Pat Hastings, AKC judge and author of The Puppy Puzzle offers these hints for socializing very young puppies.

By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:

#1 Been on 7 different surfaces, such as: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc.

#2 Played with 7 different types of objects, such as: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy balls, squeaky toys, metal items, wooden items, paper/cardboard items, milk/soda jugs, etc.

#3 Been in 7 different locations, including: front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.

#4 Been exposed to 7 challenges, such as: climbed a box, climbed off a box, gone through a tunnel, climbed up steps, climbed down steps, climbed over obstacles, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step, etc.

#5 Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.

#6 Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bedroom, x-pen, etc.

#7 Met and played with 7 new people, including children and the elderly.