Some people here (Leah, in particular) claimed that my views on the
"critical" socialization period were not only "wrong" but "dangerous".
When I get things wrong I admit it.

I wasn't wrong. And the current views on socialization are actually
*more* dangerous because of the almost complete misunderstanding many
people here apparently have about it.

Since you like cites by names you know, here's one for you: Patricia
McConnell says that some of the initial studies on the "critical window"
have been questioned, and that some in the field are now referring to this
as a "sensitive" period, not a "critical" one.

Meanwhile, some breeders won't let a puppy go home with its new owners
until after the dog is 12 wks. old because they feel it's important for
the pup to stay with its mother and littermates or else the dog will miss
out on its critical socilization period, which can only take place in the
litter.

I've known a number of dogs who weren't allowed contact with other dogs
until after the "window" had closed. And these dogs had no socialization
problems. Another trainer I respect says that he's seen dogs who had no
socialization with other dogs (other than the mother and littermates) for
up to 8 mos. and had no problems with socialization.

My own dog has had the same three social responses to every dog he meets
since he was 10 wks. old, despite the fact that I "socialized him early"
to other dogs. (He's either attracted to a dog, uninterested, or he
avoids the dog. He's always been like this and he probably always will.)
If contact with other dogs during the "critical" stage were so important,
wouldn't my taking him to the dog run starting at 8 wks. have had some
effect on his social behavior? Yet it hasn't had *any* appreciable
effect.

Puppy classes and "socialization" groups can actually be detrimental to a
dog's socialization, particularly since the mindset of some people is to
just throw the dogs together to get them "socialized". This often puts
the puppy in an unnatural situation with more stimulus than he can handle
and the natural process of learning how to get along with other dogs is
short-circuited. Socialization classes are unnatural and should be
avoided or outlawed.

Socialization to humans is different from socialization to other dogs.
"Dog = friend/family" takes place in the litter through a natural
"imprinting" process. Dogs do not naturally imprint to human beings and
should be given safe, friendly contact with as many different types of
people as possible during the socialization period.

Acclimating a dog to new sounds, surface textures, traffic, etc. is NOT A
PART OF THE SOCIALIZATION PERIOD. It's part of the FEAR DEVELOPMENT
PHASE. Lumping these two things together, even though they happen
concurrently, muddies your thinking. Anyone who says that a puppy needs
to be acclimated to new sounds, etc., as part of his socialization doesn't
understand what socialization is.

No dog should be expected to be socialized to all other dogs. In fact,
this is a baaaad idea. I say let the dog decide who he's comfortable or
uncomfortable with. Always trust your dog's instincts, not the "experts"
who still believe in the outmoded idea that dogs are capable of forming a
social hierarchy, etc.

Rousseau said, "Nature is never wrong." And since dogs are a part of
nature, dogs are never wrong.

I'm a human being, so I'm wrong about things from time to time. I'm not
wrong about this.