Litter lessons: what your dog learns from his littermates & mother

Video: Episode #29 - Puppy Problems: Minimizing Aggression and Anxiety - Utah Dog Training

A litter of puppies may seem like they don’t do much – eat, sleep, play a bit, repeat. But you may be surprised at just how much those puppies are learning and how what they learn will affect the dog they become. In fact, behavioral problems you are dealing with now may likely have stemmed from what happened (or didn’t happen!) before you bring your puppy home.

Those First Several Weeks

While those puppies are certainly eating and sleeping a great deal, they are also learning. During those first few weeks, your puppy is learning about the world. Is it safe? Is it scary? How does mom react to new noises and people? Even before their eyes are opened, puppies are getting a feel for the world they are going to live in.

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How the mother reacts to new noises and sounds will affect the puppy. Behaviorists have found that a fearful mom will create fearful puppies. It’s not only genetic, but it’s also environmental. Mom starts at a loud noise, the puppies will too. Mom is calm and relaxed, the puppies will be too.

Puppies also learn from their siblings. The most important thing they learn is bite inhibition. When a puppy bites her sibling (or mother!) too hard, they will cry and maybe even bite back, teaching the puppy to not bite as hard. This is very important to us, since we have even softer skin and no fur to protect us!

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During this time puppies learn stability and protection. Puppies who are taken away from their mother early – before 8 weeks but especially before 6 weeks – are more prone to:

• Separation anxiety
• Increased fear and nervousness
• Excessive barking
• Food/toy guarding
• Aggression
• Potty training issues
• Destructiveness

(Original paper published in Veterinary Record August 2011, no longer available online)

What This Means To A Prospective Puppy Parent

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