{"topic_id":"companion_behavior_puppy","category":"companion-behavior","context":"---\ntopic_id: companion_behavior_puppy\ncategory: companion-behavior\ntitle: \"Dog — puppy behavior & training (socialization window, basic commands, bonding, boredom-linked problems)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version (merckvetmanual.com). First-hand consumer text saved to source_file; paraphrased derived fact summary per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3. Pulled/extracted 2026-08-01.\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_owner_combined.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-01\ntokens_estimated: 560\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 11\n  passed: 11\n  date: 2026-08-01\nrecovered: false\npath: companion-behavior/companion_behavior_puppy/01_companion_behavior_puppy.md\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), pet owner version\"\n  title: \"Dog — puppy behavior & training (socialization window, basic commands, bonding, boredom-linked problems)\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/puppy-care\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-08-01\"\n  ref: \"Puppy Care (Merck pet-owner version, Jul 2025)\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary manual (consumer version)\"\n  needs_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is a copyrighted veterinary reference and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T3\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T3:vet-ref\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n# Dog — puppy behavior & training (socialization window, basic commands, bonding, boredom-linked problems)\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Socialization matters most between 2 and 4 months of age.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Regular contact with people and other animals accustoms puppies to new situations and lowers later fear or behavior issues.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Every dog should learn basic cues such as \"sit,\" \"stay,\" and \"come.\"\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Training is an enjoyable bonding activity that also teaches good conduct.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Training help is widely available, from books to local puppy classes.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Pet ownership fosters a strong human–animal bond with social and health upsides.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Owners often see lower stress, blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Dogs give companionship, purpose, and steady affection — valuable for those who are lonely, elderly, or disabled.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Such dogs need particular shelter, food, and social contact.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Dogs are social and dislike isolation.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Outdoor dogs require steady attention and human contact to stay content and avoid behavior problems.\n---\n## License & attribution\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is a copyrighted veterinary reference and is not openly licensed. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, every claim above is a paraphrased derived fact summary (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not a verbatim quotation.\n\n- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/puppy-care","sources":["companion-behavior — Dog — puppy behavior & training (socialization window, basic commands, bonding, boredom-linked problems) (retrieved 2026-08-01)"],"source":{"authority":"companion-behavior","title":"Dog — puppy behavior & training (socialization window, basic commands, bonding, boredom-linked problems)","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/puppy-care","retrieved":"2026-08-01","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version","verification_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_owner_combined.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual — pet owner version","source_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_owner_combined.txt","trust":{"authority_tier":"T3","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":607,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}