Puppies, just as human babies, are like sponges--ready to absorb all kinds of information about their world. In the first months of their lives,they learn the right places to sleep to catch the late afternoon sun and that the sound of the can opener means dinner time. They learn quickly what pleases their owner and earns them extra playtime or treats.

In this same period, it's your job as a pet owner to teach them to bond with people and with other dogs, and to be comfortable in unfamiliar situations. This is one of the most important things you can do for your fuzzy family member. The less afraid your puppy is of strange people and animals, the less likely she is to act defensively and attack another dog or even a child.

The socialization of puppies begins between three and four weeks of age, long before most people bring their new pets home. If your puppy has been raised by a careless owner or breeder,you may have an uphill battle to fight when you get her home. The good news is she will continue the socialization process until she is about 12 weeks old, so you have plenty of time to give her good experiences.

First of all make sure she bonds with you and your family. Pet her,groom her,play with her,talk to her and just generally give her lots of love. Show her that she can depend on you for affection food and gentle leadership.

Once your pup feels safe with you and she's had all her vaccinations, you can introduce her to the big, wide world. Take her to lots of new and exciting places--the park a friend's house or dog-friendly stores. Make sure she has plenty of chances to meet kind people and play with well-socialized dogs.

Try to make trips to the veterinarian fun,with plenty of petting from you and the friendly veterinarian and technicians. Introduce her to children, too, in a well-supervised environment. Show the kids how to speak calmly to her and pet her gently.

If you notice your puppy acting nervous in a new situation or starting to bristle at a strange dog, try not to scold her. Raising your voice will only make her more tense. Trying to comfort her will backfire too. If she gets a lot of petting cooing and attention every time she's scared or aggressive she'll learn that reacting this way is a good thing.

Instead distract her as best you can. Toss a ball or a chew toy to her or start playing her favorite game. When she gets absorbed in the game and starts ignoring the people or the dog that scared her give her lots of praise. Soon she'll associate the scary situation with fun and playtime and she'll become a canine socialite.