People often underestimate the importance of early socialization for puppies. Early socialization is essential for puppies as it helps them to become well-adjusted and confident as adults. It exposes them to different people, places, and animals, and helps them to learn how to interact with the world around them. Socialization also allows puppies to learn proper behaviors and boundaries. This will help them to avoid problem behaviors such as aggression and fearfulness. Early socialization also plays an important role in building trust between puppies and humans, which is essential for successful interactions and training. Normally, people assume they need to wait until their puppies are fully vaccinated against disease before being exposed to other dogs.
However, it is actually beneficial to start socializing puppies as early as possible, even before they are fully vaccinated. By doing this, puppies can gain valuable experiences while they are still young and impressionable. This way, they will be less likely to become fearful or aggressive when faced with new experiences as adults. It is important to keep in mind that puppies should be socialized in a safe and controlled environment, and that they should never be exposed to any dogs that could be carrying contagious diseases. I have been working professionally with dogs of all ages, breeds and temperaments for many years, and I can usually tell which dogs were exposed to myriad experiences early in life – they are usually confident and much more balanced than dogs who missed out on being socialized during this crucial learning period when dogs very young, and their brains are still developing.