Early puppyhood behavior predictors : don't ignore that fearful dog!!!

Knowledge of normal canine behavior and its development is important not only for the understanding and treatment of canine behavior problems, but also for prevention. Extensive information is available on the development of normal behavior in dogs, though most is derived from laboratory situations or from organizations interested in developing service dogs. Therefore, unfortunately, very limited data are currently available on puppies observed in the human social environment There is little published in the literature on the range of normal puppy behavior, as well as on changes over time during the dog’s development. There is a consensus that even at 8 weeks of age, social behavior, fear, competition, motor activity, and exploration vary widely among individuals. This information could be quite helpful to gain a more comprehensive understanding of developmental aspects of social behavior as well as social influences on behavioral phenotype.