TO: My Colleagues in Veterinary Medicine:
Common questions I receive from puppy owners, dog trainers and veterinarians concern: 1) what is the most favorable age or period of time when puppies learn best? 2) what are the health implications of my advice that veterinarians and trainers should offer socialization programs for puppies starting at 8 to 9 weeks of age.
Puppies begin
learning at birth
and their brains
appear to be
particularly
responsive to
learning and
retaining
experiences that are
encountered during
the first 13 to 16
weeks after birth.
This means that
breeders, new puppy
owners,
veterinarians,
trainers and
behaviorists have a
responsibility to
assist in providing
these
learning/socialization
experiences with
other puppies/dogs,
with children/adults
and with various
environmental
situations during
this optimal period
from birth to 16
weeks.
Many veterinarians
are making this
early socialization
and learning program
part of a total
wellness plan for
breeders and new
owners of puppies
during the first 16
weeks of a puppy’s
life -- the first
7-8 weeks with the
breeder and the next
8 weeks with the new
owners. This
socialization
program should
enroll puppies from
8 to 12 weeks of age
as a key part of any
preventive medicine
program to improve
the bond between
pets and their
people and keep dogs
as valued members of
the family for 12 to
18 years.
To take full
advantage of this
early special
learning period,
many veterinarians
recommend that new
owners take their
puppies to puppy
socialization
classes, beginning
at 8 to 9 weeks of
age. At this age
they should have
(and can be required
to have) received a
minimum of their
first series of
vaccines for
protection against
infectious diseases.
This provides the
basis for increasing
immunity by further
repeated exposure to
these antigens
either through
natural exposure in
small doses or
artificial exposure
with vaccines during
the next 8 to 12
weeks. In addition
the owner and people
offering puppy
socialization should
take precautions to
have the environment
and the
participating
puppies as free of
natural exposure as
possible by good
hygiene and caring
by careful
instructors and
owners.
Experience and
epidemiologic data
support the relative
safety and lack of
transmission of
disease in these
puppy socialization
classes over the
past 10 years in
many parts of the
United States. In
fact; the risk of a
dog dying because of
infection with
distemper or parvo
disease is far less
than the much higher
risk of a dog dying
(euthanasia) because
of a behavior
problem. Many
veterinarians are
now offering new
puppy owners puppy
socialization
classes in their
hospitals or nearby
training facilities
in conjunction with
trainers and
behaviorists because
they want
socialization and
training to be very
important parts of a
wellness plan for
every puppy. We need
to recognize that
this special
sensitive period for
learning is the best
opportunity we have
to influence
behavior for dogs
and the most
important and
longest lasting part
of a total wellness
plan.
Are there risks?
Yes. But 10 years of
good experience and
data, with few
exceptions, offers
veterinarians the
opportunity to
generally recommend
early socialization
and training
classes, beginning
when puppies are 8
to 9 weeks of age.
However, we always
follow a
veterinarian’s
professional
judgment, in
individual cases or
situations, where
special
circumstances
warrant further
immunization for a
special puppy before
starting such
classes. During any
period of delay for
puppy classes,
owners should begin
a program of
socialization with
children and adults,
outside their
family, to take
advantage of this
special period in a
puppy’s life.
If there are further
questions,
veterinarians may
call me at
651-644-7400 for
discussion and
clarification.
Robert
K. Anderson DVM,
MPH, DACVPM, DACVB
Professor Emeritus,
College of
Veterinary Medicine
and School of Public
Health, Director,
Center to Study
Human Animal
Relationships and
Environments (CENSHARE)
University of
Minnesota
email Dr. Anderson
at
rkanderson@ABRIonline.org