The First Eight Weeks: Socializing Puppy Litters in a Shelter or Foster Home
Additional Resource
The first few weeks of a puppy’s life are critical to its mental and social development. A puppy isolated from the world during this time may develop a fear of social contact and may have poor learning and problem-solving abilities. Insufficient socialization can lead to hyperactivity, over-reactivity, emotional rigidity, anxiety, fear, and aggression. Shelters and fosters raising a litter of puppies can have an enormous positive impact on the future of the puppies by understanding the following concepts and suggestions.
Center for Shelter Dogs. (2014). The First Eight Weeks: Socializing Puppy Litters in a Shelter or Foster Home. Center for Shelter Dogs, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://centerforshelterdogs.tufts.edu/blog/the-first-eight-weeks-socializing-puppy-litters-in-a-shelter-or-foster-home/
Photo: iStock.com/StockSeller_ukr
Topic(s): Behavior, Shelter and Rescue, Socialization