Puppies learn many of their behaviors in the first few weeks of life. That includes things that they fear or how they react to things. Dogs can be afraid of many of the same things that any of us would fear such as loud noises, new contraptions, strangers, and so on. However, if you take the time to socialize your puppy when he’s young, you can encourage him to overcome his fears and be a happier, more confident adult dog.
What Makes A Dog Fearful
Age (Puppies)
When he’s born, a puppy is completely helpless. He depends on his mother for everything. As his eyes open and he starts to see and hear, he learns from his mother what to do and how to behave. She lets him know if there is anything to fear. She tells him to stay close to her. But soon a puppy is exploring and wandering away to discover things for himself. Most puppies have no fear at first. However, puppies go through various stages when they will be fearful of the things they encounter.
Researchers have discovered that puppies develop in the following stages:
- Neonatal Period (birth to 12 days)
- Transitional Period (13 to 20 days)
- Awareness Period (21-23 days)
- Canine Socialization (21-49 days)
- Human Socialization (7 to 12 weeks)
- Fear Imprint Period (8 to 11 weeks)
- Seniority Classification (10 to 16 weeks)
- Flight Instinct Period (4 to 8 months)
- Second Fear Period (6 to 14 months)
- Maturity (1 to 4 years)
As you can see, there are two specific periods when a puppy is most prone to developing fears. During these periods it’s extremely important that the breeder or owner provide socialization opportunities for the puppy so he can overcome any possible fears.
Lack Of Socialization
From 8 to 11 weeks old a puppy is often changing homes from living with the breeder and going to live with his new owner. The new owner can provide lots of love and encouragement to the puppy. The puppy will be encountering lots of new things which can be frightening such as a new home, new rules, house training, going to the vet for vaccinations, perhaps riding in a car, and much more. At each step the new owner should be upbeat and positive. Be encouraging and happy with the new puppy. Do not get angry or shout. Be patient if the puppy doesn’t understand something at first. This is particularly true of house training. Accidents will occur but your puppy will eventually learn what he is supposed to do if you are patient and keep showing him.
You should continue socialization from this point forward. You can usually sign a puppy up for a puppy preschool class or a puppy kindergarten class when he’s three or four months old. These classes are a great way for your puppy to socialize with other puppies and meet a lot of friendly people. He can learn some basic good manners, too. The point of these classes is to show your puppy that there is nothing to fear when he goes to new places and meets new people. You will be teaching him that it’s fun to go out and socialize.
New Things
You can also take your puppy to places like parks (not dog parks, which are usually too rough for puppies), pet stores if allowed, and other places where puppies are welcome on-leash. Let your puppy see people carrying umbrellas, hear cars going by, see helicopters or planes in the air, which are all things that may startle or surprise him. Do not coddle your puppy at this time. Instead, try to take everything in stride to show him that there is nothing to fear. You will be helping your puppy to build his confidence. Confident puppies grow up to be confident adult dogs. That means your dog will be much less likely to have behavior problems such as separation anxiety or nuisance barking when you have to leave him alone at times.
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