Socializing my Pup?

If you want to socialize him with other people you'd need to take him to places where he would get a lot of exposure. Are there any outdoors farmers markets in your area? What about libraries, community centers or schools? You need to find some relatively busy places to take him to. And it's best to start with something less busy and then slowly progress to more crowded places as he gets more comfortable.

We took our dog with us everywhere when he was a puppy, he went to our son's hockey and soccer games, we took him with us when visiting friends and family, plus all the neighborhood parks and shopping malls. I also took him for a trip on a subway train but it was too much for him. Also, we have visitors coming over to the house at least once a week and usually more. He still barks when there is somebody at the door but calms down once they enter.

For starters, I'd hold off neutering this lad until he's at least a year old. Neutering him probably isn't the answer to what's going on in any case, and actually doing this could make him more fearful, not the opposite.

Your best answer to all this is to get him into some good local training classes where he'd be amongst other dogs and people in a controlled environment. I have known people take puppies and stand with them outside shopping malls, asking people to approach them, again under your total control. This can help with dogs who don't see many people (forget about other dogs, it really is more important he relates to you first, and then other people) early days.

Delaying the castration will give him a chance to mature a bit, and you a chance to decide whether this surgery is really needed, which it's not, unless he has a medical need for this - eg. retained testicles. The only certainty with castration is no puppies, which, provided he's properly contained so there's absolutely no chance of him running off, should never happen. The rest is down to training and if you look at castration as a cure-all, you could well be disappointed.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/miniatureschnauzer.htm This link from a website I like although not necessarily the photos they use. I'd also consider having a chat with his breeder - if they are reputable and experienced with their breed (and their bloodlines) you should find they can give you some very useful tips about how best to proceed. Actually he sounds fairly typical for the happy bouncing breed he is.

Do not neuter anything, just be responsible with the dog. Next, forget dog parks and dog dates, whatever that is and train this dog to be socially NEUTRAL to everyone, human and animals.

Reward behavior that pleases you and use compulsion to correct, hard, any behavior that does not please you. This is not brain surgery, its simple stuff.