Prenatal Dog Behavior Training?

An interesting experiment was performed on prenatal children. Prior to birth, music was transmitted to the child through the mother’s skin. A sound device was placed on her tummy and a familiar pop song was played. 

 

After the child was born, they played that same song to the baby. When the song was played the child was calmer and cried less in the nursery. The effect lasted a couple of weeks and is now used in some hospitals as a way of calming the newborns. 

 

There are similar studies that have been performed on a variety of species, such as birds that are primed to learn their songs from their mothers before hatching. Other studies have involved tactile stimulation of the beaks and necks of chicks prior to hatching and the effects when they became adults. 

 

Epigenetics is interesting stuff. 

 

I do know that stressed dog dams can produce more easily stressed offspring. Thus, there is good reason to ensure that the mothers are put in emotionally stable homes while pregnant, and possibly before being pregnant. But I also wonder if there are other things that could be done, in terms of imprinting, prior to the birth of the puppies. I haven’t done any research to see if any studies have been performed. 

 

If you are aware of any such studies, please link them here. I’d love to read them.