Missing The Imprint Stage Of Puppyhood

Dear Adam:
[From a previous e-mail which questioned why I recommend that dog owners don't try to train their dogs in a group class setting]
Yes, I understand about the imprint stages [two week stages from birth to 4 months of age in which a small amount of exposure will have a lasting affect on the dog's socialization to it's surroundings] but not everybody lives in the ideal world of getting their puppy at 6 to 8 weeks of age.
[The imprint stage when dogs learn dominant and subordinate behavior with other dogs. Missing this stage, or having a negative experience during this stage, can cause dog aggression later in life].
What are you then suggesting happens? There are a lot of people out there that don't know the first thing about dog training. So, a View the rest of this article