Legislation in the Czech Republic and the European Union has, for several years, set a clear direction toward supporting social contact among dairy calves by requiring that individually housed calves be provided with both visual and physical contact with conspecifics. This trend reflects a modern, efficient and more ethically oriented approach to rearing calves in dairy sector. An enriched social environment (pair or group housing systems), respects the animals‘ needs, complies with legislative requirements and contributes to the development of more resilient individuals. Nevertheless, the majority of calves in the Czech Republic are still reared in individual housing systems. Efforts to formally incorporate sociality into legislation for intensive production systems are shifting dairy production toward practices that better align with the biological requirements of calves and improve their welfare. This article links the behavioural needs of calves with legislative standards govering their housing and rearing during the first eight weeks of life and contrasts them with the established practices in the field.