I think it was Dr. Ian Dunbar that covered the subject of your dog is what you expose it to positively and I am an advocate of that. After you have had a couple of sets of shots, you can start taking your little one to classes. It not only helps your bond with them but exposes them to a different environment, new people, various types of dogs in a safe environment - that is if the school is a good one. There are some that aren't despite what they tote and we have experienced those ourselves.
We already started the process with visiting dogs, our retrievers but what is in the home is deemed safe to a litter vs. outside. It is their safe zone and what is outside is something they do not have comfort in yet. It's important to help your dog gain the skill of achieving comfort.
The degree of a dog's socialization - whether he becomes a 'well socialized' or 'poorly socialized' member of the community depends on the type of social interactions and environments he experiences while young. Those who are exposed to a wide variety of positive, rewarding experiences will form a different view of the world than an isolated or mistreated dog. Your goal should be to help your dog grow to be people, animal and dog friendly.
If your pup is exposed in a positive way to a wide variety of dogs, humans and other animals under a variety of different but non-traumatic circumstances, your puppy will grow up to be well balanced. This way, when faced with an unruly or under socialized dog, your dog will understand that the world as a whole is a good place and there is no need for defensiveness nor fear.
An adult dog who is startled or fearful is an entirely different matter than a scared puppy. The puppy has yet to learn the skills to achieve confidence, balance and understand the communication of other dogs. This is a learned process that they develop from other dogs. Each dog learns at various rates. Beyond the fact that your dog needs to learn a dog's language (you should too - I have an excellent book), it also has to learn how to behave appropriately given a set of circumstances and this only happens with practice. It's sort of like the human learning how to become a good friend, a leader, how to fit in, what the rules are at this place or that place etc. We all make our mistakes but hopefully we move on and perfect our skills and become better as we go along. This is the same with our canines. You need to give them the opportunity to perfect their skills - to go through the learning process.
Pups that are taken too early from their mother miss a critical development that helps them achieve this learning window in a quicker fashion but even those with a high degree of socialization can learn.
As they develop they will test their social boundaries with other strange dogs to find out what they are able to get away with. It's similar to a human child that puts half their foot across the line you have drawn - can I get away with it - what are the consequences - all a learning process.
But if you wait till your dog is older, an adult dog will be less patient with another adult dog than a puppy. The dogs do know that your little one is a pup and they may play with them rough and physical but it's play with a learning process. They won't react that way to an adult who should know better, in their opinion. When an adult dog does correct your pup in a positive way, he may protest but he will have learned he crossed the line in his behavior. That's why pups that stay with their canine mom longer 'get' the - 'ooops - I crossed the line - let's try this again process' easier than those that don't.
But leave the nest they must in a positive way. Sassy will be (after her next shots) exposed to other dogs she is unfamiliar with. If she stays with us long enough, will be in classes and we have already started confidence building. By teaching her commands you are actually teaching her confidence skills. When she finally gets it and you get excited, she gets a treat and you display joy that she has completed a request, your dog feels good about his accomplishment and you get a better, more behaved dog at the end with an amazing bond - if you take the journey of training completely in a positive fashion.
Sassy has learned 'sit' that all I need to do now is hold the treat so we have now moved on today with 'down'. She has to get past thinking treat is 'sit' and that's all I am expected to learn. She's struggling with 'down' but after the 5th persistent try - she did it - perhaps by accident but its begun. We will continue and we hope you will too and yes I have to get the video camera out to capture it but with grand kids here, a kid home from university etc - well it's a crazy house so soon.
When teaching down, realize it is a submissive position and some dogs may learn more slowly but not due to their learning capability but rather not wanting to be in a position they deem vulnerable. Down is an excellent way to bridge confidence and get past feeling vulnerable.
Once you have achieved this skill 100% and completely, your dog has taken yet another step in bonding and trusting you.
Give them love and patience too...and they will give it back 10 fold.
More later...
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 9:33PM 
Well, here is the trio out in the snow. We have (from right to left) Talemaker's Coach, Talemaker's Sebastian and Rockhurst's Abigail at Talemaker. Coach's dad brought Coach over to expel some energy and Sebastian's mom came by to bring him home - his new home. Let us know how he did with the new surroundings.
