The concept of “critical periods” in the emotional development of the dog is a well documented one. Dogs that are denied human contact until they are over 12 weeks of age seldom make good companions. Somewhere in that time span is the “critical period” during which dogs can be socialized to another species, us. Research into critical periods in the development of the dog’s mind has been carried out since the early 1960’s. In 1961, the magazine Science published the results of the most elaborate and definitive experiment that had been carried out to that date, a report that concluded that socialization in dogs, the ability to learn to live compatibly with dogs and with us ends at 12 weeks of age and that the most critical period was 6 to 8 weeks of age.
Later on, in 1967, Science published again on the subject. The magazine reported Scott and Fuller’s work which showed that pups raised in completed isolation to 7 weeks of age could still recover completely and become socially normal. They also reported that outside contacts as infrequent as twice a week and for only twenty minutes each time were enough to ensure normal development as long as these outside contacts occurred in the critical period between 4 and 12 weeks.
Out of this and other research came the concept of the first critical period, this lasts from birth to 12 weeks of age, in the development of the dog’s mind. It was divided up this way:
1. Neonatal period: 0 to 2 weeks
2. Transitional period: 2 to 4 weeks
3. Socialization period :- to dogs 4 to 6 weeks
– to humans 4 to 12 weeks Read More
Author Archives: Eileen Tonick
The Dogs Early Learning Development
Laser Lights/Dogs Mental Health
One day, while working at a doggie day care, I noticed a dog chasing shadows and staring down at the ground for what seemed like an eternity. The dog was fixated on the shadows on the block wall and movements on the ground. At times he would play with other dogs but he spent most of his time staring at the ground or wall. It was very sad to see. It was difficult to get this dog to interact with other dogs or people once he was fixated on the shadows and reflective sun. Read More
Hip Dysplasia a Dog Joint Disease
Canine hip Dysplasia is a very common degenerative joint disease seen in dogs. There are many misconceptions surrounding it. There are many things that we know about hip dysplasia in dogs as well as some things we don’t know about the disease.
What is Hip Dysplasia? Read More
Removing Items From Your Dogs Mouth
Removing an item such as a ball, toy or something a dog should not have in their mouth. It is always a good idea to learn to take things out of your dog’s mouth safely. I suggest teaching your puppy or dog this skill as soon as possible it will make life a lot easier on you when you have to remove something from your dog’s mouth. Read More
Leave It/Take Command for Dogs
Leave It/Take Command: This game is very important and will teach your dog to not take anything from someone’s hand and will teach your dog to ignore distractions while on a walk or in the home.
- Place a treat in your hand and close your hand over the treat so the dog cannot grab it
- Place your hand near your dogs nose as soon as your dog tries to take the treat from your hand say “Leave It”
- You may have to repeat “Leave It” several times
- The minute your dog show less interest open your hand and say “Take” Read More
Holiday Safety for Your Puppy or Dog
The holiday season is upon us and now is the time to make sure that our decorations and food items are not harmful to our puppy or dog. Below I have listed items that can make our home safe for our puppy or adult dog.
- When we decorate our homes we need to take the time to make sure that the decorations are placed safely throughout the household.
- If you are going to put a table cloth on any table than add food, candles or decoration make sure your puppy or dog can’t pull the cloth off the table. Read More
What is Dog Agility?
Dog agility is a fun, recreational sport that is like visiting an amusement park every time you step onto the field. It is a great outlet for dogs and puppies with excess energy and a fun way to spend some free time with your canine companion. In dog agility training, you will teach your dog to go up and down a see-saw, soar over or through jump obstacles, scale a 6-foot tall A-frame, race through tunnels and barrels, and zigzag through closely spaced upright poles. Whatever your goals are with dog agility training I can help you get there.
