Socializing is VERY VERY important for your puppy. All the advice given in this thread is excellent. I made a lot of mistakes with my first Springer Spaniel (whom I still dearly loved, she is now at the RB, we had her for 12 wonderful years), and one of them is that I didn't socialize her enough. She had a lot of issues, the barking when anyone walked by, separation anxiety, going for walks was an ordeal, etc. When we got Holly, I did of lot of research, read a lot of books, (two excellent ones are "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor, and "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson. She has also been in several different obedience classes and agility classes which have been great for socialization. We don't have dog parks around where we live, so that wasn't an option. But Holly is a much more well adjusted dog than my RB Freckles was. Good luck with your puppy, and remember every day, every minute is a learning experience for you and your puppy.