# What is your strategy for fear periods?



## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Do you change your training/socialization routine when your puppy hits a fear stage or do you ignore it?

Examples:
Do you socialize more?
Do you avoid other dogs?
Do you keep on with business as usual?


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

Sonar just recently went through one, I just basically ignored his behavior and did some extra things that I noticed triggered it. The broom was one, we sweep almost daily and all of the sudden one day it was evil, so I just left it out instead of putting it away so he could at his leisure go check it out. Then every once and a while I would walk by it and slam it on the floor (tip it over from it's resting place on the wall) he was freaked at first but I would leave it and he would eventually go over and sniff it out. Then all of the sudden once day it was fine again. He did this over a month or so with random object he had previously been fine with, so I just ignored it and made the objects readily available for sniffing and viewing.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

When does it usually the fear period starts? I


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Ignore and maybe socialize a tiny bit more. Especially to the things that seem to be the most terrifying.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think fear stages and dominance is overrated.



Ruthie said:


> Do you change your training/socialization routine when your puppy hits a fear stage or do you ignore it?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think never for some dogs. i have a book that says one fear stage
is from 8 to 11 weeks. the 2nd fear stage is between 5 to 12 months.
i've never had a dog that i noticed going through a fear stage
and that includes my mutts and pure bred.



Josie/Zeus said:


> When does it usually the fear period starts? I


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

doggiedad said:


> i think fear stages and dominance is overrated.


Over rated or not some dogs have them. All of my dogs have to some degree.

As for the timing, Josie/Zeus, I have looked at several charts and they are each slightly different. It is more by observation IMO. My dogs have had stages where they are more cautious, or are suddenly reactive to something that didn't bother them in the least before or after. Like SuzieQ described with the broom.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

I've never seen a 'fear period' in any of my dogs.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I have seen fear periods twice with my older dog. Suddenly, something she never cared about out became something to be cautious with and/or fear. It happens. 
All you can do is ignore the fearful behavior.


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

Some that say they have never seen a fear period in their dog may have just brushed it off or may have not witnessed it. Most dogs go through it as they grow and develop some are more prominent that others, maybe it has to due with nerves maybe it doesn't. The best thing to do is ignore it and move on with additional exposure as to prevent the fear period from becoming permanent. The thing to remember is never to force the dog to do anything. Allow the dog to go through the experience. If he/she wants to avoid items/people then allow them to avoid/bark at them and leave the item out and accessible for him/her to investigate at his/her leisure. If it is a person then carry on and ignore the dog, eventually he/she will become curious over cautious and investigate. You should NEVER drag your dog over to an object/person and force them to accept it. This creates a bad experience and can cause the "fear period" to become a permanent fear.

Check out the periods, give or take months/weeks...this is basically how your dog grows and matures.
Stages Canine Dev.


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

suzzyq01 said:


> Some that say they have never seen a fear period in their dog may have just brushed it off or may have not witnessed it.


That is what I wonder too.


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Ruthie said:


> That is what I wonder too.


Want to add. Maybe people attribute the behavior to something else, or label it differently. Or could be if it is a new item, you would just think that the dog is just afraid of THAT thing. 

I was just curious what other people do. If you suspect that they are in a fear stage do you avoid new things, new people, dogs... or do you just continue socializing as normal.


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

I was honestly unaware such a thing existed until about a month ago when I mentioned Sonar was acting weird towards things that had never bothered him before and was educated by another GSD owner. But before I knew it was a "period", I proceeded with life as usual. No special attention to the fear/cautiousness of objects/people and just increased non-stressful exposure the such items/people. He was fine with it and about 2 weeks went by and he was back to his old self. He just turned 15 months on July 1st.


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

I don't remember where we got the info from originally, but it was very noticeable with Bison because he is such a confident dog. No fear, no defense. It was quite a contrast when he hit those phases.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo went through a period where things interested him more. 

An example was a big iron gate on the end of a drive. It had some decoration on the center of it. Walking down the road, Hondo focused on it. I redirected him, and he focused on it again. I took that as Hondo having a reaction to a distraction and decided I'd try to work him out of it. 

Working in front of the gate, I went to the very basics. Rapid Heel and Sit. Tight figure 8's, reverses. Something I knew Hondo knew very well and was confident in. He focused on me as he didn't know which way I was going to turn or when I was going to lead off on the right foot or the left. We worked getting closer and closer to the gate. I made a grand gesture of praise. This took just a few minutes and we finished with him sitting with his back to the decorations, with out a care to check them out. 

There are some fear issues that are much harder to work with, say storms for one. But sometimes I think we tend to over think a dog's reason to focus on something and deepen the problem by attempting to reassure the dog, only managing to reinforce their adverse reaction.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

now that you said that i remember my dog
reacting to a tree stump. we're in the woods a lot.
the tree stump has been there from day one (no reaction). at some point
when we passed the stump he started moving wide
when we approached it. when we passed it he would
look back at it. then one day he growled at, moved away
from it, went back growled and barked at it then he peed on
it. after that incident he never had a reaction to it again.
i forget how old my waas when he did this.



Ruthie said:


> Want to add. Maybe people attribute the behavior to something else, or label it differently. Or could be if it is a new item, you would just think that the dog is just afraid of THAT thing.
> 
> I was just curious what other people do. If you suspect that they are in a fear stage do you avoid new things, new people, dogs... or do you just continue socializing as normal.


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## s14roller (Nov 18, 2010)

I let them get to know the item more closely and give treats. For example, she would bark at my friend's motorcycle so I'd bring in her closer so she could sniff and realize it was harmless.


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## 1GSD1Mix (Dec 10, 2010)

I have been wondering about this topic myself. My pup just turned a year old and she has started some new behaviors towards people. She has been around a lot of people, always positive experiences too. Strangers, friends, family the works since she was 2 months old. However, in the past couple weeks she has had some reactions. My g/f took her to the vet earlier this week and an older gentleman that was waiting for his dog to come out of the groomers was strolling around and stood behind my g/f while she was paying. When Hannah (my pup) noticed, she barked at him until she was told it was ok. Then she seemed to go back to normal. My g/f did say the old man was a little odd. Then today, on a walk, she was trying her hardest to get away from people that were walking on the sidewalk too. She would either freeze up when she saw them appraoching or try to run the opposite direction. She has always been an excellent walker who would walk by people without paying any attention to them unless we stopped to say hi. Then she would get her pat on the head and walk away. There was also and incident when a friend of a friend came over for a bbq that she decided to bark at and then avoid for the entire night.

Now i can't think of any tramatic events that have happened to make her so nervous around people all of the sudden. I'm not sure what to make of it. If you have any thoughts please let me know!

I am honestly hoping its this fear phase. It just seems sporatic. I can't pinpoint and common factor that cause her to bark at this person, avoid that person but go up and say hi to another! Luckily there have only be a couple of experiences and any thoughts would help if i do have a developing issue here!

Thanks!


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

Dakota acted wierd around a snowman that we saw in the middle of the woods - carrot nose, scarf and mits. She was probably 8 months old. I just went up to the snowman, let her follow me, have a sniff then I treated her and we played around the snowman. I wouldn't say she was afraid just more of a "what the heck is that" reaction. Never had a problem/issue with anything else.

So, in this case I confronted the item and she followed.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

My 17 week old pup ran away from a duck yesterday. He is for sure in the fear period which I never saw before in any of my dogs. He also ran away from some kids playing near my back yard.


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