Puppy Exposure Checklist

You have a new puppy! If you are dedicated to having a happy, well balanced adult dog that can accompany you wherever you go for years to come, then early exposure (often called socialization) is the most important thing you can do. Exposing your puppy is the process of introducing your puppy to the world in a way that will help him be confident and unafraid of people, places and things he will encounter throughout his life. Some of those things could cause reactivity. The most critical time is prior to 12 weeks of age, but can continue until 4 months when that window is closed. 

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The following is a list of some of the things that your puppy should be exposed to. It goes without saying that this needs to be done slowly and with caution and in some cases with the help of a trainer (especially the body handling):

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Body handling (for body checks and vet visits):

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• touching the feet

• checking the eyes

• checking the ears

• holding the head

• holding the muzzle

• examine open mouth/teeth and guns

• introducing Dremel of nail clippers

• clipping of nails or using Dremel

• gently pinching skin

• cradling puppy in arms

• hugging your puppy

• putting puppy on its side for belly check

• touching the rest of body including tail 

• tourniquet on leg (for future blood draws)

• full restraint of puppy for future visits when blood is drawn

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New people and body types:

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• women

• men

• tall men and women

• obese men and women

• elderly people

• elderly people that use a walker or a cane

• people in wheelchairs

• men with beards

• men with deep voices

• people wearing hats

• people wearing sunglasses

• people wearing face masks

• people with backpacks

• teenagers

• toddlers (walking and squealing)

• infants

• childen playing

• people running 

• people on bikes

• people of different ethnicities

• people in uniform

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Visual and Noises:

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• sirens

• fireworks

• car horns

• gun fire (if you think you will encounter it)

• motorbikes

• thunderstorms

• crowds of people

• cars

• trucks

• door bells

• door knocking

• skateboards

• airplanes

• lawn mower

• leaf blower

• strimmer

• fans

• loud sneezing and coughing

• blender

• TV 

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Places:

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• boarding kennel

• doggie daycare

• pet store

• parks

• dog friendly cafes

• dog friendly events

• veterinarian

• outdoor shopping mall

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Objects and Flooring:

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• pots and pans​

• brooms

• umbrellas

• bags blowing in the wind

• garbage cans - someone dragging a garbage can

• vacuum cleaner

• roomba

• elevators

• tile floors

• wet grass

• stairs (open and closes)

• wood floors

• carpet

• climb over large rocks

• DO NOT TAKE ON ESCALATORS unless you carry, they can rip out their nails if caught in grid!

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Observing (not meeting) animals:

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• puppies

• male adult dogs

• female adult dogs

• kitten

• cat

• dogs playing in distance

• dogs barking behind fence

• farm animals​

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Meeting animals:

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• your puppy should meet safe, friendly dogs under extreme supervision while moving forward on a walk, this is very important and can go very wrong, very quickly. Under no circumstance should you take a puppy to a dog park.

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With all of the above things I could write a couple of sentences on each one. You have to be aware of your dogs state of mind when you introduce these and not overwhelm them. Different breeds of dogs and different breed mixes will be able to handle different levels of stress. Please consult with a trainer. Situations like fireworks and gunfire need to be handled with extreme caution or you will have a dog scared of both of those things for its entire life. Do not take this lightly. Find a You Tube channel and play some of these noises at a very low level and observe. 

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