Listen to the Doggy Dan Podcast Show No.5 by using the player above, or subscribing to iTunes and listening on your mobile device. This post will give you an overview of what’s included in this episode: Socializing a new puppy. If you have a new puppy and want to understand what socializing is all about and why it’s so important then you’ve come to the right place…
If you don’t have a puppy, or yours is already socialized properly, then please, in the comment section below, tell me what issues you’d like me to cover in future episodes.
Alternatively if you have a puppy and want help with other puppy problems or dog training you can go straight to my video website for help and watch my training videos at The Online Dog Trainer - over 300 videos for just a $1 trial!
Why, when, where and how should we socialize your puppy?
Inside the podcast I cover off these important questions:
 Why
Socializing your puppy is one of the most important activities that you can do. It allows them to experience a whole variety of different dogs at an age where they are most tolerant and submissive. Inside the podcast I help you see the whole experience through your dogs eyes so that they have the best experience possible when socializing. Think of it like taking a child to childcare when they are young. It is important that they learn how to behave around many children. This is not to say that they have to be best mates with everyone!
 When
Timing is crucial when it comes to socializing. If you leave it too late then you can really run into trouble. Often you will find yourself balancing advice from your vets that you need to wait for more vaccinations before you socialize your puppy. Inside the podcast I talk through how I would weigh up these two important pieces of information and come to a decision.
 Where
There are many different ways to socialize your puppy, one solution does not suit everyone. You can take your puppy to pre-puppy training, puppy training, doggy day care, the vet, or the park. Many people choose to do the socialization themselves and do a great job. Inside the podcast I point out the benefits and downsides of each option and leave you to decide what suits you best since there is no one way to go about socializing. Do-it-yourself is a perfectly good option when you do it correctly.
How
The most important part is knowing how to actually socialize your puppy in a way that will ensure that they have a good experience and can take that into the next doggy meet and greet. Knowing when and how to step-in to stop overly excited play and when to leave your puppy is crucial to helping set boundaries for your new puppy. Getting this wrong can make the situation worse and create a mountain out of a mole-hill!
The three C’s to socializing
 I also cover off three important aspects to socializing:
Calm – how to maintain a calm situation and how it affects your puppies experience.
Control – why you need to be in control of your puppy and a simple way to achieve this
Choose – the importance of selecting the right dogs or puppies to socialize with and why older dogs are so important.
As you can see there is a massive amount of tips and advice inside the podcast helping you to get this crucial aspect of your puppy training right, first time.
 Some classics mistakes to avoid
 To ensure your success I have decided it makes sense to alert you to some of the biggest mistakes that people make when socializing their puppy and how to avoid them. So often people only find out about these things when the opportunity has passed them by. Sometimes just a little bit of knowledge can make a big difference.
So if you really want to end up with a dog friendly, well behaved, dog-sociable-dog then make sure you are aware of:
 The most common error that people make when socializing their puppy
The biggest reason that socializing goes wrong and does not work
What you need to do to ensure that your puppy stays friendly with dogs as they grow up.
There you go! If yo