One of the most valuable lessons you can teach your puppy is that the world is a safe place, with kind humans and friendly dogs and other animals. The act of exposing your puppy to the world is called socialization. Many puppy owners have heard that this is important but really don't know how to go about doing it correctly. If you do it right, you'll help your puppy grow up to be confident and outgoing. If it's done wrong, you can inadvertently create a frightened, aggressive puppy.

A critical time for your puppy's learning is from birth to 16 weeks of age. During this time, puppies can absorb a great deal of information, but they are also very vulnerable to bad experiences. Puppies who are not properly exposed to different types of people and other animals can find them very startling or frightening when they do finally encounter them at an older age. They may react by growling, cowering, or even biting. But if they have positive experiences with people and animals before they turn 16 weeks of age, they are less likely to be afraid of them later.

Soon after you bring your puppy home (preferably no younger than eight weeks of age), it's time to start your socialization training program.