More Risky to take a Puppy Home Too Early

A new study found that if you take a puppy away from their litter too early, they are more likely to develop behavioral problems. It is recommended from veterinarians and good dog breeders that puppies should stay with their litter at least 2 months before adoption.

The study was conducted in Naples, Italy from veterinary researchers who interviewed 140 dog owners, ages 18 months to 7 years. About 50% of the dogs were adopted early between 30 to 40 days and the other half were not adopted until they were at least 2 months old.

Overall, the results showed that the younger dogs were significantly more likely to be destructive than the older dogs, but the ones that were separated from their litters early were more likely to show behavioral problems such as:

• Destructiveness
• Excessive barking
• Fearfulness of walks
• Reactivity to noises
• Possessiveness of food and toys
• Attention seeking
• Aversion or aggression toward strangers
• Play biting
• Tail chasing
• Soiling the house

Researchers have not figured out why this happens, but suggests it might be “some dogs may have a genetic predisposition to certain conditions, including fear, anxiety and phobia of noises, and that early environmental experiences may increase the likelihood that they will develop these conditions or go on to have disordered behavior.”

Read original article here– Courtesy of Times Health Land

What do you think of the article?