Puppies!

Development & Socialization

Development

Puppy development, especially behaviorally, is a lesser-understood topic amongst guardians. Many people believe puppies are resilient, and while that CAN be true, every companion is an individual learner with unique needs and personalities. Despite all the training we attempt to do, it may surprise many people that the environment a puppy is raised in from birth to 8 weeks plays an important part in a dog’s temperament. Below are some key developmental milestones for puppies:

Prenatal

Genetics and behavior begin here! What a mother dog is subject to during pregnancy can help to shape her puppies behaviorally in the womb. For instance, a female dog that is safe and secure experiences far less stress than a pregnant stray or a female dog that gave birth in less-than-ideal circumstances. Puppies whose mothers experienced distress during pregnancy are more likely to be reactive and anxious/irritable as adults, with dysfunctional stress management systems, lower intelligence, and shorter attention spans. The mother’s stress response primes her fetus’ endocrine system for the incoming environment. Furthermore, the mother can pass down any genetically-inherited cognitive or physical ailments that can affect behavior – not to mention her age, diet, and enrichment play a key role in prenatal development.

Birth to 8 weeks

The most influential time in a dog’s life is during this period. Fear is not present in newborn puppies and begins to slowly develop around 5 weeks of age until it escalates into the first fear period below. There is a window of opportunity when anxiety levels are the lowest they’ll ever be in a dog’s life. While research has shown that stress in moderation stimulates the brain during development, too much stress can cause issues with cognitive development and especially executive functioning – which is the area of the brain responsible for self-control, emotional control, flexible thinking, and working memory. During this time is when puppies are the most resilient and should begin working on their socialization, problem-solving abilities, and mental coordination/agility. This further demonstrates the necessity of puppies being placed in an enriching environment during their first several weeks of life - so if you’re pursuing a breeder, choose wisely!

Fear period #1 – 8-11 weeks

Around 8 weeks old, a puppy’s brain matures and begins learning and processing memories and fear in an adult-like manner. Fear periods are a normal part of puppy development and cannot be avoided through training and socialization – however, proper training and socialization can help your dog get through these sensitive times more confidently. During this time, you may see your dog more aware of the world and concerned about novel objects. It is also possible that things they once enjoyed are now worrisome. This is coincidentally when puppies come home. During this time, it is important to expose them to new experiences safely and without feeling pressured/forced to interact with new people/dogs. 

Fear period #2 – 6-14 months

This fear period is often more noticeable and more surprising to guardians. Smaller-breed dogs can experience their fear periods earlier than larger-breed dogs but exactly when a dog will experience the second fear period is not as predictable. Your dog will look like an adult at this point so it can be hard to remember that they are still a developing puppy. Previously learned social skills and training can temporarily fall apart during this time and confidence training needs to be revisited. This also coincides with sexual maturity periods and a rise in hormones. Your dog may begin exhibiting less frustration tolerance and further impulse control issues.

Social maturity – around 18 months

This is when a dog becomes physically and mentally mature and this can also have a wide range depending on size/breed. Some dogs can socially mature as early as a year and some as late as two years. All of our socialization training can help determine the type of dog they will mature to be but even then, this is the time when dogs become far less tolerant of other dogs and especially puppies – so if you are introducing your developing puppy to a socially mature dog, take precautions. Many guardians are surprised to see their once extremely social companions become socially selective towards other dogs and/or people. In some cases, dogs may become outright aggressive toward other dogs and/or people. Breed traits can further influence the outcome of social maturity characteristics and it is important to research the breed thoroughly so you can understand whether or not your expectations are realistic for the dog in front of you. Dogs that experienced more stress and trauma during their adolescence may have a harder time socially once they reach full maturity. The more positive work we can do in controlled environments during this period, the better the outcome may be. 

Here are some good resources on puppy development:

AKC: The Perinatal Period and Puppy Development

AKC: Creativity & Critical Timing Are Key To Puppy Socialization

AKC: Puppy Fear Periods: Why is My Puppy Suddenly Afraid?

AKC: Sexual Maturity in Puppies: What to Know and What to Expect

Puppy Prodigies: The Puppy Brain

Socialization

Puppy socialization occurs before 4-months-of-age which means that most of their social capabilities are developed during this time. Many guardians believe that the most important part of socialization is introducing their puppies to as many new dogs and new people as possible when that is not entirely true. Puppy socialization is about teaching your puppy to be comfortable in the world and that includes different sounds, tastes, textures, smells, and PROPER interactions with new people/dogs. Many puppy classes tout interactions with new people particularly and will do exercises that include passing the puppy around to a large group of people. For puppies that are naturally fearful or in a fear period, this can backfire and accidentally reinforce fear through a process called flooding.

Busy daycares and dog parks can also be too flooding for puppies and have the opposite effect on behavior than intended. These environments are fast-paced, very over-stimulating, and don’t allow dogs to decompress and rest - which is crucial for stress recovery. When pursuing a drop-off program, it is important to inquire about their structure: are dogs offered downtime from each other in separate areas, when is sleep offered/given, are dogs paired together based on similar energy/size/play style, and how are disagreements between dogs handled? 

Proper socialization focuses on positive experiences with the world around them in a controlled manner. This means that there is a healthy balance between meeting trusted new dogs and people and learning how to disengage from things that are too exciting, as well. The aim for socialization should also include neutrality to the environment. If a puppy is taught that every single person they meet means they get to jump up and get pets or that every single dog they meet means rough play, then they can develop inappropriate greeting habits and associate them with over-arousal. This is like us humans meeting someone for the first time and they run over and give us a big embrace before we even know their name. We would likely NOT consider that person to be socialized or have any manners. Putting some focus into neutral greetings helps to ensure that your dog can peacefully co-exist in busier walking areas and other fast-paced environments, for example.

Adult dogs that are under-socialized may be afraid to walk on different types of flooring or are afraid of vacuum cleaners, as small examples. Proper socialization puts an emphasis on working the dog through coping strategies and pairing all new stimuli with treats and positivity - and most importantly, NOT forcing a puppy to engage with anything in the environment that they are concerned about - until they are ready.

So, what are some things to focus on other than proper interactions with people/dogs?

• Allow them to SEE all types of people and dogs but not necessarily be pushed to interact. Pairing the sight of new dogs/people with positivity helps dogs learn how to exist calmly in the world.

• Body handling exercises for vet visits and grooming – handling paws, ears, manipulating the mouth, introducing grooming tools with positivity, etc.

• Playing dress up with your dog – acclimating a dog to clothes early on can be useful for colder weather and even in the event of injury where a dog is required to wear a cone or wrap on their body. This can also be useful for anxious companions in the future if you intend to introduce a thunder jacket or something similar. You should never put any clothing items on your dog without counter conditioning first.

• Playing dress up with yourself – if it is winter introduce sunglasses and large hats, if it is summer introduce large jackets and gloves, umbrellas and raincoats, Halloween costumes, etc. This helps to ensure that your dog is prepared for your outline to change as the seasons change since our dog’s eyesight is not as keen as we think it is!

• Playing different sounds on your phone or counter conditioning to naturally occurring sounds – storms, fireworks, loud trucks, sirens, dogs barking, children yelling, household appliances like electric toothbrushes, blenders, home improvement tools, and anything else you can think of.

• Car rides to nowhere – help your dog associate the car with positivity and not just vet visits by taking a quick car ride and giving them a special treat before returning home.

• Take walks in different parks/forest preserves and not just in your own neighborhood.

• Clean the house regularly and offer a high-value enrichment item. It may be necessary to counter condition the sound of cleaning equipment by quickly turning it on and off and feeding high-value food before running them for long periods of time and moving them around the house.

• Encourage exploration in the environment – going under things, over things, reward your dog for natural choices to interact with novel, non-moving items (ie: nose booping), walking on tile, hardwood floors, dirt, mud, sand, grass, etc.

• Introduce a variety of treats/foods in different textures and tastes.

   

Things to avoid in socialization and what to do instead: 

• Nose-to-nose greetings with other dogs – this is incredibly confrontational! Try a tandem walk at a safe distance and allow the dogs to sniff each other’s behinds when they are ready. This might mean that MULTIPLE tandem walks need to occur first.

• Off-leash greetings with new dogs/people – focus on exposing your companion to trusted individuals and dogs they will see with regularity that have a good track record of socialization with other doggy friends. ALWAYS provide a method of escape for your companion whether that is being controlled spatially on lead or having a safe space ready and available.

• Allowing a stranger to lure your puppy with treats – practice tossing treats instead to help make distance and reduce pressure and fear.

• Dog parks and other high-traffic, unstructured environments – focus on facilitating greetings in a place where your dog feels comfortable such as familiar walking routes, familiar parks, back or front yards, etc.

Familiarize yourself with dog body language so that you can advocate for your companion and get them out of situations where they are feeling uncomfortable! Many of the natural things we do as humans can also be viewed as frightening such as smiling with our teeth, standing head-on with a dog instead of sideways, direct eye contact, leaning over a dog, petting over the top of a dog’s head instead of down their chest, picking up a dog, and many other improper methods of greeting.

Here are some additional resources on socialization and terminology: 

Victoria Stillwell: Flooding

Eileen and Dogs: Sink or Swim: 9 Ways You Might Be Flooding Your Dog

AKC: Puppy Socialization: Why, When, and How to Do It Right