Puppy Socialization Resources: People

Your puppy will encounter lots of people throughout their life! It's essential to proactively expose them to a variety of people during their critical socialization period. Look for different ethnicities, genders, ages, and styles of dress, and pair seeing and meeting them with positive things like treats, praise, or toys.

Socialization with people doesn't mean your puppy has to actively interact with everyone — instead focus more on exposure than interaction at first. Not only will this help your puppy not feel overwhelmed by new people, but rewarding them for looking at someone from a distance also builds increased focus on you around distractions.

If your puppy is interested in approaching new people, and not showing signs of fear or stress, then you can practice polite greetings with new people. Check out the videos below for examples and more tips for puppy socialization with new people.