If you think it doesn't matter how your puppy was treated before you got him/her....think again.
If you think you can make up for a lack of care or socialization once once you get your puppy home, I'm afraid I have bad news for you....
When we buy a puppy, we are conditioned to expect it to be "socialized". But what does this mean?
Before talking about socialization, lets look at the full picture of how a puppy develops.
(The information below comes from the book, How Dogs Think by Stanley Coren. The notes in purple that follow each section simply refer to methods I use to ensure a puppy develops properly).
In the womb:
A puppy's brain is actually influenced by its environment before the puppy is even born. Research has shown that if the mother is stressed when pregnant, her offspring will grow up to be fearful animals. If the mother is stressed during the final third of her pregnancy, her pups will show reduced learning ability, may show extreme or exaggerated behaviors, and will be extremely emotionally reactive.
Additionally, the littermates developing alongside a puppy in the womb may also influence the puppy's brain. Data show that if there are lot of male puppies in the womb, then enough male hormones leak into the embryonic fluid to affect all of the puppies. Females born in mostly male litters tend to act more masculine.
I obviously try to ensure that the mother isn't exposed to any forms of stress. We live a pretty laid back life and have a happy routine, so I don't believe stress has ever been a factor with any of our litters.
Once born, a puppy enters its first "sensitive period" (0 to 12 days).
When born, a puppy is blind and deaf and totally dependent on its mother who must stimulate it to eliminate and to feed. Although it can taste and smell and is sensitive to touch, pressure, and pain, its brain is extremely immature.
As tempting as it is to protect a newborn puppy from stress and disturbance, research has clearly shown that mild stress is of great benefit to the developing puppy during this time. Physical handling, touching, stroking and changes in temperature are all beneficial during this sensitive period and help puppies grow up to be more confident, less fearful, and better problem solvers. They also are more apt to explore and less likely to be shaken up by unexpected events, loud sounds and bright lights later in life. Puppies that are handled and mildly stressed actually show faster maturing of the electrical pattern of their brain activity, often grow more quickly, and show earlier coordinated movement activities.
Puppies raised in our home are handled from birth....literally. I am there when they are born; I usually help break the sack and get them breathing; and I make sure they snuggle up to mom while waiting for the next puppy to come. I keep a close eye on them, day and night, for the first week of their lives.
If someone has been waiting for a puppy from one of my litters, I will usually invite them over within 1 or 2 days of the litter being born. That gives people the opportunity to handle and learn about the process as it takes place. Additonally, I also allow my kids and their friends (my children are both teens) to handle the puppies with my supervision.
The Transition Period (13 to 20 days)
Rapid change and development take place during this short period. Puppies open their eyes, begin to stand and walk and are more capable of reliably feeding themselves. At around 20 days, the ear canals open and puppies will respond to loud noises. Eventually, they begin to play, wag their tails, and bark. Their littermates are no longer merely sources of warmth, but companions as well.
Human handling should be continued, but it should be accompanied by the human voice. It is also helpful for the radio or television to be on to provide additional sources of stimulation. Toys should be introduced as well.
It is important to introduce the pup to different floor surfaces during this time....ceramic tile, carpeting, etc. Different scenery will provide the stimulation a puppy needs in order to grow up emotionally stable and a good problem solver.
I have to say, this step in the process is so easy for us. Once they open their eyes and begin to stand, they are so much fun to watch that I spend tons of time with them. Up until this point, they have been kinda boring....sleeping and eating. Watching them learn and explore is a wonderful experience for me, so it is easy to spend time talking with them and holding them. At this point, they are biting each other frequently - it is not uncommon to see one with his whole nose in his sister's mouth.
At least three times a day, they are allowed to wander all over my house. Sometimes they are on the carpet in the living room, other times they never venture off the ceramic tile in the kitchen. Their play and sleep area is kept meticulously clean (although I do leave a small "pee" spot there to encourage them to sniff out the proper place to "go"). It is surprising how early they learn to eliminate in the proper place.
At 3 - 4 weeks, our puppies are already supplied with toys. I find a large (say 4") soft ball is great. It is large enough to catch their attention, and they are easily attracted to it and push it around. Once I notice them biting on the side of their ex-pen, I also supply them with raw hide chips. They don't do much damage on them, but at least they are learning what they are supposed to chew on when they feel the urge.
The Socialization Period (4 to 12 weeks)
This time is probably the most influential time in a puppy's life. Some events that happen - or stimulation that does not happen - during this period will shape the dog's behavior forever. Undoing any negative behavioral effects that result from experiences during this period of life may be extremely difficult and perhaps impossible.
What is socialization? It is the process by which an individual learns about his social world. A dog must socialize to dogs in order to learn that he is a dog and how to function as a dog.....but they must also learn how to act and behave in a society of humans. This is a delicate balance that is often taken for granted. Dogs must accept and respond to humans while not altering their sexual preferences for dogs or acting in ways that would cause them to be rejected by their own species. They must learn to welcome both dogs and humans as acceptable members of their pack.
A well socialized dog has learned the rules and boundaries that govern the society in which the dog will live. Additionally, the dog will have learned how to interpret the social signals of others and will know how to respond with appropriate signals as well. Some of these skills are learned by interacting with adult dogs, but a much more important aspect of social learning comes from interaction with littermates. A litter of puppies is a "pack", and littermates learn playful, aggressive and sexual behaviors from its pack. One of the most important behaviors a puppy will learn is bite inhibition - learning how to mouth an object or person without causing harm. There is evidence that suggests that puppies that have been weaned too early or removed from their litter at too young of an age will tend to bite with greater force and with less provocation that those that have been kept in the litter until 8 weeks of age.
Another social cue that is learned during this phase is tail wagging. Puppies usually begin wagging their tails between 30 and 49 days, and they do so for social communication. As the pups get older and begin playing, it is necessary to communicate. For example, a puppy learning bite inhibition might accidentally bite a littermate too hard. In such an instance, tail wagging and a lower body posture can indicate, "Hey, sorry about that. I'm just trying to play." Tail wagging is a form of communication that must be learned during this critical period. Puppies raised exclusively by humans are socially deprived and never learn this form of communication. Thus they go through life not responding appropriately to social signals given by other dogs....despite any attempts by humans to "teach" them.
Another important social factor that occurs during this time (4 to 5 weeks of age) is when the mother begins weaning the puppies. While a breeder may not have much control over how the mom chooses to wean, it is helpful to know that puppies who were weaned gently by their mom tend to be friendlier and less fearful in general. Puppies who are weaned harshly by their mom tend to be less socially gregarious with people and less likely to approach a stranger.
Finally, it is also during this period that a puppy will begin to learn submission or dominance. The mother, or pack leader, will show her dominance by only allowing acceptable behaviors. The puppy then learns his place in the social order of the pack and learns how to play the role appropriate for his abilities and rank. Research shows that puppies that are raised in a completely nonpunishing environment for the first 10 weeks of their lives are virtually impossible to train; therefore, it is important that the pack leader establish rules and boundaries early on.
At this point, I have started supplying the puppies with puppy food in an effort to start weaning them. I am fortunate in that Jesse is a very, very gentle mother and thus a gentle weaner. Weaning the puppies is not difficult at all since they are exploring their surroundings and will be interested in anything that is put in front of them. They usually walk in their food, sit in the food, and roll in their food....but eventually they also learn to eat it. Again, it is a joy to watch and it makes me laugh.
With regard to dominance, I will usually notice at this stage one puppy in the pack showing dominance over its littermates....but I've learned that a "dominant" puppy might go to its new home and suddenly become a "submissive" pet.
The tail wagging mentioned above is also taking place. As soon as I get up every morning, I wake the puppies up and am delighted when they come to the edge of their pen to greet me with wagging tails.
I don't do any punishing until the pups have reached about 7 weeks of age - I leave all of that up to mom. As mentioned, any damage done from a negative experience at this age may be impossible to undo.....therefore, I maintain my role as a caregiver and nurturer and let mom do the punishing. Usually, the punishment from mom is the result of playing too rough or perhaps biting on a nipple when nursing. When this happens, Jesse will usually grab the puppy by the neck and pin it down to teach it submission. This process does not hurt the puppy, but simply teaches it rules and boundaries. However, after 7 weeks when I'm letting the puppies explore more, I do have to set some ground rules. For example, chewing my kitchen cabinets is not allowed. (To "punish" I remove the puppy from the situation and give it a raw hide).
The Juvenile Period
Researchers have learned that the end of the socialization period isn't clearly defined and may even vary among breeds. However, for all breeds, the end of the socialization period is associated with an increasing fear of new places, new individuals, and new events, and usually occurs between 12 to 14 weeks of age.
Although a puppy may be well socialized by 4 to 12 weeks of age, the socialization is not fully set and can still be improved. Additionally, a 12 week old well socialized dog that is removed from the regular presence of humans and other dogs may lose its socialization over time. Therefore, the socialization process must begin during the critical period, but it must be strengthened by repeated social encounters until the dog is 6 to 8 months old. Ladies with floppy hats, men with beards, a bouncing basketball, a vacuum, a wheelchair are all things that might be scary to a dog at first. A dog needs to be continuously exposed to different environments and people so he can learn the appropriate social response.
Once my puppies have had their first shots (usually around 6 or 7 weeks), I feel it is safe to take them out to meet other dogs in the neighborhood or even at the pet supply store. Their whole day is now filled with play-time and exploration.
As a general rule, I let my pups leave at 8 weeks of age, provided I have received clearance from my vet and I am comfortable with their development. One reason I let the pups go at 8 weeks and not at 12 weeks is because I think it is important for the puppies to bond with their new owners before the end of their socialization period. Remember, the end of this period is marked with fear of new people and new places. I don't want a puppy to associate this normally fearful time with his new owner. Instead, I would prefer the new owner bond with his puppy before the socialization period ends. That way, once the pup enters this fearful stage, he is already comfortable in his new home and can face these new challenges with his new owner.