Critical Periods & Early Life Exposure

For puppies, early life experiences–or the lack thereof–are known to have a profound impact on their behavior as adults. For example, teaching puppies early that thunder is not scary can help to stave off a lifetime of fear around storms. This early stage of puppy life, lasting from approximately 3-16 weeks of age, is referred to scientifically as the “critical period.” As the name implies, ample life experience during this time is… well, critical… for normal development.

During this period, most puppies are especially open to new stimuli of almost any sort (e.g., noises, sights, people). That receptiveness declines in the following years, with emotional reactions to stimuli often becoming less amenable to modification across time. These emotional reactions might be relatively benign for us, such as a dog shying away from skateboards, but can also be a significant impediment to normal life, such as fear of strangers leading to barking and lunging. It is therefore extremely important for puppy owners to be thoughtful early with teaching puppies that there is nothing to fear.

To be sure, though essential, this process of manufacturing positive experiences for puppies doesn’t have to be strenuous. Instead, clients and I often find that this is one of the most fun parts of raising puppies. The process is really just: (1) expose the puppy to a mild version of a stimulus, then (2) pour on all the rewards and praise. Don’t hold back with either. Make the experience amazing.The main idea is just to teach the puppy that the thing, whatever it is, predicts fun. There are a few nuances with intensity and timing, but in a nutshell, that’s it. 

Below is a list of stimuli that I focus on when implementing an Early Life Experience program. I cover a wide breadth of categories and stimuli with the intention of preparing puppies for a social life in and out of the home. There are some stimuli that every puppy should be exposed to, such as thunder and people. However, when preparing your own plan, a high priority should be teaching your puppy to feel safe with the standard components of your lifestyle. For example, if you love to jog in the city and want to bring your dog, teaching your puppy that cars are not to be feared might be high on your list. If you throw parties, familiarizing your puppy with random guests should be prioritized. 

We owe it to our dogs, and ourselves, to set them up for the best future we can. Providing ample early life experience is a key component of this process, helping them build up padding against what might otherwise be very upsetting for them. As we all know personally, extreme fear feels awful–especially if we have no control over the situation, like most dogs. Exposure to a multitude of experiences during the puppy’s critical period is one of the best early steps we can take to prevent them from experiencing that awful feeling themselves. 

Stimuli to Expose Puppies To During the Critical Period

Social

• Other puppies
  Match your puppy’s play-style with the others’ to build confidence across play-dates. Ensure your puppy has a place to hide.

• People of all sorts
  E.g., different races, all genders, people with beards, with hats, with backpacks, with costumes on, etc.

• Crowds

• Children

Sounds

• Barking

• Thunder

• Fireworks

• Smoke alarms

• Car backfires

• Gunshots, if relevant

Ground Textures

• Wooden planks

• Gravel

• Sand

Home Tools

• Vacuums

• Hammers

• Nail dremels

Vehicles (Both Moving & Stationary)

• Skateboards

• Bicycles

• Cars

Body Handling/Vet Prep

• Being picked up

• Paw/nail handling

• Muzzle holding & mouth opening

• Ear inspection

• Tail lifting

Places

• The vet’s office

• Anywhere the puppy might be staying without you