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.
CEUs: PPAB 1, CCPDT 1, IAABC 1, KPA 1
About Your Presenter
Dr. Naomi Harvey is a zoologist with a specialty in applied animal behavior and veterinary health and welfare. Since November 2019, she has been working at the Dogs Trust as a research manager in canine behavior and she holds an honorary position as an associate professor of companion animal behavior and welfare at the University of Nottingham. With a BSc in zoology from Cardiff University and a PhD in applied canine behavior from the University of Nottingham, Dr. Harvey has a particular specialty in designing and validating methods for securing robust and valid measures of animal behavior from their guardians.
She also has expertise in veterinary epidemiology, having successfully designed and led the Itchy Dog project to investigate the environmental and genetic risk factors for canine atopic dermatitis and its impact on dog behavior. Her research interests lie in improving the evidence base for issues affecting companion animal welfare within the fields of veterinary medicine and clinical animal behavior, to better inform how we manage and treat the animals in our care. Her PhD focused on how behavior develops in juvenile guide dogs, and as such, she has a particular interest in the adolescent phase of development and what it could mean for our pets.
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