Exactly! These are all the things we have been doing - thankfully as a result of the books we read and their advice. He is already pretty independent of us because we gave him very short time periods alone (5mins then 10 etc) from the day we bought him home so now he is less than fased to be left for an hour or two and his lack of fear over noise is mainly due to us exposing him to outdoor noises little and often from the off. As with all pups, he is so cute getting him to meet varied people is easy as they tend to want to meet him first!

As for the vaccination discussion, well, as you said everyone has a different opinion, we decided not to put him on the ground, but that did not stop us taking him everywhere!

I think what it comes down to is the people on here clearly care about doing the right things by their dog and want to ensure they find the best info and understand the reasons behind various opinions in order to make informed decisions. The sad truth is the significant number of dog owners who don't educate themselves at all before getting a puppy or dog; would never think you even need to check a book, forum or website in regard to learning about your four legged new friend. Then, of course, the problems start. Sigh.

Thank goodness this forum shows there are many owners out there who take dog ownership seriously and will continue to strive to learn more!