Socialising your puppy is one of the most important things you can do. Your puppies early experiences in life will shape their personality, how they see the world around them and how they deal with stress.
If you want a nice well balanced, social and confident puppy that is ready to face the real world, then you need to expose your puppy to as many different environments, situations, sounds, people and animals as you can through their early imprinting stage.
Poor socialisation can leave you with a fearful, reactive dog that can't cope with being outside of their home environment.
It is very important that you socialise your puppy in a safe and controlled environment at all times, and remember to make it fun! Never force your puppy to approach anyone or anything. Let your puppy explore on their own terms, and quietly praise and encourage them as they boldly approach by themselves.
Only ever reward your puppy when they are showing signs of confidence and are not fussed by what is going on around them. NEVER comfort your puppy if they are showing signs of nervousness or fear. This will reinforce that behaviour, allowing them to think that it is ok to act in this manner.
A good way to introduce your puppy to new environments and people is by playing a game. Bring out their favourite tug toy or ball and turn it into something fun and positive! If your puppy is showing signs of uncertainty, simply remove your puppy from whatever it is that is causing this behaviour till they have settled, then go back and try again. Remember to only reward if they are not fussed by what’s going on around them. 
Make sure that you are also aware of other people and their pets, reaction towards your puppy. Make sure that when people are meeting your puppy that they are calm and not rushing in to smother them. Same goes for other people’s pets. Other dogs should be nice and calm before meeting your puppy. An over excited, high energy dog rushing in for a sniff can be rather daunting on a puppy. Just remember that if you wouldn't like it happening to you, odds are your puppy doesn't either.
Keep in mind that you're not trying to overwhelm your puppy with new experiences - quantity is not better than quality!
Make sure your puppy is confident, well rested and having a good time whenever you introduce them to something new. Socialization should be a fun and positive experience for all involved.

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Socialisation Checklist

This checklist has been put together as a basic guide to help you understand what sort of environments, sounds, situations, people and animals you should be exposing your new puppy too.

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People

* Children under 5
* Children 5-10
* Children 10-15
* Men
* Women
* Elderly
* Tall
* Short
* Yelling
* Applauding
* Wheelchairs
* Prams
* Scooters
* Bicycling
* Scateboarding
* Walking
* Running
* Wrestling/playing
* Crowds
* Different Nationalities 
* Hats
* Beards
* Sunglasses

Situations

* Checking eyes, ears, paws, tail teeth
* Restraining
* Hugging
* Patting Head
* Grabbing Collar
* Looming Over
* Nail Trims
* Brushing
* Darkness
* Windy
* Thunder/lightning
* Raining
* In Car
* On Table
* Picking up
* Taking photo with Flash
* Rolling onto side/back
* Walking with a pram

Sounds

* Vacuum
* Traffic
* Hairdryer
* Tools
* Hammering/construction
* Crying Babies
* Thunder/lightning
* Screaming
* Laughing
* Adults/children
* Barking Dogs
* Loud Music
* Dropping pans/sudden noises 
* Lawn Mower
* Fireworks
* Motorbikes
* Scooters
* Horns 

Places

* Puppy School
* Vets
* Doggy Day-care
* Grooming Salon
* Dog Park
* Playground
* Park/oval
* Beach
* Schools
* Friends House
* In the City
* In the Country
* Farmers/craft Markets
* Boarding Kennel
* Obedience/agility School
* Local Sports Events
* Bridges
* Tunnels 
* Shops

Surfaces

* Dry/wet Grass
* Concrete
* Bark/wood
* Uneven
* Plastic
* Tiles
* Soft
* Sand
* Mud
* Scales
​* Floorboards
* Slippery
* Stairs
* Slides
* Shallow Water
* Deep Water

Animals

* Other Puppies
* Big Dogs
* Small Dogs
* Different Breeds
* Cats
* Birds
* Rabbits
* Sheep
* Cows
* Horses
* Chickens
* Playful Dogs
* Serious Dogs
* Old Dogs
* Lizards
* Mice/rats

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