Rescue puppies learn early survival skills that pedigrees often do not

An animal behaviorist says rescue puppies often learn survival responses during a sensitive 3 to 14 week development window, and ASPCA data show about 2.9 million dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2024.

Rescue puppies frequently face instability during a critical early socialization window, according to animal behaviorist Deby Cassill. She is an associate professor of integrative biology and animal behavior at the University of South Florida. Cassill reports that experiences between 3 and 14 weeks of age can shape how dogs interpret people, environments and risk. What we know: - Rescue dogs are not biologically different from pedigree dogs, but early inconsistency can leave lasting impressions on behavior. - Cassill identifies a sensitive 3 to 14 week period when social and emotional development is learned, for better or worse. - ASPCA data cited in the article report about 2.9 million dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2024, with varied outcomes. - The article notes that calm, consistent responses and safety cues were reported as factors that can reshape how some rescue dogs interpret potential threats. Summary: Early experiences in unstable settings are reported as shaping long-term responses to people and surroundings. Undetermined at this time.