The critical learning period for dogs occurs prior to their six-month birthday.
Their learning begins almost immediately upon birth, as they learn to compete with their siblings for their mother's milk.
At birth, puppies can neither see nor hear so they are completely dependent on their sense of smell and touch for survival.
This explains why, for so many dogs, their first method of understanding any new person or thing is to sniff it.
As they grow and play, they learn other important social skills from interacting with their mother and their littermates.
The puppy's mother teaches a pup how to accept correction.
A warning growl, or a scruff shake from a mother dog teaches puppies how to accept dominance and helps them to understand their place in the pack.
This relationship and ability to accept correction will be essential to later puppy training.
Puppies also learn important social skills from their siblings and litter mates.
Dogs learn through play, so it is essential that a young dog have the opportunity to remain with its litter mates until the dog is at least 8 weeks of age.
During this period of growth and play, dogs learn bite inhibition.
As dogs play and tumble and frolic with their litter mates, they often play games involving biting and mouthing.
If a dog bites or mouths one of its litter mates too hard, the other dog will end the play.
This teaches a dog that it must be careful when using its mouth in order to preserve its social relationships.
This principle of bite inhibition can be used later by humans to help teach dogs that mouthing or biting is not appropriate.
Young dogs also learn to share food and treats through play with their litter mates.
Finally, their relationship further cements the concepts of dominance and submission.
Stronger or more dominant pups in the litter begin to teach the weaker or smaller pups how to submit.
Thus, dogs learn the importance of the pack and of following rules.
This early training can also be vital to a dog's behavior throughout the course of his life.
Once a pup is adopted, at 8 weeks of age or older, it is essential that socialization continues.
Young puppies are the most receptive to new experiences during their first six months of life.
After this window of opportunity closes, dogs tend to greet new concepts and ideas more fearfully and more hesitantly.
Thus, exposing your dogs to as many different experiences as possible can help lay the foundation for a dog that is comfortable, friendly, confident and happy.
Dogs who are not exposed as puppies may have lifelong behavioral problems, and if these fear-based problems turn to aggression, owners may have no choice but to euthanize dogs for the dogs own health and safety.
By ensuring that dog is well socialized, fear based aggression will not develop.
Confident dogs can lead a long and happy life before they reach their final resting place in pet urns or pet gravestones.
It is essential to introduce your dog not only to other dogs, but to people, experiences, and sounds.
You will want your dog to become familiar with riding in a car or visiting places like the vets or the local pet store.
You also want our pup to know that visitors to the home are a positive experience.
Finally, you want to expose your pup to common household sounds like vacuums and dishwashers and blenders.
Early exposure can be essential to your dog accepting and understanding all of these experiences as a routine part of life.
The first few months of your puppy's life are thus essential to setting the stage for your whole relationship.
As online pet memorials show, the bond between a human and a pet can be a wonderful, loving, and amazing relationship.
However, in order for that relationship to be positive, it is essential to introduce a dog properly into a home and give that dog the foundation for a healthy life.
Their learning begins almost immediately upon birth, as they learn to compete with their siblings for their mother's milk.
At birth, puppies can neither see nor hear so they are completely dependent on their sense of smell and touch for survival.
This explains why, for so many dogs, their first method of understanding any new person or thing is to sniff it.
As they grow and play, they learn other important social skills from interacting with their mother and their littermates.
The puppy's mother teaches a pup how to accept correction.
A warning growl, or a scruff shake from a mother dog teaches puppies how to accept dominance and helps them to understand their place in the pack.
This relationship and ability to accept correction will be essential to later puppy training.
Puppies also learn important social skills from their siblings and litter mates.
Dogs learn through play, so it is essential that a young dog have the opportunity to remain with its litter mates until the dog is at least 8 weeks of age.
During this period of growth and play, dogs learn bite inhibition.
As dogs play and tumble and frolic with their litter mates, they often play games involving biting and mouthing.
If a dog bites or mouths one of its litter mates too hard, the other dog will end the play.
This teaches a dog that it must be careful when using its mouth in order to preserve its social relationships.
This principle of bite inhibition can be used later by humans to help teach dogs that mouthing or biting is not appropriate.
Young dogs also learn to share food and treats through play with their litter mates.
Finally, their relationship further cements the concepts of dominance and submission.
Stronger or more dominant pups in the litter begin to teach the weaker or smaller pups how to submit.
Thus, dogs learn the importance of the pack and of following rules.
This early training can also be vital to a dog's behavior throughout the course of his life.
Once a pup is adopted, at 8 weeks of age or older, it is essential that socialization continues.
Young puppies are the most receptive to new experiences during their first six months of life.
After this window of opportunity closes, dogs tend to greet new concepts and ideas more fearfully and more hesitantly.
Thus, exposing your dogs to as many different experiences as possible can help lay the foundation for a dog that is comfortable, friendly, confident and happy.
Dogs who are not exposed as puppies may have lifelong behavioral problems, and if these fear-based problems turn to aggression, owners may have no choice but to euthanize dogs for the dogs own health and safety.
By ensuring that dog is well socialized, fear based aggression will not develop.
Confident dogs can lead a long and happy life before they reach their final resting place in pet urns or pet gravestones.
It is essential to introduce your dog not only to other dogs, but to people, experiences, and sounds.
You will want your dog to become familiar with riding in a car or visiting places like the vets or the local pet store.
You also want our pup to know that visitors to the home are a positive experience.
Finally, you want to expose your pup to common household sounds like vacuums and dishwashers and blenders.
Early exposure can be essential to your dog accepting and understanding all of these experiences as a routine part of life.
The first few months of your puppy's life are thus essential to setting the stage for your whole relationship.
As online pet memorials show, the bond between a human and a pet can be a wonderful, loving, and amazing relationship.
However, in order for that relationship to be positive, it is essential to introduce a dog properly into a home and give that dog the foundation for a healthy life.