Is Your Puppy Really a Blank Slate?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about getting a puppy is that they arrive with us as a blank slate. We collect them at around eight weeks old and it feels like this is where everything starts.

Then the pressure begins.

Have I socialised them enough? Should they be meeting more people? More dogs? Should I be taking them to cafés? Should they be able to settle yet? What about being left alone?

There is so much information out there about what you should be doing with your puppy that it's very easy to feel like you're already getting it wrong.

The thing is, your puppy's story didn't start when you brought them home.

Quite a lot has already happened before you even meet them.

It starts before they're born.

We know genetics influence behaviour. Breed can give us an idea of some of the traits a dog may be more likely to have, but dogs within the same breed can still be very different from each other.

You can even have puppies from the same litter who behave completely differently.

We also know from research across other mammalian species that the environment before birth can influence development. There is still a lot we don't know about exactly how this applies to dogs, but it's another reminder that development doesn't suddenly begin when a puppy comes home.

That doesn't mean a stressed mum automatically produces anxious puppies. It's never that simple. Genetics, environment and experience all interact with each other.

What it does mean is that development has already started before that puppy is even born.

Those first eight weeks matter too.

Then we have everything that happens between birth and the day you bring them home.

Mum plays an important role during this time. Research in dogs has found links between maternal care and later behaviour and temperament.

They are also learning from their littermates and everything happening around them.

Where were they raised? Were they in a home or somewhere much quieter? What noises did they hear? Had they met different people? Had they explored different surfaces? How much opportunity did they have to explore?

All of these experiences form part of their early development.

This is one of the reasons I think choosing a breeder is so important. You're not just choosing what happens to your dog from eight weeks onwards. You're also choosing who influences those first eight weeks.

Then they come home to you

This is where I think we need to take some pressure off ourselves.

The little dog who arrives in your home already has their own personality, genetics and experiences. You're going to have a huge influence on what happens next, but you're not starting from scratch.

Some will be confident and want to investigate everything. Others will be much more cautious and prefer to watch first. Some will bounce back very quickly if something frightens them, while others will need more time.

This doesn't necessarily mean you've done anything wrong.

It means you need to look at the dog you've actually got in front of you.

Socialisation is more than exposure

Socialisation is probably one of the areas I get most frustrated with because there is still so much pressure to expose young dogs to absolutely everything.

You sometimes see lists telling you how many people they should meet, how many dogs, different places they should visit and all the things they should experience before a certain age.

I don't think that's particularly helpful.

If I take a worried puppy into the middle of a busy café and they spend the whole time overwhelmed, I haven't necessarily socialised them just because I can now tick 'café' off my list.

How they feel about an experience matters more than whether they've simply experienced it.

Sometimes good socialisation might be sitting somewhere quieter and watching the world go past. It might mean not saying hello to another dog, or deciding we've done enough for today and going home.

That's still socialisation.

What if you're already seeing things you're worried about?

This is where I see people being really hard on themselves.

If your puppy is worried about people, barking at dogs or struggling to settle, one of your first thoughts might be, “What have I done wrong?”

Sometimes we do need to change what we're doing, of course.

However, behaviour isn't only created by training. Genetics, early development, physical health, learning, previous experiences and what's happening in the environment can all play a part.

This is also why two dogs can experience exactly the same thing and react completely differently.

There usually isn't one simple explanation for behaviour.

Look at the dog in front of you

This is probably the biggest thing I'd like you to take away from this.

Try not to get too caught up in what somebody else's puppy is doing or what yours apparently 'should' be doing by a certain age.

Look at yours.

If they're struggling, think about what might be making it difficult for them. Are they worried? Are they tired? Is there too much going on? Do they need more space? Do they actually understand what you're asking?

Those questions are much more useful to me than labelling a puppy as naughty, stubborn or difficult.

They aren't a blank slate and you're not responsible for writing every part of their story.

You are, however, a really important part of what happens next.

For me, that's what good puppy training should be about. Understanding the individual dog you've got, supporting them where they need it and helping them become confident in their own world.

Puppy training in Cardiff

If you've recently brought a puppy home and you're struggling with something, or you simply want some help getting things off to a good start, I offer puppy training and one-to-one puppy support in North Cardiff.

I look at the whole dog rather than just the behaviour you're seeing. Sometimes understanding why something is happening is the most important place to start.

Research & further reading

Foyer, P., Wilsson, E. & Jensen, P. (2016). Levels of maternal care in dogs affect adult offspring temperament. Scientific Reports, 6, 19253.View the research

Guardini, G. et al. (2017). Influence of Maternal Care on Behavioural Development of Domestic Dogs (Canis Familiaris) Living in a Home Environment. Animals, 7(12), 93.View the research

Brand, C.L. et al. (2024). Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age. Animals, 14(2), 336.View the research