Where do you set the limit for puppies when it comes to letting them look at things in the environment? I know you don’t want to allow them to get too focused or excited by what they see but shouldn’t you allow them to look at things so they understand the world?

I think you need to observe and get to know your puppy. For a calmer, confident type of puppy you will see that they look at things and are easy to redirect away from it. Other personalities of puppies tend to fixate or become overly excited or nervous by things in the environment much more quickly. Until you get your puppy and he or she settles into your home it's not possible to know where to set the limit. Just remember the words from Michael "pay attention to what your puppy is paying attention to.”

I have raised several dogs that were very excitable and overly interested in their surroundings as puppies. I now have a 9-month-old German Shepherd with a very clear and confident temperament. He has lots of drive but doesn't get fixated on things in the environment so I can allow him to look around a lot more than I could with many of the puppies I’ve raised in the past. I hope this makes sense!