Dog and cat socialisation: a sound base for self-assured and friendly pets

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1 Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets EJCAP 24(3) Specil issue P 4 Commissioned pper Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets Dr Joël Dehsse 1 SUMMARY Socilistion is unique lerning process tht enles young nimls to etter dpt to their future dult socil hitt. Behind this pprent ehviourl process is neurologic structurtion of the rin nd enhncement of the mind. EJCAP (2014), Autumn 24(3); p4-p10 Go to to see the online presenttion of this pper. individuls, to perform s functionl memer of their socil group, nd lso to ehve s fitting (fmilir, ttuned nd comfortle) memer of our (complex) humn society. Introduction To ecome friendly pets, dogs nd cts need to lern how to fit into our society y dpting fvourly to our wishes, requirements nd whims. They need to express goodwill, trust, nd respect s well s predictle, kind, plesnt, nd congenil dispositions nd ehviours. This is lot to sk for from these two species tht hve een removed from their nturl hitts; dogs cn live s group hunters, herders, fighters, nd retrievers whilst cts re solitry hunters. Both species were mde to ecome (undulterted) humn socil compnions, condition to which they were not geneticlly predisposed ut for which they were le to pproximtely dpt to. Humn eings hve required dogs nd cts to shed their own ethologicl needs to ecome socil cretures, nd even friendly nothostile complint living stuffed toys. The mircle is tht dogs nd cts mostly comply with our wishes, ecuse they hve genetic progrms tht llow them to e prtly shped y their socil environment. Socilistion: definition Socilistion is the developmentl process y which dogs nd cts cquire the skills necessry to ccommodte to other Socilistion is the degree of freedom n individul gets from its genetics to shpe its psychology (temperment, emotions, cognitions, nd ehviours), physiology nd ntomy, so it cn interct with other memers of its society to ecome in-tune with its socil environment. More specificlly, it is the lerning process needed to cquire socil identity, socil ttchment, socil interction, communiction skills, group interction, nd spce (conflict) mngement skills, s well s sexul, reproductive, nd prenting skills. How is the socilistion mircle possile? Genetics nd environment. Genetic nd environmentl influences ct together in cumultive nd shping mnner throughout infnt development. Neuronl hrdwiring The foundtion of the neuronl network is geneticlly sed, s shown in n experiment y Cooper nd Zuek in the mze-running ility in rts [1] : the environment will dd (psychoiologicl) competencies to (sound or deficient) genetic sis, mking (geneticlly) dull rts righter in running mzes. 1 3 venue du Cosmonute, B-1150 Bruxelles, Belgium, E-mil : joel.dehsse@skynet.e,

2 Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets EJCAP 24(3) Specil issue P 5 Infnt dogs nd cts, nd humn eings too, hve genetic progrms to set-up, develop, orgnise nd consolidte neuronl networks tht will influence their perceptions, emotions, cognitions, nd temperments. A neuronl suicidl progrm tht ims to remove meningless neuronl pthwys nd keep only meningful ones follows neuronl network growth progrmme. The distinction etween meningless nd meningful neuronl networks is linked to the mturtion of the synpses y their effective use: functionl synpses (ones tht hve een used) re sved whilst non-functionl ones re destroyed nd removed. This helps to cler the rin of unused (redundnt) mteril. The deciding fctor influencing the synpse mturtion is the environment tht is identified through perceptul sensory orgns. As shown y the Wiesel nd Huel experiments [2], keeping puppy in the drk from 3 weeks to 3 months of ge leds to lindness (murosis): the puppy cn differentite light from drkness ut cnnot understnd (the concept of) imges. The sme thing hppens to ll sensoril informtion, including socil interctions, which leds to conceptul enrichment or defects, which re linked to hrdwired neuronl network. This neuronl hrdwre is fixed t specific time in puppy nd kitten development, clled the imprinting or, for socil cquisition, the primry socilistion period. It is followed y softwre modifiction, y re-use, reprocessing nd reorgnistion of the hrdwired neuronl pthwys in new networks: this process is clled the secondry socilistion. Imprinting is n esy nd effective wy to clirte the rin to dpt to the requirements of specific iotope, including the socil environment. However, the dded competencies shped y the socil environment only compenste to certin degree the genetic (sound or not) predisposition: if erly socil enrichment cn mke dull rts righter to run mze, it will not mke ferful infnts ferless, ggressive infnts mild, nd in generl socilly inept infnts socilly skilled. Socil enrichment in geneticlly inept infnts will give them sense of normlcy, not normlcy itself. However, socil enrichment is the wy to get more socil, self-ssured nd friendlier pets. Epigenetic progrmming There is more thn just neuronl network hrdwiring t ply during this crucil phse of infnt development. There is lso emotionl, cognitive nd endocrine progrmming tking plce, which is linked to mternl ehviour. In fct, the genetic expression of the offspring is medited y the effects of mternl ehviour on this progrmming: under conditions of environment dversity, mternl effects enhnce the cpcity for defensive responses in the offspring, therey incresing the risk of severl forms of pthology in lter life [3]. This effect is due to ltertions of DNA methyltion nd chromtin structure t relevnt promoter sites. It leds to lifelong, even multigenertionl, silence of (regultory) gene expression, such s, for exmple, greter glucocorticoid receptor expression. In summry: less mternl ffection will led to more lifelong stress. Therefore to prevent this propensity to stress: more ffection will led to less stress. This is simple eugenic epigenetic effect: the mentl nd physicl helth of the mother is criticl nd the most importnt fctor in determining the qulity of motheroffspring interctions, which in turn condition the stress response of the infnt. Socil nd environmentl enrichment t n erly ge The socil imprinting progrmming is set up t n erly ge during neurologicl development. It strts with sensory development (i.e. efore irth for the sense of touch, nd conventionlly round 2 to 3 weeks of ge with the opening of the eyes nd the ers, strting vision nd udition) nd ends t n verge of 9 (5 to 12) weeks in kittens nd 3 (2 to 4) months in puppies. The ending phse cn e shorter in primitive (wilder) nd in working shepherd reeds or unsfe (hrsh) environments, nd longer in sophisticted nd compnion reeds nd in kind (sfe) environments. This mens tht if n owner cquires 3-month-old puppy, the imprinting phse is often over; so enrichment hs to e provided y the reeder. Only if the puppy is younger thn 3 months is the owner le to dpt the puppy to its definitive environment ut it must e rememered tht the puppy might e missing some importnt eduction y its mother, prticulrly cquiring the cpcity to mnge conflict y the use of freezing posture (Fig. 1), nd the control of its socil ites (Fig. 2) skills tht re indispensle in the mngement of socil conflict. Socil nd environmentl enrichment in prctice There re few simple, elementry, nd importnt rules: 1. Puppies nd kittens destined for fmily pets should e selected from socil, socile, congenil, friendly, nonggressive nd smrt prents. There is no (vlidted) test in infnts (puppies nd kittens) tht is predictive of dult socil nd socile skills.

3 Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets EJCAP 24(3) Specil issue P 6 Fig 1 nd Prent or dult dogs hve to tech puppies how to immoilise (freeze) when in conflict with others: freezing will stop the interction, efore or during the interction, preventing ggression nd injuries. When put down y the mother, the puppy often rolls on its side or ck nd urintes; this elicits cre-giving ehviour (licking) y the mother, which stops the forceful eductionl hndling nd ppeses oth puppy nd dult. 2. Pregnnt mothers should e kept in secure environments, with s little stress s possile, ut with lots of vried ctivities to stisfy their ctivity needs. 3. Nursing mothers should e kept in secure environments, with s little stress s possile. Mothers who lck cregiving ehviours should e ssisted or replced y cregiving nurses of the sme species (Fig 3), or humns. 4. Educting mothers should e kept with their puppies or kittens for s long s possile until they re 4 months of ge, to educte them to cquire or perfect their freezing posture in the presence of dults. Mothers my need ssistnce from other mothers, fthers nd other reltives of the sme species, nd humns, to tech the puppies or kittens to generlise this posture in ll socil conflicts with dults. 5. Puppies nd kittens from 3 weeks of ge should e le to ply-fight in the presence of n dult who will stop the fight if iting is pinful nd hrmful. 6. Puppies nd kittens should e kept nd hve cuddling nd ply contct everydy with puppies nd kittens of the sme ge, with dults of the sme species nd reed nd with other reeds with different morphotypes so they cn lern their own species identity nd e le to recognise their own species. 7. From 2 weeks of ge onwrds puppies nd kittens should experience ffection nd ply with other species (dozens of vrious morphotypes, colours, ge, clothing) to lern to conceptulise non-hostile species so they cn interct socilly nd respect them (so tht they do not hunt, kill, nd et them). This respect will e chieved y rewrding or positively ssociting socil contct with ll kinds of humn eings (from ies to old people with ll kinds of clothing, Fig. 4), cts Fig 2 nd Ply fighting in puppies will help tech how to control the ites in socil interctions. The process is not well known, ut it involves iting nd eing itten, nd yelping from the pin when itten.

4 Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets EJCAP 24(3) Specil issue P 7 Fig 3 nd The mother licks the puppy / kitten to stimulte reflexes of elimintion, to clen it, mssge it, nd ppese it. Fig 4 nd Puppies should e plced in rewrding or positively ssocited socil contct with ll kinds of humn eings (from ies to old people, with ll kinds of clothing). Here: contct with young children t puppy prty. nd dogs of different shpes, ge nd colours, rits, guine pigs, nd so on. 8. From 2 weeks of ge onwrds, puppies nd kittens should hve contct with the stimuli (noise, smells, complexity) of the environment they will e living in when they re dults. For puppies this includes ccess to streets, mrket plces, crs, trins, sttions, nd so on; if ccess to these is unfesile, puppies should e hituted with ll the sensory inputs from these environments, through the use of sound CDs, visiting people, floor textures, mirrors, children, toys nd so on. 9. Puppies should go to puppy-school nd kittens to kitty-school to encounter vrious kinds of people, nimls, nd environments to improve nd generlise their socil skills (ply-fighting, inhiited ites, nd freezing posture) ut only if these schools re working positive (positive reinforcement) nd secure wy (control of the unruly nimls y the triners nd, for puppy-school, y n educting dog). 10. Puppies nd kittens cn e cquired s lte s 4 months of ge if the imprinting hs een properly done y the reeder nd if the mother ws motherly nd competent, or from 7 weeks of ge (nd even erlier) if the reeder nd/or the mother nd/or the reeding environment re not s competent s is desirle, so the new owner will e le to mke up for the lck of environmentl nd socil imprinting. The new owner must e wre tht in certin lines nd where puppies re rised in too hrsh n environment, 7 weeks of ge might lredy e too lte. 11. Acquired puppies nd kittens re seprted from their mother nd silings to live with liens (humns)

5 Dog nd ct socilistion: sound se for self-ssured nd friendly pets EJCAP 24(3) Specil issue P 8 to whom they hve to ttch: people should e ffectionte nd provide s secure n environment s possile to fcilitte this trnsfer of ttchment which will led to onding, ffection, nd friendship. 12. Acquired puppies nd kittens hve to dpt people s wishes nd whims nd this will only e possile if their physiologicl nd ethologicl (ctivity nd motorpttern) needs re stisfied. These ethologicl needs, such s herding, hunting, retrieving, sprinting, nd so on, vry with reeds. 13. Socil nd environmentl imprinting needs to e regulrly repeted for it to e memorised long-term. Puppy prties Puppy schools or prties will gther puppies in regulr setting to fcilitte meeting vrious kinds of people, nimls nd environments. They will help to improve nd widen their socil skills (ply-fighting, inhiited ites nd freezing posture) ut only if these schools work in positive (positive reinforcement) nd secure wy (control of the unruly nimls y the triners nd, for puppy-school, y n educting dog). Even though these rules re simple, in relity they re rrely met. People choose puppies nd kittens on gut instinct nd emotions more thn on rtionl discernment. And mny reeders nd pet shops will sell nything to nyone, without fitting the right pet to the right owner. In ddition future owners re not yet conscious tht erly experiences cn hve n importnt impct on the rest of the life of their compnion niml. Losing socilistion t dolescence Even when the socilistion process hs een enriched in puppies nd kittens, genetics will request more influence t dolescence nd dulthood. Inhiited genes will strt to e expressed, leding to dult ehviours. Numerous motor-ptterns will strt to emerge: hunting, herding, defending, nd fighting in dogs, territoril defence nd hunting in cts. The infnt ehviourl plsticity is reduced to the enefit of instinctive ehviours. The infnt strts to e more nd more like its prents. In this process, mny dogs nd cts lose some prt of their socilistion to people, differentition etween fmilir figures nd strngers is enhnced, nd stress responses towrds strngers cn e expressed. The fight, flight, or freeze strtegy is lso geneticlly predisposed; dog reeds selected for fighting (defending, ttcking) will show the fight strtegy more thn other reeds. Cts will show more flight responses. This mens it is essentil to select puppy or kitten on the sis of the ehviour of its prents rther thn on its own ehviour. Any unsocil ehviour shown y prent hs proility to e expressed in the infnt when ecoming dult. Conclusions Socilistion is n essentil process to develop friendly pets. Socil enrichment compenstes for lck of sound socil genetics, nd enles puppies nd kittens to dpt to their future socil environment. References [1] Cooper R.M., Zuek J.P. Effects of enriched nd restricted erly environments on the lerning ility of right nd dull rts. Cndin Journl of Psychology. 1958; 12 (3): [2] Wiesel T. The postntl development of the visul cortex nd the influence of the environment. Noel lecture. 1981; Decemer 8: medicine/luretes/1981/wiesel-lecture.pdf. [3] Diorio J., Meney M.J. Mternl progrmming of defensive responses through sustined effects on gene expression. J. Psychitry Neuroscience. 2007;32(4):