Socialization is very important in forming the temperament of the adult dog.

Just what does "properly socialized" mean when referring to a puppy or an adult? I've asked dozens of pet owners and breeders and the answer generally comes down to "getting the puppy out" to a lot of places. Unfortunately, very young unprotected puppies cannot go "out" to a lot of places but it's important for those pups to have exposure to the new and different parts of the world in order for them to develop into well adjusted adults. So to help in exposing the pups we follow the rules of 7.

• Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips
• Played with 7 different types of objects: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper of cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces
• Been in 7 different locations: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom
• Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or stick, someone in a wheelchair or walker
• Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence
• Eaten from 7 different containers; metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan
• Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom