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While your puppy's first year is an important time for positive socialisation, the first 12 weeks are most critical, as this is the period when he is most impressionable, leaving indelible imprints. What he learns and experiences during this time will shape his personality and temperament. Socialising your puppy is the process where he will learn how to relate approriately to people and animals. It involves introducing him, in a controlled and positive way, to adults, children, friendly well mannered dogs and other animals, in as many novel situations as possible. It is important that he should feel safe in every situation. This will give him the best start towards becoming a friendly, well-balanced dog that you would be happy to take anywhere. There's no need to wait until your puppy has had all of his vaccinations, as he will really benefit from being outside if you carry him in your arms or if he's heavy, in a suitable dog carrier/pram. It's important to continue socialisation during his first year, as his confidence could regress without it. A puppy who lacks coping skills will find many things scary and he is very likely to grow up anxious. A worried, anxious puppy is more likely to develop behaviour problems, which are harder to correct as he matures. The Blue Cross have some exellent training tips here
Separation Anxiety is more common than we think. A recent survey has found that about 80% of dogs are unable to cope when they are left alone but some of the signs are not always easy to spot, especially in milder cases. The good news is that Separation Anxiety can be avoided by training your puppy. I really recommend reading the helpful advice on the RSPCA website here and their handy training guide here. If your dog already has separation anxiety you can adapt their training guide: for example, break up your dog's current routine by starting afresh in a new area of the house where he is not normally left alone and if you normally leave the radio on for company try leaving the TV on instead.
Expert Trainer, Greame Hall, recommends training your pup to sleep in a separate room asap and gradually building up your time away during the day. If you're following the 'one month old equals one hour away' method, he still only advises up to a maximum of 4 hours and if you need to leave your dog for longer he recommends using a reputable dog walker/sitter to break up their day. He also recommends leaving a dog toy designed to be stuffed with food/treats inside, as the action of knawing on this can be soothing and digestion can slow dogs down, which can help them to nap whilst you're away. Try not to look anxious when you leave, as dogs are so highly adept at reading our facial expressions they will become anxious too.
Don't give up - good training and the help of a reputable dog walker can make all the difference.