Hunting Dogs

The First 20 Weeks

The first 20 weeks of a dog's life and the way the dog is introduced to the world around it are critically important. During this stage of psychological development, the young dog can develop good habits through proper training and environmental control. Conversely, puppies are monumentally impressionable at this time, and it may take only one incidence of a negative association to scar the pup forever. During the imprinting stage, the pup is learning what works for it. Thus, few repetitions of a specific behavior followed by perceived positives (cause and effect) may forge a desired response to future stimuli, commands and/or similar places or circumstances.

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