Many puppy owners think socialization means letting their puppy meet every dog they see. In reality, the best socialization teaches puppies to stay calm, confident, and focused—not to expect every walk to become a playdate.

"When we tell a dog 'no,' we might successfully stop the current action, but we leave a vacuum. Without a replacement behavior, your dog is just guessing what to do next—and they’ll usually guess wrong. To truly change behavior, we have to fill that void with a 'yes.' It’s the difference between being a policeman and being a coach."