01/03/2025
Since I work with a lot of puppies, one of the most common challenges that my clients face is dealing with fear periods. The good news is, this is a totally normal part of your puppy's development, and is usually something that your dog will "grow out of" over time. The most important and helpful thing you can do is help your dog navigate their emotions during this time.
What is a Fear Period?
As mentioned above, fear periods are totally normal parts of your dog's development. During these times, your dog's brain is rapidly growing and changing, and they are working to navigate between what is "safe" and "unsafe." Because of this, your dog will become more sensitive and aware of things around them, and may show more concern, fear, or anxiety around new objects and experiences. Sometimes your dog may even find things that they were totally fine with before stressful or scary, which can be extremely frustrating, especially if you don't understand why they are behaving that way.
When do Fear Periods Happen and How Long do They Last?
Although fear periods can be different for each dog, most dogs will go through two fear periods. The first is experienced around 8 to 11 weeks of age, and the second around 6 to 14 months. Part of why it is essential not to overwhelm your puppy when you first bring them home is because they are typically beginning their first fear period. If your puppy feels overwhelmed by new experiences during this time, they could develop long-term anxiety and fear of certain situations or objects. The second period often catches people off guards, because it can seem like it comes out of nowhere and may completely change your dog's personality. Because our dogs typically start to look more like adults during this time, it's easy to forget they are still puppies and going through a lot of new learning experiences. This is also part of why you often see dogs in this age group experience regressions in their training - think of it similarly to a human child going through puberty. It's super disorienting for both them and you, so be gentle and patient when working with your dog, Luckily, these periods usually only last a few weeks, but can sometimes last as long as a few months.
How to Help Your Dog Through a Fear Period
The best thing you can do for your dog is practice structured socialization and exposure to new things. This does not mean allowing or forcing your dog to interact with everyone and everything they see, but practicing calm and neutral engagement. For example, you can allow your dog to look at something that makes them nervous, but that doesn't mean they should be going up to and interacting with it. You should allow your dog to move away from things that scare them, as well as show other signs that they are uncomfortable, while also praising and rewarding them when they engage calmly or looking to you for guidance on how to act. The most important thing is to try not to make a big deal out of whatever your dog is afraid of - avoid petting your dog when they are showing fearful body language or saying things like "it's okay" to try and comfort them, as they may view this as reinforcement of the fearful behaviour rather than an attempt to make them feel better.
As always, the most important thing is to ensure that training sessions are short and fun. Let your dog move at their own pace, and model calm confidence to help them learn that the things making them nervous aren't so scary after all. Before long, your dog should be back to their happy puppy self, and will come out of their fear period more confident and ready to face the world!
