OBSERVATIONAL-LEARNING OF AN ACQUIRED MATERNAL-BEHAVIOR PATTERN BY WORKING DOG PUPS - AN ALTERNATIVE TRAINING METHOD

German shepherd pups from untrained bitches and bitches trained in the location of narcotics were either separated from their mothers at 6 w eeks (standard raised) or at 3 months of age (extended maternal care). Pups with extended maternal care which were allowed to observe their trained mothers locating and retrieving a sachet of odour-producing na rcotic between the ages of 6 and 12 weeks performed the same task sign ificantly better than non-exposed pups when tested at the age of 6 mon ths, without further reinforcement during the interim period, This dif ference in performance was independent of the duration of maternal car e or maternal origin of the pups and was attributed to differences in early experience acquired through observational learning. (C) 1997 Els evier Science B.V. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.