DVMs (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) are not dog trainers. By analogy, an M.D. is not the ideal person to advise on how one should raise and educate a human kid. The opinions of an experienced psychologist, teacher, and scientific consensus are more valuable.
However, a good DVM that stays up-to-date with dog-related science should know better than to advise parents not to socialize their young puppies. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) published a position paper in 2008 that landed firmly on the side of early puppy socialization. In further support of the AVSAB position, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) published a review of literature in 2015 that unequivocally advocates for early puppy socialization.
If a DVM is giving the outdated advice to avoid socialization, they are likely prioritizing the risk of disease over the risk of behavioral problems that are, in fact, more dangerous.
Learn more about the subject from our article: “The Silent Killer of Urban Dogs.”
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