THE EFFECT OF EARLY SEPARATION FROM THE MOTHER ON PUPS IN BONDING TO HUMANS AND PUP HEALTH

The separation of young dogs from their mother at the age of 6 weeks h ad a negative effect on the physical condition and weight gain of sepa rated pups compared to that of pups with maternal contact till 12 week s. Disease susceptibility and mortality was higher in pups with a shor ter maternal contact period. These factors were related to behavioural measurements of separation stress. However, early separation had no s ignificant advantage to socialisation with humans, provided that separ ated and nonseparated pups had daily human contact. Early separation t herefore did not improve dog/human bonding processes but lowered condi tion and increased mortality in separated pups.