Glossary

Habituation

A dog's learned reduction of its reaction to something harmless that is met again and again without consequence.

Also called: getting used to, becoming accustomed, habituating

Habituation is the simplest form of learning: a dog hears or sees something repeatedly with nothing bad happening, and eventually stops reacting. A puppy that startles at the vacuum cleaner on day one may ignore it by the end of the week.

It works only when the thing is not truly frightening and the dog can move away if it wants. If the dog is already scared, repeated exposure can make fear worse, which is called sensitization.

It differs from desensitization and counter-conditioning, which are deliberate training plans for a dog that already reacts, using small steps and rewards to change how the dog feels. Habituation is what happens through ordinary exposure, and is why early positive exposure is so useful for puppies.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Desensitization and counter-conditioning A training plan that exposes a dog to a fear trigger at a level it can handle while pairing it with something good, to change how the dog feels. Socialization Exposing a young dog to a wide range of people, animals, places and sounds in a positive way so that new things do not frighten it. Critical socialization period The early weeks of a puppy's life, roughly 3 to 12 weeks, when it learns most easily to accept new people, animals and places. Fear period A stage, often described around 8 to 11 weeks and again in adolescence, when a young dog may react strongly to things it once ignored.