Veterinar, Vol. 57. No. 3., 2019.
Professional paper
The first four are the most important: About the importance of proper early socialization in puppies
Mirta Jambrović
; udruga Kako psi komuniciraju
Abstract
International research on puppy development indicates that proper early socialization is crucial for appropriate emotional development of a dog. In Croatia, the importance of such socialization has not been given enough importance. Therefore, one of the aims of the campaign “The first four are the most important”, launched in 2019 by the “How Dogs Communicate” association, and under the official patronage of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, was to raise awareness on the issue of proper early puppy socialization. Since this critical, early period of socialization overlaps with that of primary immunoprophylaxis, in this paper we primarily focus on this aspect of the campaign, concluding that the scientific research in this field indicates that the risk of canine infectious diseases in puppies is minimal if they were socialized in controlled environment. It follows that, in order to ensure the best quality of life for the dog in the long run, it is of vital importance to simultaneously protect the dog’s physical, as well as emotional health. The combined efforts of veterinarians, dog breeders, and dog owners themselves, would allow puppies to develop properly. This would benefit the entire society, which too often focuses only on dog behaviour problems, without emphasizing the importance of prevention.
Keywords
dogs; puppies; proper early socialization; primary immunoprophylaxis
Hrčak ID:
231928
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2019.
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