a lot by dog owners, it has a specific meaning when it comes to canine behavior. Socialization is a technical term that refers to working with dogs who are under 20 weeks of age. She notes that “anything after is a social experience which is also super important and valuable” for our young dogs, but these experiences won’t provide the same value as the lessons learned during this critical socialization window.
In many ways, there are no major differences between small-breed and large-breed dogs when thinking about how to socialize them to people, other dogs, and new environments. However, you may have to take additional steps to ensure a small-breed puppy’s safety during this period.
Creating an Environment Safe for Small Puppies
While training small dogs, it’s important to remember that the whole world is much larger than they are. This can be overwhelming for our smallest dogs. When socializing a small breed puppy, consider that they’ll likely be the smallest dog in the room, even if other puppies of similar ages are present. As a result, small breed puppies are at a higher risk of feeling overwhelmed or scared, or getting trampled when puppies are playing.
“I always, always, always ensure that those little friends have safe spaces to duck into,” McCue-McGrath explains on making play safer. Some suggestions she has for creating that space include using play tunnels “a little bit away from the wall, so only the little pups can fit between the wall and the long tunnel, or some upside-down chairs that little pups can zip under.”
“If I’m in an office or other home-like environment, I pull furniture out from the walls a couple inches, so little puppies can zip behind for safety if introducing to a bigger, established dog,” she adds. This setup allows small-breed puppies to have a way to immediately escape if they feel overwhelmed during play.
Introducing Small Puppies to Larger Breeds
Safety is particularly important when introducing small breed puppies to larger breed puppies. Because of the size difference, small breed puppies can be injured accidentally in play. While our first priority should be ensuring that small puppies don’t get physically overpowered, we need to also be sure that the small puppy isn’t bullying or cornering a large breed puppy. “Some of these little guys will just run circles around the big pups,” says McCue-McGrath.
Just because puppies are the same size doesn’t mean that they are a good match for playing together. Watch puppies’ body language to make sure they’re all having a good time, and monitor play sessions closely to ensure that all puppies are having fun. To do this, McCue-McGrath suggests that dog owners “work on ‘come-when-called’ during these play sessions to reinforce [the idea that] coming to handlers and going back into play are equally as rewarding.” This allows your small breed puppy to become more comfortable interacting with other dogs, while also ensuring that they can take breaks and avoid getting overwhelmed.
Staying Safe in Crowds
Small-breed dogs can easily become overwhelmed or even accidentally be stepped on by people who don’t see them. This can be frightening to small dogs, or even lead to injuries. When looking to expose your puppy to busy public places, start at less busy times and work up to a time when the area is busier. During these socialization outings, try to walk on the outer perimeter of crowds to keep physical space between your puppy and the crowd to prevent them from getting accidentally stepped on.
Let Your Puppy Take the Lead
“When I’m socializing small breed puppies and larger breed puppies, I always think of two things. The first is how comfortable is the puppy in front of me with this experience, and the second is this being done with purpose that serves the puppy,” says McCue-McGrath. For her, that means looking at the puppy’s behavior and body language to “gauge their comfort level from moment to moment.”
If your puppy is showing no signs of stress or distress, you can keep exposing your puppy to an unfamiliar environment or situation. But if they start to shut down or show signs of stress, stop and back up to a place where your puppy feels confident or pivot to a different training plan for the day. Our puppy’s comfort should always come first when training.
What if Your Small Dog Is Struggling to Socialize?
Sometimes, smaller-breed dogs or puppies can exhibit signs of frustration or distress that can be dismissed as cute or funny behaviors, and not taken seriously in the same way that we might a larger puppy. However, just because a dog is small doesn’t mean their feelings are less valid. McCue-McGrath encourages dog owners to focus on early signs that their puppy is uncomfortable like “lip licking and aversion” and notes they can and should be taken as seriously as a growl or a snap.
A puppy that is feeling uncomfortable may also shy away or duck down during training or play sessions. If you witness your dog displaying these signs of discomfort, it may be time to take a step back and remove them from the stressful situation. When puppies are over threshold, we can get into a trigger stacking situation where puppies are not able to learn or have positive associations. We want our puppies to know that we will advocate for them and won’t put them into a situation where they don’t feel comfortable. “If the little pup believes you will step in and help them with the initial signs of distress, they will trust you and be much more confident [around] adult dogs,” says McCue-McGrath. If you are struggling with socialization or training your puppy, consider reaching out to an experienced dog trainer who utilizes positive reinforcement training approaches for support. A trainer may have puppy socialization/play groups scheduled that you can attend, or can help you develop a training plan specific to your puppy’s developmental and temperament needs.