Social and Behavioral Development of Puppies
In this chapter, I will touch briefly on the development of puppies from birth. “Briefly,” because many authors have devoted entire chapters, and it would not be fair nor useful to copy their work.
Impregnation
During the first 12 weeks of his life, the puppy will live the soak phase also called double imprint.
It is divided into two overlapping periods:
1 / intraspecific footprint (approximately the first 5 weeks): the dog impregnates his fellows, he learns the codes of behavior specific to its own species. Indeed, at birth, the puppy does not have an innate understanding of the social codes of its kind. He must learn to behave as a dog, with specific uses in communication and behavior specific to canines.
2 / footprint inter-specific (or non-specific) also known as phase imprinting to man, the dog learns that there are other species than their own (human and others), discovering sounds, objects, an entire environment. This phase begins around age three to four weeks, and even before, according to the authors.
During this soak period the puppy will acquire the knowledge to have normal behavior against all situations of his future social life (group): control of her jaw, communication, organization system more or less hierarchical, attachment / detachment (how to become autonomous), inhibition of the bite, etc..
Different Learning Puppy
Here is a brief summary of the different learning puppy and as it grows. The ages given are not to be taken to the day, but approximately around this time:
Before birth: prenatal
Gestation lasts about 9 weeks. During the 10-15 days of gestation, the fetus already has tactile skills. It responds to the caress of the womb and to stress that it undergoes, it is essential that the mother’s pregnancy happens in the best possible attention, calmness and serenity.
From birth to 15 days: the neonatal period.
The maturation of the nervous system is far from complete at birth of offspring. Nerve fibers are gradually surrounded by a lipid sheath, myelin, which facilitates the passage of nerve impulses. Myelination of nerve cells and neurons allows the information flow to the brain and brain to members.
The puppy is deaf, blind and unable to move, he spends most of his time sleeping.
The reflex shudder no heat in the early days, which explains that the puppies sleeping in clusters in the first week, then in parallel when they start moving their forelegs (with the progression of myelination of the spine ).
The puppy is totally dependent on her mother who feeds, protects, cleans it by licking by stimulating the removal and ingest their excretions.
Note the appearance of rooting (he tries to bury his head in well hot), labial reflex (he tries to suck anything that comes close to his lips), and perineal reflex (he made his needs when her mother’s womb and licks the perineum).
Experts advise to provide small at birth, a piece of awakening with a variety of sounds, toys of different textures, fabrics, pieces of wood, and other items, to familiarize them with utensils and promote unknown stimulation Sensory.
15 days to 3 weeks period of transition.
This phase is the development of the senses, the puppy opens its eyes (between the 10th and 14th day), mean (between 14 and 21 days), and jumps at the noise (startle)
3rd week:
The puppies are moving towards the sound and light. The group began learning is the primary socialization.
It is also the beginning of the learning behavior of communication with the first barking, growling, barking.
Exploratory behavior (investigation) also begins with a climactic peak to the 23th day.
Week 4: Identification of the environment.
It’s time for essential learning: acquisition of self-monitoring as the inhibition of the bite (the cries of the biter bitten are let go), the hierarchy games.
Warning: if the pups are separated from their siblings at the time, you risk poor control of inhibition of the bite, incomplete learning social rules and a hyper attachment. The attachment may lead to excessive train dogs unable to be alone, for example.
5th week:
This is the period of learning the hierarchy by assessing the space management and availability of food: puppy finds that he can eat only when such individual has completed, or that n has no right to take the treat of an individual who is superior, etc..
Phase aversion also begins at five weeks, the puppy shuns strangers and they tend to fear what’s new. The new species discoveries can be regarded as enemies.
From 5 weeks, the period of attraction decreases even if it never dies. The puppy is less curious about news, but he still receives all the same with interest. It will record in its memory references to living environment, environment.
He will keep the social relations acquired but not try to develop others. The breeder must absolutely increase contacts and experiences during this period.
At the same time, from the 5th week, the puppy discovers that he can have an influence on its environment, for example by pushing an object from the nose or one of his brothers and sisters to attain the highest breast.
6th week:
This week is also very important is that the beginning of relationships with other species, social attachment to humans. If the farmer is male, unmarried, without children, puppies will probably never experienced women or young people. They can therefore fear them in the future because they have not been accustomed to them.
7th week:
This is the best age for separation if it is a dog breeding and thus subject to certain stimuli and not others. He is able, at this age, to adapt to new living conditions.
But with more difficulty than the previous weeks have been instructive.
There is a risk of withdrawal syndrome or isolation if the puppy is left after the seventh week in a farm low stimulation such as “livestock.” See chapter “successful purchase of his breed puppy.”
8th week:
It is the legal age to sell puppies. It is an extremely sensitive period that begins, that of fear, identification and aversion and will extend until about the 12th week (16 according to the authors).
Even if he discovers the fearful behavior, it is in the 8th and the 9th week the puppy is most curious. So the best time for him to do various experiments (see the city, noise, etc. unknown species.) So they are familiar and it does not generate fear when they recur.
It is understandable in light of this information, the lack of socialization leads to inappropriate social behavior of adults.
Fuller JL (1967) even states that if a pup is isolated during the impregnation, it can no longer concentrate, or to other dogs or humans.
If he lives up to the 14th week with fellow humans without seeing it will have a normal behavior with dogs but never with the man, whatever you do to attempt a late socialization. This animal can be tamed and can tolerate food and casual contacts with the human emotional (parts of games, petting …) but will probably never be a pet.
Scott in 1980, said that if between the 3rd and 12th week, a puppy lives with humans without seeing other dogs, it will be very much at ease among humans, which he identified himself, but will not support contact with conspecifics.
The experiments show that Scott and Fuller puppies 5 weeks, first put into contact with humans, approach them with confidence.
If the first contact is 7 weeks, they are reluctant to come forward. If the first contact is 9 weeks, they do not approach humans.
Finally, if the first meeting took place at 14 weeks, the contact became impossible, the behavior is that of a wild animal.
Conclusion:
o if the female was very stressed during her pregnancy, it is likely that the puppies are fearful of their future adult life, or have other effects (anxiety, lack of confidence, fears, etc.).
o all the experiences that the puppy is in the first 12 weeks of his life will affect his adult life (balanced temperament or fearful)
o Note that a range of winter is very different from a range of summer in winter puppies are protected from the cold and the outside, whereas in summer they were released more often, they are contact with nature, the environment is richer and therefore more challenging.
If you must choose your puppy from a litter, pay attention to the following confusion: it is not because a puppy seems to have character (exploratory behavior greater than that of his brothers and sisters) that it will necessarily have a temperament more dominant than another. On the contrary! As he seeks to discover its environment, it takes more risk, and may find themselves faced with a very great fear, which could completely change its character. Hence the absurdity of the use of tests for selective Campbell’s “best” puppy. See the corresponding chapter.