Wouldn't want to get you in trouble, mate. Here's your out:
Having been advised to heavily socialize Schipperkes lest they become anti-social demons, Dart has a regular practice of socialization.
For starters I have three room mates: Sarah, 21, intense and no-baloney real, lived here 2 years, an adopted daughter of sorts; she gets to play the role of human who loves Dart deeply, but is not Dart's master; Dart has someone he really loves, but comes to know it's me he loves most. Tyler, 28, ginger, dreadlocks, wilderness councilor for troubled teens, orangutan, father of a 3yo boy who often sleeps over, you'd have to know the guy; he gets to play the weirdest human around so Dart can even learn to trust unusual people. Tyler roughhouses with Dart and does a great job in the roll. Peter, Zen sparkle-pony from another dimension, I couldn't possibly explain; he gets to play the sensitive human that needs Dart to chill to interact.
But, this is training from another module...
Weekly canine alarm unit programming report: Social skills with drunks and an unruly mob; unit 3.
I've posted a couple pix before from Dart at the Crystal while Paul and I play dominos. Here's another. What you can't see from a still is that he's amazingly well behaved for the most part. He jumps into the backpack when I park the van downtown. I carry him in the pack with his little head sticking out the left side as he curiously sniffs the world go by. I go into the Crystal, say hi to the folks, drop the pack with him in it on a bar stool, and order my drink and do the whole wallet and money exchange while Dart sits patiently in the pack looking around. I then take the pack and my drinks over to a table, plonk Dart on a bare bar seat while I get the dominos out and arrange my place setting, then plop the backpack down and plop Dart on top, tehter him up through the slats on the seat back, and Bob's-yer-dang-burn-uncle I'm sitting in the Crystal with my good buddy Paul and my partner Dart just hanging out. Dart usually doesn't make a peep, and just lays down enjoying me rubbing his belly from time to time.
Bonus points: When it comes time to go out to the front sidewalk for a smoke, Dart knows exactly whats happening and politely walks just behind me out the front door. (He really shouldn't be there, but the bar owner doesn't have a problem with Dart. Good boy!) Once out in front with Paul and I sitting on the bench, he'll sniff around a bit, but will usually lie under it in in the shade. If people walk past us, he'll usually come out and be a bit over emphatic in his greeting...but the little dude just melts hearts; I get to talk about Schipperke history often, most folks ask what he is. The mostly think he looks like a little bear cub.
I know the whole "chick magnet" thing comes up at this point, and O.M.G. he certainly is that, but he's a human magnet all around really. I've tried to observe whether he's more accepting of women than men, but I really think he doesn't discriminate. I think mostly men are not as attracted so they don't want to interact as much, and Dart senses it. The is no doubt, however, that he loves kids and other dogs. I had to get off the bench the other day to physically get a grip on him so he wouldn't jump into a stroller with a giggling one year old in it. And he pulls me hard to every dog in the park on our morning walk.
More bonus points!!!:
On Thursdays we have "Music on Main" here in Bozeman for the summer months. About five blocks of Main St. is shut down to traffic and open containers (special to-go cups from the local bars) are allowed. The place is PACKED!!! Wall to wall humans; thousands of them, it seems. I have taken Dart to the last three of these. Holy Crap! It's fun watching him walk right at me heels in the crowd. and again, "Look at the cute puppy!" was squealed continuously by teen girls in sun dresses. It's bloody ridiculous. I NEVER go to Music on Main; WAY too many people for me. But it's an amazing opportunity to expose Dart to way more humans than even I can handle, and he does marvelously well...as far as I can tell.
Anyway, in terms of Dart being socialized in the critical 8-16 week old time frame, I think I, and Dart, are WINNING!
He's a good kid, stubborn as a mule, but, with patience on my part, I think he'll be a right good dog.
Extra side bonus: I'm pretty good with a soldering iron, unfortunately I don't get the chance to use it much. With Dart, however, I have had to re-solder three cables he's managed to chew through. I've decided it's my problem, and I have to do a better job puppy proofing. Another example?
Didn't really know that egg cartons in the kitchen re-cycling cubby could be so damned entertaining.
I could go on, but I think this is ample evidence that two years of dog training before hitting the road was a damned good idea.
Bonus pic: This, one second before a Peter Pan maneuver dangling from the bar seat.