Next to food and love I think one of the more important things we can do for our dogs is to socialize them.
Dogs are pack animals and are the happiest when they are with a pack, whether the pack is dog or human. It is best to start as pups and to take them everywhere. Introduce them to other socialized dogs, no the dog park is never a good place for puppies. Too many big dogs that will scare the poo outta your baby. Even if that 80 pound Lab is just running up to your puppy to say hi it could make your baby feel like a dumpling on a buffet table. Start with dogs you personally know to be friendly. Always make it a happy experience. If your pup is unduly scared at the begining it will make it 10 times harder to ever get him around dogs again. Take it slow and easy …don’t rush him.
When you are out and about let other people pet and love your dog so he learns to trust people. Join a doggie meet up group that has your type of dog. Meetup.com is a great place to start. You might even find a group you want to join for yourself.
If you haven’t started socializing your dog yet it isn’t too late. I start with friends and work up from there. I put a bag of dog treats outside the door and when company comes I have them grab a handful ( make sure they are the real yummy ones not some old dry dog biscuit). Then when your dog settles down let your company give your dog some treats. Keep this up every time someone visits and soon your anti social dog will turn into the neighborhood social butterfly.