The Developing Mind: Sensory and Emotional Development in Puppies with Dean Hart

Puppies are not born experiencing the world as adult dogs. Development begins before birth and continues through a series of important developmental periods, during which sensory systems, brain function and emotional responses gradually emerge and mature.

This webinar explores how prenatal influences, early experiences and key developmental stages help shape confidence, resilience, learning and behaviour. By understanding how the developing puppy experiences the world, we can better understand many of the behaviours we later see in adolescent and adult dogs.

Learning Objectives

BIOLOGY

• Understand how sensory systems develop during puppyhood.
• Explore the relationship between brain development, experience and learning.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Recognise how confidence, fear and resilience emerge during development.
• Identify important developmental and sensitive periods.

THE ENVIRONMENT

• Understand how early experiences influence behaviour.
• Recognise the di erence between beneficial exposure and overload.

THE TRAINER / BEHAVIOURIST

• Apply developmental knowledge to puppy training and behaviour support
• Make informed decisions during key stages of development

Your Presenters- Dean Hart PhD

Dr. Dean Hart is a clinical behaviorist with more than 23 years of experience working on veterinary referral, specialising in the biological foundations of learning, emotion, and welfare in dogs. His research spans heart‑rate variability (HRV) in canine stress assessment as well as cross‑species studies exploring how animals process and respond to their environments. Dean is known for translating complex neuroscience into clear, practical concepts that help trainers and behavior professionals understand not just what dogs do, but why they do it.

His teaching blends scientific clarity with real‑world welfare practice, offering evidence‑based tools that support humane, effective training and behavior modification. Dean’s work focuses on making the science of learning accessible, engaging, and directly applicable to everyday professional work.

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