Veterinary Behaviorists, this first fear period takes place between the ages of 8 to 10 weeks. My pup is having a roughhhh adolescence, has basically become reactive (bark-y growl-y) and scared of everything (the tv, dogs, other animals, random outdoor objects she's seen every single day) and her separation issues that we had worked so hard on before totally tanked too. Could he just be in a fear period or should I be worried that he is doomed to be a reactive dog? It is their sensitive period for socialization and it is the most important socialization period in a dog’s life. As your puppy enters a fear period, he will suddenly become frightened of something that he used to be OK with or used to ignore. You walk down the same street every day for months and one day, out of the blue, he becomes hysterical at the sight of a … The first fear phase comes when the puppy is just 2-3 months of age. You need to pay special attention during this time. 8 to 10.5 Weeks Fear Imprint Period: Whilst the Pup is going through human socialisation it also has an important fear/hazard avoidance period. Those times are when your puppy is going through natural fear periods. Some dogs will mark areas of their house or outdoors with their strong-smelling urine, known to attract their male counterparts and alert them of their mating status. She's 8 months now and she's been especially reactive to people for nearly a month. We try and keep our dogs safe and do everything to stave away scary and unfortunate events. He did go to puppy class, has been socialised around other dogs, and has dogs he plays with off leash. According to Canine Companion for Independence the first fear imprint period generally takes place in puppies between 8 and 11 weeks of age. Fear imprint period (8 to 10 Weeks) The puppy is very susceptible to long lasting effects of fearful stimuli at this stage. Not the healthiest, probably, but it has really helped her to bounce back and focus on me instead of going into a growling/whining/barking tirade. During this critical period of development, puppies go through several fear periods around 8-10 weeks and again around 12 weeks (Lindsay, 2000, p. 46). A fear period is a time during the puppy’s early life when he becomes aware of and potentially frightened by things around him. Lately I've been using the teeeeeniest of tiny pieces of string cheese and small bits of chopped up boiled beef. 3K Shares. Lockdown 2 and now tier 4 restrictions in the UK are also making it extremely difficult to work on socialising her again. If the puppy perceives an event as traumatic, he may generalize it and it could affect him for the rest of his life. Talk in a relaxed, cheerful way to your dog, perhaps saying, Yes, that’s a really loud truck, isn’t it? As seen in Sonar, she had a sudden unwillingness to engage in a once previously loved behavior. Told her 'its ok' or 'its fine' but carried on walking (slowed down abit). It is likely that the onset of sexual maturity and the surge of sex hormones may have something to do with this phase. Adolescent dogs may spook at the silliest things. We also encourage him to go lay down in a specific spot so he can non-verbally tell us when he noticed someone walking. Second Fear Period: 6 to 14 Months While the 8 to 12 week puppy fear period is in some cases hardly noticed by puppy owners, the second fear period appears to have a much bigger impact. It is extremely important to socialize your dog when it is still young, with the most important period being from 0-14 weeks of age, as well as between 5 and 8 months of age. I have a 9 week old pup that is confident and curious. His reaction could be hunched down, shaking, backing away, hiding, running away, or submissively urinating. First, the puppy’s socialization should start early—before 5 weeks of age, because by five weeks the puppy is showing fear responses to people, objects and other unfamiliarity around them. Reddit. That’s not very helpful, is it. I do basically the same thing with my pup (just try to remain calm, tell her it's fine, and gently keep going on with our day + praise praise praise) so it's good to know we're doing the right things :). However, unless these phases are addressed with … How Dog Trainers Address Canine Fear Periods Read More » My puppy just turned 5 months old and recently has been barking at what feels like everything we encounter outside. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like the pup goes back to square 1 — she often seems afraid of things I thought we conquered ages ago. Warning signs a puppy is entering their Second Fear Impact Period manifest in sudden changes in behavior. How do you handle them? However there are times when you might want to be extra cautious. Some days she's great, some days she'll only go one direction or sort of shut down after only a few blocks. Press J to jump to the feed. Rover has grown now and if he is a large breed he may even weigh 100 pounds or more! Thanks for sharing! Puppies who do not get adequate socialization during this period tend to be fearful of unfamiliar people, or dogs, or sounds, objects and environments. He did go to puppy class, has been socialised around other dogs, and has dogs he plays with off leash. Ahhh thank you! Idk I put my pup inside when I can’t correct him in time and he barks. Press J to jump to the feed. What have you been using? The second fear impact period occurs between 6 to 14 months of age. The first fear period occurs when the puppy is about eight weeks old, which is why it is no longer advisable to take a puppy from its mother at such a critical point. I basically ignored it. The fear imprint period, or fear period, is sometimes misused to excuse a puppy with a fearful temperament. When a dog enters the cycle, it lasts for two to three weeks, though the actual amount of time differs for each individual dog. ), or barks at people. Puppy Advice -- Fear Period. You can’t and should not raise your puppy in a bubble. Hang in there we got this!! The fear can be of a … Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Any other tips or stories you want to share? Puppy Development Stages: Second Fear Impact Period (6 to 14 months) This period is hard to define. Generally, this critical age occurs earlier for small dogs and later for larger ones. When your dog is spooked … First, the puppy’s socialization should start early—before 5 weeks of age, because by five weeks the puppy is showing fear responses to people, objects and other unfamiliarity around them. There are two periods of time in a puppy's development are the fear periods. What is hard is that it seemed to hit SO fast and so suddenly. Dogs may suddenly start to appear fearful of new things that they would have coped with easily previously including inanimate objects. Development of these fears tends to be more about situations than to specific people. Most dogs move past this “fear period” without any special care on the part of guardians. A common reason for fear in dogs is a lack of positive exposure to new people, animals and environments during the critical fear period of the puppy socialization process. Puppy Advice -- Fear Period Sign in to follow this . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If you suspect your puppy is going through a fear period, it is best to limit exposure for a couple of weeks until you’re confident your puppy is out of the fear period. So he sort of knows “oh I bark at strangers walking down the road, I get put inside which isn’t fun”. This is when the puppy starts to encounter many new experiences, and is not as protected by their mother. By Show Me The Sheep !, October 21, 2017 in General Border Collie Discussion. Did you do any "extra" training to get through it, or was it more of a "buckle down and wait for this to pass" type thing? But there will be good moments that you're gonna want to hang onto. As you can see, this period overlaps that of the previous definition and children or animal should not be allowed to hurt or scare the puppy -- either maliciously or inadvertently. Parenting instincts to soothe may kick in during puppy fear stages, but dogs do not understand comforting like we do. I feel your pain. The puppy may go through it during a time of rapid growth or may occur when the puppy encounters a new situation. The picnic table is one example. It is good to know and remember that this is a […] We click and treat when he sees another dog and doesn’t bark, but don’t always have time to catch it before he goes crazy. There are three core factors that make up a dog’s behavior. The puppy is very young at this point and owners are (hopefully!) There will be bad days and you just have to survive them. I would love some perspective on other owners whose puppies acted this way around this age. That means it’s essential that breeders and foster puppy caretakers carry out a socialization plan. Email. Adolescent dogs may spook at the silliest things. Puppyhood was a breeze for us compared to adolescence. As Turid Rugaas says, "seven-eight weeks: the world is getting bigger!" My pup is tiny but totally fearless, then came adolescence. How to Help Your Puppy During a Fear Period. The owner may notice that the young dog is reluctant to try something new … I take him out to different places (Lowes,Home Depot, training club, neighbors house etc) to meet people, take in the new sites and sounds. I think one of them is around 8-9 weeks old, and the other is later. Any traumatic, frightening or painful experience will have a more lasting effect on the puppy than if it occurred at any other time in its life. Second fear imprint period (6 to 14 months) This period is not as critical as the first one. First Fear Period: Fear or hazard avoidance starts at around five weeks, it peaks at between eight and ten weeks, which coincides with the time we normally pick up the puppy. The American Kennel Club (AKC) writes that some smaller breeds can go into heat up to four times per year, and extra-large dogs, such as St. Bernards or Great Danes, may only experience it every eighteen months. Could he just be in a fear period or should I be worried that he is doomed to be a reactive dog? During the "flight instinct" period your puppy will experience periodic fear periods between 6-14 months. The Second Fear Imprint Period or Fear of New Situations Period (also called Secondary Fear Phase) can be anywhere between six and eighteen months. In other words, two periods of age where if they are introduced to something new and it scares them, they will always be afraid of that thing. By Dr Sophia Yin ... and for learning what the body cues and signals of others mean. Our puppy became scared of his harness and would sometimes snap at us while putting it on or removing it. How did you get through adolescent fear period? It’s easier to pinpoint the first ‘Fear Imprint Period’ – some say between eight and thirteen weeks, others as small a gap as between 8 and 10 weeks. You walk down the same street every day for months and one day, out of the blue, he becomes hysterical at the sight of a … Not any great advice, but we're going through the same thing - fearless young puppy, and once she turned ~9 months old we've regularly cut walks short because she plants in place or bolts in reaction to random things, or things we can't even identify (maybe sounds she can hear that we can't? Again, a puppy showing fear is not due to him being in the fear imprint period. Is … Happy to hear that your guy was able to mellow out after a year :). Many puppies go through a fear period or two before they reach adulthood. The first is usually between the ages of 8-10 weeks, and again around the 5-7 months. During the "flight instinct" period your puppy will experience periodic fear periods between 6-14 months. There's really no way to know, I'd work on counterconditioning and desensitization as if it were a lifelong thing just in case. Puppies can go through several fear periods, but typically a first fear period can happen between 8-12 weeks. Reddit. I don't know as much about it as I'd like to and some irrational part of me is nervous that she might just be this way "forever". While dogs are bleeding, they also urinate more frequently, says Daily Puppy. Adolescence just feels like a whole other beast and I had already experienced the "angel period" lolol. For people or moving objects I'd just keep walking past and praise/ distract with chatter and treats. My pup is absolutely scared of sounds that she's heard every day of her life the day after springing around confidently thru our neighborhood T_T. If your puppy seems fearful of a new situation, forcing him into it is the worst thing to do. It is my understanding that puppies go through two fear stages. This important developmental stage in a puppy’s life occurs between 8 and 16 weeks of age, when pups need to have a variety of pleasant interactions with the world around them. It's hard. Email. The term socialization is defined as the process a dog, usually a puppy, goes through to experience all sorts of people, situations, and places to become familiar with them. My puppy class focuses extensively on how to identify fear and what to do about it so the dog learns to cope with. It is their sensitive period for socialization and it is the most important socialization period in a dog’s life. We're just going to keep trying basics, try not to push her too much, and hope it passes soon. When going through puppy fear stages the last thing you want to do is scoop them up and pet them. During these times a puppy can suffer a shock or traumatic event and be traumatized for life. A second fear period can happen during the fifth of sixth month of development, but can happen a bit later, during puppy’s adolescent period (any time between 6 to 12 months of age). It was in the Newfoundland puppy’s environment all the time but in a fear period he became aware of it and decided it was scary. I would love to just hear anyones' stories about how they got through or are getting through the adolescent fear period! Followers 0. Great care should be taken to avoid fearful reactions during this stage. The Second Fear Impact Period affects adolescent puppies between 6 to 14 months. Attack of the Vacuum Cleaner (cont.) Or, your puppy could display more pronounced behaviors such as growling, barking, hackles up, or showing teeth. The period of fear During this period of fear it might seem as if your puppy just got scared of literally everything. A puppy left to stress during a thunderstorm during this period, for example, could result in an imprinted fear of storms and thunder. It's good to hear from someone who has been through it <3 I'm in the same boat — early puppyhood was like, not easy persay but somehow I was able to get through it much more calmly? I don't have any amazing advice other than keep grinding with daily training and walks and rewarding desired behavior. My pup was always a bit nervous but we worked really hard in the early days and it feels at times we're right back at square one. This particular puppy fear stage is believed to be related to the surge in growth that occurs at this age which may cause some physical discomfort. Puppy; fear; managing her environment carefully and exposing her to lots of great stuff for socialization purposes, so often times this first fear period passes without any obvious signs or behavior changes – many owners never notice that it has taken place. I'm going to try bringing higher value treats to see if it helps, but sometimes she gets so activated she doesn't even notice treats, and she's usually SUPER food motivated. These stages – most dogs experience two during their early life – are a normal part of your pet’s development, socialization and cognitive growth. Your puppy’s behavior is new to you — so you might not know how to determine if you have a scared puppy or not. For example, in this fear stage, if your puppy has an unfortunate run-in with a vacuum cleaner, they could carry the fear of a vacuum cleaner for the rest of their lives. We live in a busy downtown area and he’s always been chill walking past other dogs, kids, and people but that has changed drastically. Puppy fear stages are typical, but don’t count on your dog “growing out of it” without your leadership and help. It mostly worked for me anyway. Random things set her off, like traffic cones or people wearing big coats. The Second Fear Period is the time when a puppy can most readily develop fears of things through traumatic experiences. He's never had a bad experience with it, of course. The how and when of fear periods also depends on the individual puppy, so you may or may not see it in your puppy as described. Oh man, I can imagine how tough that is especially with the lockdown. This puppy has no fear of being on the metal examination table at the veterinary hospital. So far, he has done wonderful! Ahhhhh I totally feel you on this!! The things that cause a fear are not always rational. or traumatic experiences which can have quite a negative impact for a lifetime. Oh, look, there it goes down the road. This second fear period is also at the time many owners are advised to … She just turned 10 months so it's been 3-4 weeks for us so far, I think? The higher value treats help forsure. 3K Shares. It can result in barking and lunging and pulling on the leash so this fear period has a big impact, causing the owner to worry about the dog’s behavior. However, your behavior can make big a difference in how this fearful period affects your dog, and there are ways to help your dog as he is going through it. During this time, the puppy is very sensitive to traumatic experiences and a single scary event may be enough to traumatize the puppy and have life-long effects on his future behaviors. I would love some perspective on other owners whose puppies acted this way around this age. Whilst I don't condone forcing a pup into a situation where they're scared, they also have to learn that for the most part "the thing" isn't scary, and they take their lead (lol) from us so if we act like it's no big thing and stay calm they'll soon realise there's nothing to scared of. With stuff like traffic cones I'd encourage her to get close to it with a treat or just with encouragement and see for herself it wasn't scary. The things that your puppy used to respond to with a happy open mind are now incredibly stressful and scary to him. This also coincides with a very critical socialization period. But I also know that pups have a fear period that they go through and would like to know how to handle this. Can anyone help? This starts at 5 weeks and peaks between 8 and 10.5 weeks. So how long did your teen fear period last? UUUGH I hope adolescence is over soon. Most people realize that puppies have a fear period, however are unaware that there are actually up to 4 recognised fear periods. Obviously, your dog won’t know what you are saying, but your normal conversational tone … Generally speaking, puppies go through two potential fear periods during puppyhood. Dog trainers must take special care when working with young dogs who are going through a fear period, also known as fear imprint period. This fear period tends to happen between twelve to fourteen months of age. And then eventually a bit after the 1 year mark he's finally chilling out a little. During this time, it’s important to take care that puppies aren’t exposed to overwhelming (no crazy costume parties!) That means it’s essential that breeders and foster puppy caretakers carry out a socialization plan. Sexual hormones surge now, too, which can cause mood changes and as a result, fearfulness. Adolescence My pup is having a roughhhh adolescence, has basically become reactive (bark-y growl-y) and scared of everything (the tv, dogs, other animals, random outdoor objects she's seen every single day) and her separation issues that we had worked so hard on before totally tanked too. 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