[Role of smell in the food-seeking activity of newborn puppies].

In 36 newborn puppies, positive responses to the mother hair smell appear immediately after birth which indicates emanation of a corresponding pheromone. Within 6 hrs after isolation from the mother, the preference for her smell is reduced and substituted with a response to hair smell of other females. Learning of the motor to the mother smell seems to occur yet in prenatal period. The inherent negative response to cat's smell does not depend on the duration of the puppy isolation from the mother. During first 3 days of life (the 1st period), learning of the food-seeking response to an artificial smell is possible (imprinting). Starting from the 4th-5th day of life, the ability to form a food-seeking response to smell disappears. In 11-12 day old puppies, a conditioning can be achieved by means of combining smell with feeding 5-6 times. The role of olfaction in the puppy food-seeking behaviour during ontogenesis, is discussed.