Puppy Development and Socialization Series--Part 1

During a the puppy's neonatal Period (0-14 days) it's one mission is to find warmth and food.  However, there are lots of things going on during this period.  Of their five senses, only three are working; touch, taste and smell, and they are not fully developed.  They do respond to pain, discomfort and minor disturbances by whining.

During this period of time, a human parent of these neonates can do several things that can help the puppy develop a good foundation to stressors and other stimulus later in it's development.

The neonatal period is an ideal time to start handling puppies for short amounts of time.  Feeling the ears, feet, tail and mouth and holding them in different positions for even 30 seconds to several minutes a day may greatly decrease their stress and reactivity to handling later in their life.  These micro-stressors will help them develop the ability to cope with real life stressors later.

The lack of this handling during this period is why many 'puppy mill' and pet store puppies do not make well adjusted pets in your home after you adopt them.  Puppies raised by large breeders do not get handled very much, if at all.  And by the time they are weaned and sent to pet stores, the handling they have gotten has been rough, abrupt and down right scary for the puppy.  No wonder they cry, whine, shy away from you and even growl with handling after they reach their final destination.  This is also why it is more advisable to purchase a pup from a 'hobby' breeder, who raise an occasional litter, and the litter is raised within a family environment, where children and people handle the puppy with love and care.

As soon as puppies can hear, a breeder or caretaker should consider playing sound CDs so that the puppies can become accustom to the types of sounds they will hear later on in life.  Ths way they are less likely to become fearful of common sounds due to the lack of early exposure.  Sounds of traffic, fireworks, storms, sirens, children playing, pots clanging, vacuum sweepers, etc. will be come old hat to the puppy later in it's development if they have heard all these sounds while still with the mother and littermates.

More later in Part Two about socializing the puppy for a good foundation to a sound adult life.