Your puppy’s socialization period starts already at 3-4 weeks of age and ends somewhere between 12-16 weeks of age.

Why is Puppy Start Right so important?

• The early puppyhood socialization period is a critical and finite period of time during which puppies are developmentally open to new experiences – sights, sounds, smells, dogs, critters, motion, people, environments, novelty.
• Puppies are learning about how to successfully live in modern human society.
• Correct, positive socialization can “vaccinate” your puppy against future behavioral issues.
• Correct, positive socialization is so critical that the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour (AVSAB) has published a POSITION STATEMENT in which it states that “ it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.”
• Lack of socialization is detrimental to your puppy’s ability to cope as an adult dog and can cause lifelong social deficits, which will affect not only your puppy’s quality of life, but yours and your family’s, too. Living with a fearful/aggressive dog may seriously affect your lifestyle (inability to have friends over, take a vacation, etc).