You'd better get out there and get started! There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to properly done socialization. You can't do too much. Pups who are super-socialized tend to assume that new things they meet later in life are safe and good until proven otherwise.
Dogs who are very well-socialized as pups are least likely to develop aggressive behaviors in their lifetimes. Pups who aren't well-socialized tend to be suspicious and fearful of new things they meet throughout their lives, and are most likely to eventually bite someone.
If your pup comes to you from a socially impoverished environment, you'll already see the signs of neophobia. You have no time to lose, and you may never be able to make up all the ground he's lost, but you can make him better than he'd be otherwise.
- Whole Dog Journal
Dogs who are very well-socialized as pups are least likely to develop aggressive behaviors in their lifetimes. Pups who aren't well-socialized tend to be suspicious and fearful of new things they meet throughout their lives, and are most likely to eventually bite someone. If your pup comes to you from a socially impoverished environment, you'll already see the signs of neophobia. You have no time to lose, and you may never be able to make up all the ground he's lost, but you can make him better than he'd be otherwise.
- A well-run puppy class is one of the best places to find lots of positive socialization opportunities. Unfortunately, because of their fear of disease transmission, some veterinarians still caution their clients with puppies to keep their young canines safely at home until fully vaccinated, or at the very least until they have received a minimum of two shots, usually by the age of 12 weeks. Twelve weeks leaves only two weeks of critical socialization time - assuming there's a class starting up immediately after the pup receives his second shot. Not good enough!
- Whole Dog Journal
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