Puppies that have never lived in a home, those raised away from the house, such as in show kennels, farms or puppy mills, are at a great disadvantage with regard to socialisation. Indeed these puppies are far more liable to temperament problems.

Whereas a puppy who has been raised in a busy, lively household, where he has been handled and played with daily by adults and adults with love and care, allowed to meet other dogs and cats, have the best start and will become well socialised dogs.

Submissive puppies, the underdog, so often grow up to be fearful and more difficult to adapt.

Here it should be remembered that living with a dog can be very rewarding, he will bring love and companionship into your life. A new canine member of your family, will however bring new responsibilities into your life. The better socialised and trained he is, the prouder you can be of your achievements as a responsible dog owner.

To insure that your dog can deal with a variety of people and situations, early induction under supervision is a must to protect them from developing fears that are unwarranted, which could also lead to problems later.

Take advise from your vet as to when your puppy will be allowed out, but use the time beforehand to introduce him at home to as many people, children and animals as possible.

A puppy goes through stages of learning, hopefully the breeder will have started socialisation which will help a great deal.

3 to 12 weeks of age

During this period puppy will shape his life long attitude, this is a critical time as the puppy will learn quickly. Probably the puppy will go to his new home at about eight weeks of age, and this is the time when he will work out the position he hold in the new pack - his new family. This is the time to insure the puppy becomes aware that all family members are higher in rank than he is!

12 to 24 weeks of age

By the time the puppy has grown out of puppy hood and become a junior, or in human terms a teenager, he will be far less independent on you. Thus, it is important to begin simple obedience training early on during this period. Training will become more difficult as the puppy grows older.

24 weeks of age upwards

This is a time when territorial behaviour can develop, and so long as the foundations of good training have previously been put in place, should only be a temporary blip in relationships. Physical and sexual maturity are followed by emotional maturity, but vary in different breeds, even within breeds themselves.

 Puppy Fact Files