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Most experts agree that there are several critical stages during puppy development.
During this period the puppy spends most of his time nursing or sleeping. Breeders have an important role in the puppy’s development even at this early stage. By controlling his environment, we can influence the final form and structure of his mind. Early handling-stressing-at this age is good for the emotional development of the dog and probably makes him better able to cope with stresses later in in life. According to electroencephalograph (EEC) readings on pups, dogs mature faster if they undergo mild stresses early in life.
Puppies who are stimulated with stroking, clicks, flashes of light and balance grow up to be developed larger adrenal glands and when they grew up, were invariably dominant in competitive situations. These handled pups, ‘kept their cool’ better, made fewer errors and problem solved faster and quicker. The evidence is firm that mild stresses even in the neonatal period are good for the development of the pup’s mind, that constant temperature, comfort and freedom from adverse conditions does not make better pups. Mild stresses will accelerate growth, reduce emotionality and possibly increase resistance to certain diseases. What is most important to understand about the neonatal period of canine development is that a hands-off policy, a policy of ‘leaving it to nature’, of allowing the dog mother to behave ‘naturally’ is not in the interest of the pup. The pup’s mind will develop faster and further through sensitive early handling. We can help by providing a good environment but more than anything else, the pup needs the right mother. During the neonatal period, the mother is the overwhelming influence on the pup’s development.
Breeders must partake in early handling as mentioned earlier. An important consideration during development is the effect of handling and strong stimuli on the behavioural and physical development of the puppy. One study showed that puppies that have been exposed to short periods of handling from birth to 5 weeks of age were more confident and exploratory than controls. Early handling may lead to improved learning ability and a more emotionally stable puppy. Early handling stressing at this age is actually good for the emotional development of the dog and probably makes him better able to cope with stresses later on in life.
Transitional period: 2-4 weeks
The puppy goes through a lot of physical and behavioural changes during this period. Their eyes and ears open, and they develop their touch reflexes on their front and hind limbs. Their perception of the world around them changes. For the first time his senses are being stimulated and he will be forever influenced by the images that now form in his mind.
During this time the breeder should start exposing the pups to all types of stimuli for short periods each day. A simple exercise involves allowing the pups to crawl or walk on surfaces with different textures and temperatures. Noises can also be introduced at this time.
Gently exposing the pups to all types of stimuli for short periods each day during this period is likely to enhance physical and mental development. A simple exercise involves allowing pups to crawl or walk on surfaces with differing textures and temperatures. Objects of varying shapes can be moved in front of them in order to promote visual acuity and motor skills. Providing a variety of noise stimuli at low decibels and varied frequencies may facilitate auditory development. Whistles, rattles, music, recordings of environmental noises and the human voice can be used to provide a variety of auditory stimulation.
Studies have shown that puppies who were exposed to music and spoken word from a radio every time they were fed, starting at 16 days old and ending when they were 32 days old improved their response to intense sudden noise in adulthood. The end result suggested that audio stimulation early in life improved the response of the dogs to intense sudden noises. Therefore, acoustic stimulation during the very early period of life has the potential to raise the necessary skills of dogs for military and police purposes, or civilian life’
Socialisation period: 4-12 weeks
There is a slight difference in the opinion of when the periods for canine and human socialisation begins.
Canine socialisation period (14-49 days) (Fisher, 1995)
Human socialisation period (7 to 12 weeks) (Fisher, 1995)
Socialisation periods to dogs (4-6 weeks) (Fogel, 1990)
Socialisation periods to humans (4-12 weeks) (Fogel, 1990)
Canine Socialisation period 21 to 49 days (Scott, Fuller 1953)
This period is one of rapid development of social behaviour patterns. During the socialisation period, social play and exploration becomes increasingly important. Play between puppies not only aids in physical development but also provides practice in development of appropriate adult behaviours, including communication, predation, and sexual relationships. Pups have to be given the opportunity to interact with other dogs during this time. They also need to learn from observing other dogs at play or interacting.
During this time, it is extremely important that a puppy be exposed to new situations, environment, sounds, odours, locations, sight, surfaces to reduce fear of the unfamiliar that might otherwise develop as the pet grows older. Every puppy should meet as many new people as possible during the early months of its life. Your puppy should meet a variety of people – different ages, sex and appearance – in a wide range of situations. They should also be exposed to a variety of different animals. These exposures should be continued on an ongoing basis until the pup is at least one year of age.
Socialization and exposure are active processes that are most crucial from three to sixteen weeks of age but should continue well beyond this age range. Depending on how a pet was socialised when it was young and the experiences it has had with people, it may be fearful of individuals with whom it is unfamiliar with or with those it associates with an aversive experience.
With that in mind it is crucial that owners never punish their puppies, and especially not during these socialisation and habituation exposures.
✘ NEVER swat your puppy.
✘ NEVER shake your puppy by the scruff.
✘ NEVER force your puppy roughly on to his/her back.
✘ NEVER thump your puppy on the nose.
✘ NEVER rub your puppy’s face in a mess.
Daily handling and examinations of the puppy is also an important part of the socialisation phase.
Checklist for Client with new puppies:
To practice daily:
Owners should be very careful when they take the puppy home for the first time. New owners should gradually accustom their puppy to being on their own by getting them used to an indoor kennel and placing this next to their bed, and gradually moving the kennel away from the bedroom once the puppy has learnt to settle at night, or they can sleep near the puppy downstairs for the first few nights, gradually withdrawing their presence once the puppy has adapted to its new environment.
Care should be taken to develop a puppy’s capacity to cope with segregation gradually. Young puppies have a strong need for close social contact. Locking a puppy in a room on its first nights in its new home, after its previously established maintenance set has been removed, and letting it cry until it is worn out is not good for its welfare. It could sensitise it so that it reacts negatively when left alone on future occasions, increasing the potential for separation problems such as destructiveness, vocalisation, elimination.
