Canine Behaviour-Based on Natural Pack Instinct, studies conducted on Wild Dogs
If dogs are kept in a free range environment (wild), they will naturally live in mixed-sex, mixed-age social groups. Social ranking is determined by mainly by age, but sex is also a factor.
The role of the female is to guide the groups activities. Dogs are sexually mature between 6-9 months of age, however this can be longer for the giant breeds. However it isn’t until your dog is 18-36 months of age that they are socially mature. At social maturity the dog will fall into a natural hierarchial position, determined by sex, size, and temperament. In the wild dogs that try to challenge the social hierarchy wil sometimes leave the group and form their own pack, that is if they don’t suceed in altering the social order. This may explain the aggression sometimes seen in multi dog households. It is at the time of social maturity (18-35 months of age) that problem aggression and anxieties tend to surface,hence why socialisation through activities like puppy pre-school are so beneficial. To view our article on Puppy Preschool visit the link below:
Behaviour such as roaming, mounting, urine marking, and fighting between the sexes, is driven by sex hormones, namely the male sex hormone testosterone (females also have some testosterone). If these problems occur in the family pet, desexing will often control such tendencies. Optimal suppression of such behaviour is best obtained by desexing your companion at a younger age (6 months).
3-12 weeks of Age:
Puppies tend to focus on other dogs if they are available for their social stimuli, and between the ages of 5 and 12 weeks on people.
16-20 weeks of Age:
Puppies are most responsive to learning about how to deal with their environments and stimuli.
Providing that puppies receive adequate social stimulation, they will learn about the social and physical environments when they’re ready. It is important to avoid experiences that may scare your puppy, and also not to keep your puppy exclusively kenneled or not exposed to people after 14 weeks of age, as their mental and social health will be under developed.
Unless there is no other choice, the adoption of your puppy should not occur, before the age of 7.5 weeks old.
Most breeds of dog have 2 heat cycles per year. It has been observed in the wild that groups may take care of the young, that is if there isn’t any shortage of food or social tension within the group. In a group of dogs the highest ranking, may be the only ones to breed. Higher ranking dogs will enforce this, by supressing and interfering with the mating of lower ranking group members.
