Critical Development Stages of the Puppy

Indeed, at birth the puppy doesn't possess the innate recognition capability of members of its own species, which means that it has to learn it is a dog in order to interact well with other dogs and humans. Failing to respect the learning curve of the puppy leads to poor socialization, i.e. aggressive or inhibited behavior (anxiety).

Another important point is that the puppy's interspecies socialization (attachment) is not generalized to all individuals of the species concerned, but remains relatively limited to the individual's characteristics, it is a "type" socialization.

What does this mean? This means that a puppy will not extrapolate the socialization process it acquires with one specific human during the critical socialization period, to all other humans it will encounter after that period. Socialization will be limited to that human's type (man, woman, adolescent, child, baby, with or without beard, etc.), or, in other words, dogs interpret babies, children, man and woman as belonging to different species, which explains why adult dogs that where not taught to interact with small children during the socialization phase as a puppy, will often show fear or aggressiveness towards them at a later stage of their life. However, the capacity to generalize (thus to identify a child, for example, as belonging to the same species as an adult human) varies from one breed to another (watchdogs less than other dogs; Fox, 1978), the family line and the individual dog.

The perfect age to buy a puppy from a breeder is after the seventh and before nine weeks of age. Of course, puppies that have been raised with the family and properly, individually socialized by the breeder may be adopted at any (st)age. Let's have a look at the development stages of the puppy to understand why.

Clinical practice shows, for example, that a puppy acquired at the age of 6 weeks already shows a handicap in developing its adult social and sexual preferences.

Also, puppies raised in stimulus-poor surroundings ("industrial" kennel conditions, like puppy mills) and placed for the first time in a highly stimulating environment (a family with children, or living in the city) at 12 or 16 weeks are most likely to display inhibited behavior (anxiety, fear).

The puppy needs food, rest, protection and warmth. It is fully dependent on the mother, as it is not capable of regulating their body temperature or eliminating without their mother's stimulation. Reacts to heat-cold-smells. Puppies destined for a lifetime of competition should already be acclimated to MILD stress during this period. By mild is intended weighing puppies daily, putting them on a cold surface or hold them up 10 to 15 seconds.

During the first months of a puppy's life, it passes through a number of critical development stages that will leave an everlasting impression through the dog's entire life. This makes the age at which you acquire your companion crucial to the further development of its behavior and your future existence with your dog. Unlike most other species, a puppy has to learn to identify its own species.

2 to 3 weeks Transitional period

All of the puppy's senses (taste, sight, hearing) will gradually begin to function. They where present during the first critical period, but were dormant. It is important to continue picking up the puppies daily, spending a few minutes with each one individually.

21st to 28th day : the Awareness period

By the 21st day puppies have full use of their senses. The brain and nervous system develop. The first signs of humping (pre-imitation of future sexual behavior) appears (Scott and Fuller, 1965). Species identification (filial, fraternal and sexual imprinting) starts now and ends somewhere between the 11th and 17th week. The total absence of other dogs during this period fosters identification with, social preference for and courting behavior with another species (humans, cats, etc) or a substitute (stuffed animal, etc.) and rejection (flight or fight) of the own species (dogs). This identification is persistent, occasionally for life. At this mental stage, puppies are extremely sensitive to stress and radical changes in their environment, which they experience as frightening. During this stage the puppy needs its mother more than ever. If removed from the nest during this critical period it will never attain the mental and emotional maturity necessary to socialize adequately. Once adverse conditions during this critical period have developed negative behavioral traits, no amount of re-conditioning or training at a later stage will be able to significantly improve or compensate these negative characteristics.

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