Will you got the wheels turning again. I, like a lot of peiople on this board, do not let people touch my dog. Mainly because I believe that most people in this world are stupid and cannot be trusted. That being said, I am a little on the fence about letting children touch my dog. I would like for her to be 100% comfortable around kids due to the fact that I plan on having them someday. Did you actually let the kids touch Fetz when you went to the library or did you restrict contact. There are exceptions to every rule and I was curious if you thought that letting kids touch you dog was one of them. Don't mean to change the subject of the post, but I can never seem to stop the wheels from turning in my head.

When my pup was still little, I started taking him out in boats (large and small). The firehouse when the alarms and sirens were going off. In a helicopter. He lays under the truck while I shoot trap or the pistol. He lays by my feet when I'm in my wood working shop, ignoring the table saw, lathe, routers, bandsaw, drill press, etc. So far, I haven't found anything that seems to bother him. Then again. The crack of a whip, at the club field, sure gets a reaction out of him.
Because Thunder is also a SAR dog, it's necessary that he is very social with people. He adores my grandkids, but he'll never be left alone with them. That has never seemed to affect his work on the Schutzhund field. Other than in the car or around the house, the only aggression he has ever show outside of the training field is when he got his tattoo. With the first touch of the needle, I though he was going to eat the vet. Hey! It was right under his nuts, on the inside of his leg. I'd get nasty too. I gave him a very serious !!NO!! and he settled down with no more problems.

Jake, he was still under a year old at that time and I was really trying to socialize him in view of what I knew he'd ultimately become - so any socialization at that time was important.
And yes, he actually allowed the kids to rub his belly and all, he was very comfortable and stress-free in that situation ( in retrospect, he was comfortable because I was comfortable, he's always been a good reader of my mood and if I'm relaxed, he's a little more mellow than he usually is ).
And he's so over the top with his attitude that I look for opportunities to socialize him with confident and dog-wise people ( and the Leerburg seminars have been primo for that, Fetz has climbed into a few people's laps at those seminars <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> )

I agree that it can be hard to find people who you can 100% trust with your dog. I remember when my pup was going through a mouthing stage, and I was still trying to socialize him. People who petted him would begin teasing him by throwing their hands around his face, which would lead to more mouthing which made it so much harder to train him out of it...it was completely my fault anyways. Now my lab is more interested in me then anyone else, since he's older, but I learned my lesson anyways. I make sure I KNOW who's petting my dog before letting them.

As for the socializing, going to the library is a GREAT idea. Also, nursing homes are great as well. Some nursing homes allow young puppies in for a 'playgroup' with sick children.

Or, you could bring him on a fairy ride (boats? airplanes?), or take him to a local feeding store (for horses, dogs...etc.).

If you're doing any special training with this pup in the future, you could ask a school if you could do a presentation on what type of training these dogs go through...schools are full of activity. Especially the isles where the kids will be leaving...thats better, of course, for an older pup, and be prepared to protect your dog if it gets overcrowded.

I mostly brought my pup to outdoor shopping plazas and malls. Thats always a great place to see wheelchairs, canes, strange people, young kids, people of different origins and racial backgrounds...and so on...

As I am still waiting on my first GSD puppy I don't by any means consider myself an expert on canines or the process of helping them become less human and animal aggressive through socialization. However, I have viewed a number of books, articles, internet sites, and the DVD "Your Puppy: 8 Weeks to 8 Months" produced by Leerburg. I've also attended AKC Agility and Schutzhund events where I've asked a million and one questions about every aspect of raising a quality dog.

When it comes to socialization I have decided that the best way to begin is by starting small and working your way up. In other words, don't take your pet to the Thanksgiving parade for his first experience among people as logic would dictate that this would overwhelm your canine. Start with friends and people you trust and then move him up to strangers, different areas, different noises and so forth.

Remeber that socialization to noises is as important as just exposure to people. Skateboards, bikes, cars all are weird crazy things to your pet. Remember to watch your pet carefully and not to allow anyone to pet him without permission. Also make sure that the plant life in the areas you take him are not poisonous.

In closing, I'm leaving a million things out and I suppose someone could author an entire treatises on socialization. The most important thing is that you start small and work your way up moving from controlled situations to less controlled ones.

What about the airport? If not on lead then in a carrier. At the least it'll get the pup used to being in a crazy place while inside the carrier!

Of course, airport security being what it is, I'm not sure if this will fly or not, no pun intended. Maybe then the outside of the airport? Parking garage wouldn't be bad. It's dark, noisy, filled with people and cars and strange lights and sounds. Being near airplanes wouldn't be bad, either. Harder to do at the larger airports, much much easier at the general aviation airports.

We just take our dogs downtown with us. Plenty of people, some dogs, cars, and noises to get them used to distractions.