The social interaction between mother and offspring during weaning in German Shepherd dogs: Individual differences between mothers and their effects on offspring

Abstract

Seventeen litters of German Shepherd dogs were observed for 5–7 days per week between 3 and 8 weeks post-partum. Social behaviour patterns, aggressive signals towards the puppies and nursing were quantified. Mothers were found to differ in the frequency of both social and aggressive behaviour. Nursing declined during the period, while both agonistic and grooming behaviour towards puppies increased until the 7th week. During Week 7, agonistic behaviour patterns were found to be significantly correlated to grooming behaviour patterns. Some of these behaviour traits were significantly correlated to the puppies performance on a puppy test given at the age of 8 weeks. It is suggested that the interaction between mother and offspring may facilitate the appearance of submission, and the effects on later trainability are discussed.