Critical period in the social development of dogs.
Litters of puppies were isolated, with the bitch, in fenced acre fields from 2 to 14 weeks of age. They were removed indoors at different ages, played with for a week, and returned to the field. The pups manifested an increasing tendency to withdraw from human beings after 5 weeks of age and unless socialization occurred before 14 weeks of age, withdrawal reactions from humans became so intense that normal relationships could not thereafter be established
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011589:Psychology, Experimental; D012922:Social Change
DOGS; PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL