What is the fear period in dogs?

The "fear period" means that dogs will go through some special periods in their childhood growth stages. If the correct response measures are not taken, it will have consequences for the dog. Adverse psychological effects, leading to over-reactions such as barking, fear, and running away when dogs become adults and have "people, things, objects, and sounds" that they should not have special reactions to.
The fear period in dogs generally lasts from about 8 weeks after birth to about one and a half years old. There will be four chances of occurring during this process. During these periods, if the owner masters the correct response methods , will play a positive role in the healthy development of dog psychology and behavior.

The first fear period in puppies

It begins when the dog is 8 weeks old and lasts for about 1-2 weeks. Puppies under 8 weeks old should stay with their mother. Leaving the mother's care and protection may cause stress and a great sense of insecurity in the puppies. So if you want to take a puppy home, you can wait until after 10 weeks of age. If you choose to take home a dog that is less than 9 weeks old, the owner needs to take care of it at all times and provide enough companionship to make it feel safe.

The second fear period of puppies

It starts around 4 and a half months old and lasts for 1-2 weeks. During this period, you should avoid taking the dog with you Do not go to stimulating and noisy public environments, and do not participate in any activities that may cause fear in dogs. Pay special attention not to have too much contact with other adult dogs.
Be careful when doing grooming projects to avoid encountering a groomer who ignores your dog’s reaction. For example, if the dog's head gets soaked during the bath, making him uncomfortable, and the owner fails to respond in time, the dog will become averse to bathing as an adult and may even behave aggressively during the bath.

Puppies have three fear periods

It starts at about 9 months old and lasts for about 1 week. Overly stimulating environments or neutering should also be avoided. Operation.

The fourth fear period of puppies

It begins around 13 to 14 months with the dog’s puberty, and lasts for about one week.

Dog socialization training

When it comes to the fear period of puppies, we have to mention dog socialization training. Good socialization training can not only help the dog get through the fear period safely, but also enable the dog to grow up healthily and robustly.
How important is dog socialization training? If you have been to an institution such as a stray animal shelter, you may easily understand this problem. Many stray cats and dogs develop bad behavioral habits due to lack of good socialization training and are eventually abandoned by their owners.
YoungThe canine fear period is a stage that dogs will inevitably go through as they grow up. What we have to do is to take the dog away from the overly stimulating environment, and at the same time ensure that we do not overreact emotionally and wait calmly for the dog to pass. Just the fear period. In particular, we remind you that in order to avoid the permanent psychological impact of the fear period on the dog, you need to pay more attention to the dog's emotional response during these special periods, and do not place too many demands on the dog to avoid causing too much pressure.