A big part of socializing your dog is acquainting her with the environment around him. Take your puppy as many places as possible so she becomes a savvy traveler who is accustomed to elevators, stairways, manholes, and grates. Accustom her to walking on a variety of surfaces such as gravel, wire, sand, cobblestone, linoleum, and brick. Because some puppies prefer to eliminate only in their own backyard, teach her to eliminate on command in different areas, so weekend trips and the like won't be a problem.

If you want to foster enjoyment of the water and your puppy isn't a natural pond-puppy, walk her on leash on the shoreline. Once she is at ease with that, venture into the water. Gently tighten the leash as you go, forcing her to swim a couple feet before you let her return to the shore. Never throw a puppy into the water.

Take notes on how she reacts to the following surfaces and stimuli:

Slick hardwood or title floors:

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Stairs:

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Falling rain:

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Puddles:

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Falling snow:

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Deep snow:

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Shallow water:

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Deep water:

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Thunderstorms:

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Piled dry leaves:

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Sand (beach):

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Large rocks:

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Gravel or small pebbles:

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