Socialization
Socializing a new puppy is the most important thing you can do to create a wonderful dog. Many behavior problems in older dogs stem from the simple fact that the dog was not socialized as a puppy. It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s important. Just do it!

Dogs have a natural period between 3-12 weeks of age when they are open to learning about their environment. This is an adaptive process that allows puppies to habituate to all the things they will normally encounter in their world. After this period is over they will often avoid novel things. Using their natural flight or fight response, they will try to increase the distance between themselves and anything they were not socialized to. It is extremely important to introduce the puppy to as many different things (people, animals, sights, sounds, textures, etc.) as possible during this socialization period. Because dogs do not generalize well, you should go overboard with socialization.

People: 
Women, men, teenagers, children, toddlers, babies, all races, peculiar gaits, handicapped, uniforms, bearded men, people with hats, people acting weird.  All the experiences with these people should be positive, using play or treats. A good suggestion is to have a “stranger treat bag” that you carry. Every time you meet someone new, ask that person to give your puppy a treat.  The puppy should also be exposed to being petted and handled by as many different people as possible. 

Situations: 
Crowds, kids on bikes, traffic, car rides, soccer games, different sounds, floor textures, etc. Again, make positive associations with all of these situations using food treats or play. 

Other animals: 
Especially other dogs, but also cats, squirrels, livestock, etc. 

Exposing puppies to tons of different people, situations, and things in their environment also instills “bounce-back”. This is the ability to encounter a novel situation, be initially reluctant or afraid, and then get over it. This builds confidence in the puppy that will carry over into adulthood.

Puppy classes are very helpful for socialization, but it’s not enough to just go to class once a week for 5 weeks, you need to do more. An active approach of exposing the puppy to tons of things and making a positive association with them will reduce the risk of fearfulness and aggression in adulthood. The effort put into socializing your puppy during this critical period is the single smartest investment you can make.

Play with other dogs
It is important to allow puppies to play with other puppies and non-aggressive adult dogs. This is the only way they learn proper canine social skills. Dogs that do not learn “dog language” are tense and antisocial and cannot read other dogs well. They are consequently, at higher risk for dog-dog aggression or fearful reactions to other dogs.

Bite Inhibition
In order for dogs, who have very powerful jaws meant for cracking bones, to live in social groups they had to develop a way to prevent serious injury to each other during altercations. Bite inhibition is instilled in puppies by way of feedback about their bite strength from their social partners. We take puppies out of their canine social groups at a very young age, usually at 8 weeks. So it is up to us to not only expose the puppy to other puppies or dogs that will give them this information, but to provide it to them ourselves.

All puppies bite, it is normal puppy behavior. You should not try to completely stop puppy biting until you first instill bite inhibition. Let the puppy chomp away on your hands and monitor the lever of pressure he is using. When he bites down hard, scream “OUCH” as though it hurt way more than it did and leave the room for a minute. This is simulating the feedback the puppy would get from his littermates - “When you bite too hard, I scream, and remove myself from the situation – you loose your play mate”. After a minute, come back and start playing again. Repeat this procedure over and over until you notice he is biting more softly. Then you will scream “OUCH” for soft bites. Using this method, you will be teaching the puppy self-control in manageable chunks. Once the puppy is only mouthing you with very little pressure, you can teach a “don’t touch” or “off” command. Then redirect him to appropriate bitable objects like his toys.

Instilling bite inhibition in your puppy will insure a “soft mouth”. What this means is that if your dog is provoked or forced to bite as an adult he will not cause as much injury as he would if he had a “hard mouth”.

Alone time
Dogs are social animals and genetically are not very well prepared to be alone. It is therefore very important to get your puppy used to being alone. Leave him alone for brief periods of time, over and over. Put him in his crate and leave the room, at first for a short amount of time, and then for longer and longer periods. Give him a chew toy to focus on while he is alone. When you leave do not say “good-bye” or anything else to the puppy – just leave. When you come back, do not say “hello”, just come back in the room. If the puppy starts to cry or bark when you leave the room – DO NOT go back in. This will reinforce that behavior and he learns that crying brings you back. Wait for a lull in the crying or barking and then go back.

Physical handling
It is important to handle your puppy as much as possible. The puppy should be handled everyday, preferably by many people. They should stroke the entire body, look inside the ears and mouth, pick up the feet, etc.
In addition to normal handling it is essential to prepare the puppy to be handled in ways that they might find frightening or painful. Most people (and all children) act inappropriately around dogs because they do not understand the things that upset them. The number one bite cause is some variation on a behavior that humans consider friendly – approach and reaching toward the dog. Owners need to take the time to teach the puppy that human proximity and actions are not threats. Gently and gradually accustom the puppy to accept inappropriate human actions. If done properly, the puppy will quickly come to enjoy these exercises and look forward to being suddenly grabbed, restrained, and stared at.

Proximity 
Have many people approach the puppy and hand him a food treat. 

Staring 
Start by holding a food treat by your eye and when the puppy looks up, give the treat. Slowly increase the time he must look into your eyes before he gets the treat. Then have visitors and strangers do the exercise. 

Reaching down 
Repeatedly offer a food treat with one hand and slowly reach down with the other. After a few trials, make contact, first one scratch behind the ear, then two, then several, before each treat. 

Grabbing 
As the above exercise proceeds, gradually increase the speed with which you reach for him. Similarly, increase the vigor of the petting, patting, and scratching with each trial. The aim is for the puppy to associate a rapidly approaching hand with profuse praise and wonderful treats. 

Hugging 
Many children will go up to a strange dog and give it a hug. This is often considered unwanted restraint to the dog so we must teach puppies that being hugged is not a threat. Hug the puppy and then give a treat. Do it many times before letting a child do it. 

Feeding time
Dogs are genetically wired to guard their food. This behavior is unacceptable in the human household. You must teach the puppy that humans and food go together. When feeding the puppy, hang around. Sit on the floor next to him and pet him and dangle your hands in the bowl. Hand feed him some of his meals. Feed meals in small installments so the puppy makes the association between your hand approaching his bowl and more food. Practice taking the bowl away in mid-meal and adding a special treat. Practice walking up to the puppy while he is eating and dropping in a special treat. Walk by the puppy while he is eating and “accidentally” bump into him, simulating what may happen someday if kids are running through the room.

Other items 
Dogs often guard other things like toys, bones, or tissues. The puppy must be taught that you can take anything away from him when you want. Offer the puppy a toy but hold onto the other end. Offer a treat and say “off”, when the puppy lets go, give the treat. Then let the puppy take possession of the item and do the same thing. Offer the treat, say “drop it”, and when he drops the item to get the treat, pick it up and then give it back to him. By giving the toy back you let him know that it’s not a bad thing to let go of his toy, he gets a treat and then gets the toy back. As the exercise proceeds, give the treat on fewer occasions. The next step is to walk away and then approach the puppy, present the treat and take the toy away. Repeat this over and over with as many items as you can.

Training
This is the best time to start training a puppy. Puppies learn so quickly. Using positive reinforcement, start teaching him to sit, down, and come. It is untrue that puppies can’t learn these things until they are 6 months old.

“Nothing in Life is free”
Once your puppy is sitting on command, make him sit before he gets anything in life – food, going out, attention, play – ANYTHING. Every member of the family should participate by requesting the puppy to sit before he gets anything. This simple exercise teaches the puppy that you control all the resources and that he must do something for you before he gets them. Dogs want to know where they fit into their social group, if you don’t let them know they will decide for themselves. This is a simple non-combative way to teach your dog that you are boss.

Punishment
NEVER physically punish your puppy. The only thing this teaches the puppy is to be afraid of you. In addition, you should NEVER even verbally punish the puppy unless you catch him in the act of doing the inappropriate behavior. Unless punishment comes within a few seconds of a behavior, the dog has no idea why he is being yelled at.
The key to a good dog is to praise the good things and ignore the bad. Don’t let it be that the only time he gets your attention is when he does something bad. Teach your puppy what you want through positive reinforcement. Doing this will create a great dog and a wonderful bond.

Congratulations and good luck with your new puppy!