By Claudia Bensimoun
First published: World Rally Cynposport
Image credit: Pixabay
A new study reveals that if you want to socialize a dog with a human or a horse, all you need is 90 minutes to introduce them between the ages of four and eight weeks. With wolf pups, it takes 24 hours! By Claudia Bensimoun
Ever wonder why your puppy bonds with you in days, but a wolf pup stays wary forever? A 2013 study I covered reveals the surprising answer: It’s all in a 4-week “fear-free window” where dogs need just 90 minutes of human exposure to become “man’s best friend” — while wolves require 24 hours and still go wild.
Dogs and wolves are so similar genetically, yet it’s been difficult for biologists to understand why wolves remain wild while dogs will easily become domesticated. But now a new study finds that early developmental differences between wolves and dogs, along with changes in their developmental timing, may play an essential role in the behavioral differences between adult wolves and dogs.
The study, presented this year by evolutionary biologist Kathryn Lord at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, finds that the different behaviors are related to the animals’ earliest sensory experiences and the critical period of socialization.
Little was known about sensory development in wolf pups, and beliefs about its timing were often based on studies of dogs, since wolves and dogs are subspecies of Canis lupus. Nonetheless, early developmental differences between these two subspecies have already been identified, Lord explains.
Earlier research found that wolves tend to approach and investigate objects around them two weeks before dogs do. Lord also discusses the timing of walking as one of the most critical developmental factors. These changes in developmental timing may play an essential role in the behavioral differences between adult wolves and dogs.
In this study, which compared the development of the sensory systems in wolves and dogs, Lord studied responses of 7 wolf and 43 dog pups to both familiar and novel smells, sounds, and visual stimuli. This was tested weekly from two to seven weeks of age. Eleven wolf pups were also observed for orientation towards auditory and visual stimuli during two-hour sessions, five days a week, from two to eight weeks of age.
Researchers recorded all these observations and found that wolves and dogs developed their senses at the same time. The study revealed new information about how wolves and dogs experience their environment during a four-week developmental window known as the “critical period of socialization.” These new facts may significantly change the understanding of wolf and canine development.
When the socialization window is open, both wolf and dog pups begin walking and exploring their environment without fear and retain familiarity with those things they come into contact with throughout their lives. Domestic dogs can be introduced to humans, cats, and even horses at this stage and still be comfortable with them forever. Yet as the period progresses, fear increases, and after the socialization window closes, new sights, new sounds, and smells will elicit a fear response.
From wolfish wildness to dog devotion, a mere 4-week shift can rewrite destiny. As Lord’s study shows, your puppy’s “best friend” status starts with those first trusting glances — invest 90 minutes, and you’ll have a lifetime companion. What’s your go-to socialization trick? Share below!
Sources
- Lord, K. (2013). Why Wolves Are Wild, But Dogs Are “Man’s Best Friend”. Presented at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- RallyDogs. (2013). Original Article.
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117152012.htm#:~:text=Dogs%20and%20wolves%20are%20genetically,suggests%20the%20different%20behaviors%20are
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