Proper socialization is essential if you hope to raise a happy, well-balanced dog. Unfortunately, most pet owners have the wrong idea about how to socialize their dogs and inadvertently do more harm than good in this process. The moment you get a new puppy the importance of socialization is drilled into your head; you hear it from your veterinarian, at puppy class, and so on. You’re encouraged to expose your new puppy to all sorts of other dogs, animals, people, places, and noises during his critical developmental periods.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I’ve always loved to train dogs (and horses). As a child I wanted to teach something to every dog or horse I encountered. (I tried cats, too, and they remain an enigma to this day; gerbils were somewhat responsive, goldfish not so much). Why? What is it that draws me to this? After some contemplation I realized that quite simply, it is the ability to establish communication with another species, the reward of building a relationship and developing a rapport with the animal. And witnessing all of those moments when everything clicks and the dog “gets it.”

Those of you who know me, know how I feel about dog parks. My response is generally No. But if you really want to go, first ask yourself these questions: Do you have complete voice control of your dog off leash?

About 18 years ago I moved back to the US from overseas to find the world of dog training in a sort of renaissance. Instead of working to avoid correction (remember how dogs were literally yanked back to your leg when learning to heel?), training was now something that the dogs enjoyed and in which they eagerly participated as equal partners. There was a new focus on working for rewards, shaping and clicker training, making the dog operant, and incorporating games into training.

Look out your window on any given day. How many dogs do you see out taking their owners for a walk? Leash pulling is perhaps the number one problem I’m asked to fix. Teaching your dog to walk nicely on a leash and not pull you down the street isn’t that hard, but most people fail to accomplish this.

Your dog wants your attention. Do you make time for your dog? Dogs are social animals that thrive on interaction with their families (you). People who choose dogs over cats as their companion of choice do so because dogs are inherently more responsive and attentive to humans; they greet us at the door, they seek out our attention, they comfort us when we’re down and they celebrate with us in our good moods.

So, you have a new puppy. A spastic little bundle of boundless energy eager to explore the world, steal your shoes, socks and whatever else may be laying around, taste test the furniture and do laps around your house. There is nothing more fun than a puppy! But how do you cope with all of that energy?