Pack them in your car and head for the beach. Introduce them to your vacuum cleaner and the top of your washing machine. By age 4 months, their minds switch gears, focusing more on mastering basic obedience commands or figuring out how to open the cabinet door that harbors their chow. A socialized dog is less apt to bite first, ask questions second. A well-mannered dog is less likely to shred your couch, chase the neighbor's Volvo, or duck under your bed when lightning crackles.
Socialized puppies display confidence.
They've been exposed to other dogs, people, and, yes, even cats. Confronted with something new, they're more apt to react out of curiosity-not fear. They enter adulthood less jarred by change because they have a track record of previous challenges-and successes. Each year, one million dogs are shipped off to animal shelters after frustrated owners are unable to control their behavioral problems. Since 1986, the percentage of reported dog bites has risen by 37 percent.