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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 26, 2002

ANIMAL COMPANIONS
Pups and kittens find play limits

Hawaiian Humane Society

Wendy Mah of Sirius Puppy Training recommends that puppies be kept together with their mothers and siblings until they are 8 weeks old so they learn adequate doggie social skills.

Hawaiian Humane Society photo

Littermates should stay together when they're young. The resulting socializing is more than just fun for such young animals; it's an essential part of their development.

"Pets who have been properly socialized until at least 8 weeks of age make the best companions," said Mary Tashiro, manager of animal care at the Hawaiian Humane Society. "It's a simple concept: Keep the little ones together with their mother and siblings so they will learn from each other naturally. Also, introduce the littermates to different types of human experiences as early as possible."

Kittens orphaned or separated from their mother or littermates too early often fail to fully develop their personalities. By interacting with their mother and siblings, kittens increase their physical coordination, develop social skills and learn to understand limits, such as when to stop biting. By being handled every day by people from birth on, animals grow to be more playful, learn more quickly and bond with their humans.

"The same goes for any young animal — rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, as well as puppies and kittens," said Tashiro. "Socializing your young pet is the most important thing you can do during the first few weeks of his or her life."

Giving a puppy opportunities to socialize daily helps develop a well-behaved, calm and happy dog.

"You might be tempted to adopt them out when they are just 5 or 6 weeks old," said Wendy Mah, animal behaviorist with Sirius Puppy Training. "But those last weeks make such a big difference for the rest of their lives. ... During those weeks, the puppies should be meeting all kinds of people: men and women, seniors, infants and children who will handle them gently. Instead of secluded in a kennel outside, a home setting is best so the puppies grow up hearing the phone ring, pots and pans bang, music, (and) people talking and sometimes yelling. You'll end up with emotionally stable pups who take normal activities in stride."

Linda Haller, director of shelter operations at the Hawaiian Humane Society, sees dogs arrive at the shelter who have not learned the difference between biting softly and hard. "When you watch a litter of puppies playing, you will notice that they often mouth each other with their sharp teeth. This is the time when the pup learns that playtime ends when he bites too hard. After adoption, when a human family become his pack, the training must continue so biting is not tolerated."

Mah added, "Be sure you are on schedule with vaccinations, introduce him to new people and new experiences, and begin teaching obedience skills. When your veterinarian says it is safe, take your puppy to the park to meet other dogs or enroll him in a puppy class that encourages socialization."