Where to socialise your puppy in Folkestone

You’ve read all about how important the socialisation window is for your puppy’s development. But where to socialise your puppy in Folkestone? You want to give them opportunities to interact with other dogs, people, as well as experiencing all the sights and sounds of our fabulous town. After eight years of living in and training puppies in Folkestone, I’ve found the best places to socialise your puppy safely and without overwhelming them. Hit up these spots with your pup to help them become confident well-rounded furry Folkestonians!

Before heading to new places with your puppy, make sure you know what to look for in their body language. If they seem anxious or scared, move away from the thing that’s freaking them out. Better to have a few, short but positive experiences rather than flooding them with new dogs, people and things. It’s so easy to overwhelm and overstimulate young pups and it usually just leads to more of that pesky puppy biting when you get home!

Radnor Park

Radnor Park is located just across the road from Folkestone Central Train Station. It’s a great place to consider when thinking about where to socialise your puppy in Folkestone. That’s because it’s got a little bit of everything whilst still giving your pup plenty of space to stretch their legs in between. There’s a cafe next to the kids play area at the closest point to the station. So grab yourself a coffee and let your pup get used to curious sounds and movements young kids make. Even if you don’t have children in your life, it’s good to get your puppy comfortable with kids.

Moving away from the play area, there’s an enclosed dog run. I would recommend not actually going into this area with your puppy. It can be an overwhelming environment for a pup and you won’t know if dogs in there are going to be good potential play mates for your pup. You also don’t know if the dogs are up to date with their vaccinations so it can be risky for young pups with vulnerable immune systems. Stick to walking around the outside of the dog run so your pup can still interact with those inside but risks are kept to a minimum.

From here, wander down the steps to the duck ponds and stream. There’s ducks, birds and squirrels aplenty around so do keep your puppy on the lead. You’ll soon find out if they love chasing small furries and there is a road splitting up the park so better to be safe than sorry. You also don’t want to discover that they love swimming in ponds and not be able to get them out! You’ve got plenty of space around here to have your puppy on a long line so they can safely sniff and explore though.

Not for Humans Pet Shop

You may well have read that taking your puppy to a pet shop is a good way of socialising them. In some ways that’s true, but nuance is key here. We have a massive Pets at Home here in Folkestone. But honestly, I wouldn’t recommend taking your puppy there. There’s a vets, groomers and several species of small animals being sold there, as well as rows and rows of different foods and toys of course. It’s a sensory overload for many humans, never mind puppies!

Instead, head to Not for Humans on the Old High Street if you want to take your puppy to a pet shop. It’s a smaller space where your puppy can investigate their surroundings without the overwhelming noise and smells of Pets at Home. The lovely owner Debbie only stocks natural chews and treats and can recommend things best suited for your pups age and stage. You’ll also be supporting a small, local business too- what’s not to love?!

Harbour Arm

If you’d like your pup to be able to settle in cafes, pubs etc when they’re older then you can get them used to this early on in easy steps by visiting the harbour arm. Grab a coffee at the harbour coffee co and sit on the benches outside instead of inside. Bring a mat and reward your pup for choosing to hang out on it. My step by step guide to mat training is here, FYI. Practise this at a few different points along the harbour arm before taking them inside any of the many great dog friendly spots along there.

When thinking about where to socialise your puppy in Folkestone, the harbour arm is a great one to consider. It’s a solid spot for people and dog watching but remember, your puppy doesn’t need to interact with every person and dog you see. In fact, it’s better for them to learn that the world just happens around them and that not everyone is there for them to say hi too. If you’ve got a particularly friendly and sociable puppy, this is a good lesson to learn earlier rather than later!

The harbour arm can get very busy on sunny weekends, so those aren’t great times for your pups first visit or if they’ve shown signs of worry on previous visits. Build up to busier times by visiting on weekdays and quieter times. You always want to be able to remove your puppy from situations they’re not coping with – it’s easier to grab takeaway food than leave a table reservation if your pup is struggling!