How many visitors should meet my puppy in the first week?

A puppy meeting five or six new people in one afternoon experiences a very different level of stimulation than meeting the same number spread across a week, with rest in between each visit.

A small number of well managed, calm visits, where the puppy can approach at its own pace, generally does more for confident future social behavior than a larger number of chaotic, overwhelming ones.

Brief each visitor beforehand on the same simple rules used for children, sit down, let the puppy approach, keep voices calm, since a well meaning adult crouching and reaching enthusiastically can be just as overwhelming to a new puppy as an excited child would be.

Stagger visit types across the week rather than grouping similar people together, one quiet older relative one day, a calmer friend another, so the puppy experiences some variety in voice, size and energy level without facing several unfamiliar people in a single sitting.

Watch your puppy's own signals during each visit, approaching confidently versus hanging back, and let that guide how long the visit continues, since a puppy that seems done after five minutes has told you enough, regardless of how much longer the visitor might otherwise stay. A polite, brief explanation to guests about why the visit is staying short usually gets a warm, understanding response, since most people appreciate being told exactly what helps a nervous new puppy most and are happy to come back for a longer visit once things have settled.