[quote=Igmuska]Twhen dogs placed in homes with unrelated dogs, bonding and response to humans was unaffected.[/quote] The rest of your post I agree with. But I don't think it so much a matter of relation but of age. It is likely that when pups were placed with unrelated dogs there was a significant age difference which would lead to that conclusion. I have two unrelated (different breeds) pups here right now with a two week age difference. I had to separate them completely because the younger was going downhill fast. There is a marked improvement a few days after separation.