Luckily the importance of dog-to-dog socialisation is more widely understood than it used to be, and services such as dog daycare are now commonplace and can aid in this process.

However, to avoid difficulty in later life, it is important to socialise your puppy in far more areas than most people realise.
Probably the single most important areas are children, and lots of different humans wearing different things in different places. Fortunately in suburbia there is no shortage of opportunities to expose your puppy to these experiences.
Dogs are not born understanding human life; you must help them. And remember the best window of opportunity mentally, to cement positive experiences, is seven to fourteen weeks of age, so don't delay!
It might be a good idea to make a list of all the things you want your dog to be comfortable around. It will be a bigger list than you might think. Car travel, bicycles, other animals, busy roads, wheelchairs, being tied up, being left alone, and the vet, might well be a good start.
You also need some understanding of 'how' to cement a positive experience because unfortunately you can unwittingly make a negative experience if you are careless. This can create the opposite effect.
Therefore do your research, plan your approach, enlist friends and get professional help from a trainer if you don't feel capable. And stay calm and in control at all times.
So much can be achieved early in a dog's life to ensure a happy, stress-free life for both you and your dog.
Get out there!

DogHQ, 5 Goldfield, Wairau Valley. Ph: 442 2365 www.doghq.co.nz