Whilst knowledge of dog behavior during adolescence arguably exists in the public and professional domain, the period of adolescence in dogs and other companion animals is vastly understudied within the scientific community. Adolescence is a relatively long period of development during which a juvenile becomes an adult and is marked by intense neurological and hormonal changes. Within the domestic dog, adolescence is typically considered to begin with the onset of pubertal development at around 6 months of age (puberty is thought to begin between 6-9 months in males and 6-16 months of age in females) and continues until behavioral/social maturity is reached. There is no precisely agreed age at which an individual dog can be considered behaviorally mature, but dogs aged younger than two years have the shortest memory spans and certain trait level behavioral changes still occur between 18-24 months of age in border collie dogs. Therefore, dogs aged under 2 years of age are likely to still be undergoing adolescent behavioral development. This period of development is likely to be a particularly vulnerable time for dog-owner relationships, and for shaping the long-term behavior of the developing animal. In this session, the presenter will provide an overview of the neurological and behavioural changes that mammals undergo during adolescence, along with highlighting the potential implications. Although the particular focus of this session will be on dogs, much of the theory and evidence behind it should be applicable across all mammalian species, and much of the background provided will be in general terms, so the session should be applicable for anyone interested simply in mammalian behavior development.

Sponsor:Pet Professional Guild
Speaker(s):Dr. Naomi Harvey

Contact: Sharon Nettles
 Email: membershipcoordinator@petprofessionalguild.com
 Phone: 731-300-6520
 Web: https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-4361943