The Maternal Influence

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106 – March, 2026

By Dr. Carmen Battaglia

Many will spend a lifetime climbing the ladder of success only to learn their ladder was leaning against the wrong wall. And that is the reason for this article. This problem seems to be true because there are many who ignore the importance of new findings, and others who keep repeating what just keeps getting passed along. Both keep them on the wrong ladders . For example, most of us grew up living with our mothers. Those experiences influenced many things later in our life. We learned that she had a way to let us know about our behavior with just a look. No mistaking it, you knew if you did something she was unhappy about, she had her nonverbal way of letting you know she was unhappy. It was this kind of nonverbal behavior that others began to study. The research showed that most mothers tend to be workaholics, and many spend much of their day teaching their children values they will have for the rest of their lives. They include: table manners, respect for others, your work ethic, help with homework, and much more. Most successful people are quick to tell you that much of their success goes to the importance of their mother.

It was this realization that led to the question about puppies and the influence of their mothers. If mothers are known to be important for human development, is there a parallel that is mirrored in the world of canines? A review of the literature showed that there is, in fact, an overlap between canines and humans when it comes to many kinds of behavior. The question raised regarding canines focused on the amount and level of the mother’s importance.

For example, Slabbert found that for canines, early separation from their mother has a negative effect on their physical condition, weight gain, and susceptibility to disease, and that those weaned at six weeks have significantly lower performance ratings when tested as adults.

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106 – March, 2026

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Posted by AnthonyA on Mar 12 2026. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.