Here

is a great website:

http://www.bcrescue.org/socializing.html

Socializing was the most important thing to me when I got Odie! I spent hours each day making sure he had tons of exposure especially since he is a nervous guy. Now he is such a doll and I know that hard work paid off.

As for the confinement alone... when he was a pup he never gain any silence when I left him in the den area. He would howl and howl... funny thing is he doesn't howl anymore. It didn't work for Odie but I am sure it would work for others. Now he doesn't have any separation anxiety even though he definitely prefers company. So I guessed things worked out ok

It certainly does pay to work a puppy soon as you get one. Get it out, around many others and if he howls when done, walk away, hard as it might sound. the best thing for the dog is ignoring and pups that bite n chew on a person, walk away, hand it a toy.

http://www.lgd.org/library/socializepups.htm

Great site!!