socialising a puppy in the city (what I learned fostering)

Fostered a puppy for three weeks in January for a friend who was going abroad. She is a golden mix about 10 weeks old and I had no clue what I was doing. Anyone with puppies will tell you the same thing: the window for socialising is short. The first week I was too careful. I kept her in the condo and only walked her to the lift. She got scared of everything outside, especially the motorbikes and the BTS station. Once I changed the plan and started taking her to the quiet soi near the park, short trips every day, she got braver fast. Things that worked: Let her meet people who are calm and sit down, not people who rush at her with their hands. Kids were a bit much for her at first, so we did five minutes at a time. Treats for everything new. A new sound, a new floor, a new smell. The rule was if she looked at it and stayed calm, she got a treat. Vet visits, even just sitting in the waiting room with a treat, helped a lot. She now walks in without fear. I think the mistake most people make is going too big too fast. A quiet nap in a new place counts as a win. She went home to my friend last week and I miss her. She cried at the lift and I cried in the car park. No regrets though.