# Normalizing Fear Periods?



## Pemi (3 mo ago)

Someone told me that a period of sound sensitization and extreme reactivity-nervy behavior in public is completely normal and that most great working dogs go through such a time period.

I don't agree.

I think a puppy that shows this can be worked with, and come out OK- even good. But I'd rather work on all the other foundations a puppy needs to be a great working dog- not on exposure/socialization because there is a problem. To overcome that problem, if that makes sense. There are so many other things to do when building that foundation.

This said, I realize most GSDs as they mature may become reactive, suspicious of strangers- as they develop. And some may require more management than others. Many will never be dog-social. Which is fine. However, if it rises to the level of affecting a dog's ability to work- this is a problem. 

Sound sensitivity, also, I really don't like to see, really ever in a working puppy. Surfaces, you know that can be worked on but also not something I'd like to see. 

Of course, recovery time, and how the dog reacts after does matter.

However, I'm still of the stance that I wouldn't be happy to see this in a working puppy, and it would factor in to my breeding decisions- if a litter, for example, all had a period of sound sensitivity. Or extreme reactivity. Even if with lots of work they came out OK. 

Thoughts?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

it varies per dog. I think all puppies at some point start noticing their surroundings more as they age. The amount of nerve will dictate how the puppy reacts, or how well the puppy was exposed to the world in general when young. I really don't understand why people think that puppies should come out of the womb rock solid and never be worried about sounds, surfaces, environment to some extent. I have a young dog that was hesitant on the stairs in the parking garage yesterday. Will climb all over everything without issue, up and down our dark, narrow, open backed stairs but had to work out the parking garage stairs that he's never seen before. That's why we socialize them as puppies...to expose them to the world. I think "fear period" has become a buzz word to cover things just like the term "fast twitch" has.


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## Pemi (3 mo ago)

Ah, I agree with you--- I don't expect a puppy (or child for that matter) to be like you said 100% rock solid from birth but, there's a difference between a puppy who is, say hesitant about slippery floors in the dark, but can overcome that with some work, compared to a puppy who has a so-called "fear period" where he tries desperately to run away at loud noises, or completely freaks out when he sees a stranger and can't be worked at all. 

No puppy is perfect, but when it starts to be the norm for a puppy to go through a serious so called fear period, not sure that's a good breeding or will even be a good dog (that depends on many factors). I was told by this person every puppy they know has gone through this and come through "rock solid" at the end. Not sure what their definition of rock solid is, but I feel like fear period can be a code word for nervy/reactive fearful puppy. 

I've raised, quite a few different puppies, most from different bloodlines and none of them- even the one I wouldn't work in sport due to nerves- went through a fear period such as the one she described. They do, for sure, transition from loving everyone they see to being slightly reactive (not all but most) and suspicious, at which point I don't allow them to practice this behavior, wait for maturity and practice appropriate socialization, and then see the typical aloof dog emerge (most are aloof with adults but love kids).I suppose this transition could be labeled a fear period, but I don't see it as such. And some- the real steady social ones- don't experience it at all. I don't see it as a fault if they do- very typical but also not extreme.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I fell like you are combining two different things. A fear period is a period of time, like two weeks, that the dog is abnormally afraid or cautious of things. It is a distinct departure from the dogs normal demeanor and temperament. That is different from a dog that is just fearful or lacks confidence in general.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Pemi said:


> .... but, there's a difference between a puppy who is, say hesitant about slippery floors in the dark, but can overcome that with some work, compared to a puppy who has a so-called "fear period" where he tries desperately to run away at loud noises, or completely freaks out when he sees a stranger and can't be worked at all.


Well, yes. I've never heard of anyone saying that's normal, or not something to be concerned about.



> No puppy is perfect, but when it starts to be the norm for a puppy to go through a serious so called fear period, not sure that's a good breeding or will even be a good dog (that depends on many factors). I was told by this person every puppy they know has gone through this and come through "rock solid" at the end. Not sure what their definition of rock solid is, but I feel like fear period can be a code word for nervy/reactive fearful puppy.


_Is_ that considered the norm? Maybe you're just listening to the wrong people. Or are you hearing it from multiple people? It sounds defensive to me, like they're trying to excuse poor temperament, and I'd be surprised if this is the prevailing opinion these days. If I were looking for a puppy and heard that from a breeder they'd be dropped off my short list. Who wants to put that much work in just to get a dog that can function out in the world?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Fear...true fear...and lack of confidence are not the same thing.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Fear periods do exist. Some dogs have lower threshold for stimuli so the fear periods may appear intense but it does not mean the dog has nerve problems.
I do not work or “help” a puppy during a fear period. I simply take a break and stay low meaning just hang out at home doing familiar routine things. I let a dog figure out things out by himself, he needs to develop some thinking skills.


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## Pemi (3 mo ago)

I think the terminology is getting confusing. Jax said "fear period" has become a buzz word. And, that's true. I've heard it describe different things to different people- from what Bear's Handler described, to a prolonged period of sound sensitivity or fear-excessive reaction to people or dogs. That I believe is a temperament and genetic concern. 

The person I heard this from isn't someone I'd go to for advice on training and certainly not on breeding selection. But, dare I say they are one of now the more common "overnight experts" who go and get a working line dog and spend a lot of time on social media. Generally, I don't participate or engage, but this one bothered me, as a breeder. 

An excellent, experienced trainerI know saw fearful behavior in a young dog they bred and was very unhappy to see it. That, is what I'd consider normal.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Fear period is not a problem, there is nothing to overcome. It’s part of physical and mental development. The “Overcoming process” of paranoid owners creates a problem, though.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I really don't get into the words. If my puppy is shying from something, I work with that in the moment. It's the recovery I want to see. I see similarities in phases across all puppies. 5-6 months, they all get reactive to other dogs. I don't coddle them, I correct that. Some just don't like elevators. Others have zero reaction to them. I just train what I have in front of me within the threshold of that creature.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

i just see so much micromanaging around that im not surprised when dogs develop neurotic behavior.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

GSD07 said:


> @Jax08 yes but you also are not running to sign up for a reactive dog class, contact vet behaviorist for meds and trash a breeder on FB for breeding a fearful dog. What you describe is working with puppies, not a special training designed for fear periods.
> 
> i just see so much micromanaging around that im not surprised when dogs develop neurotic behavior.


I don't understand why you tagged me in this post? But yeah...I'm not doing any of that. LOL I'm just not following why you responded directly to me with this.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

I don't know, I pressed on something I guess and didn't pay attention... sorry... I edited.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You don't need to be sorry. I just wasn't following the thought and was trying to figure it out.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I wanted a way to illustrate a point here, as I said before, this question wasn’t really about fear periods, but what sometimes is called a nervy puppy. Here he video of Kodak working with Tom. There is something going on here whether the dog. What do you think that is?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I had never heard the term 'fear period' until I started hanging out with the Shiloh shepherd people. I wound up getting a Shiloh pup, and she was fine up until about 8 or 9 month. Then, she went into a 'fear period' and never came out of it. When she saw my good friend coming towards her along the sidewalk, she wanted to bolt, and would have slipped her collar and run off if it had been loose enough. That person was the very first person I'd introduced her to when I brought her home at 8 weeks, and she'd met her numerous times.

The consensus seemed to be that the fear period was normal, and the answer was lots and lots of socialization, and I was criticized for not taking my pup to classes during the depth of winter in Northern Ontario.  At the same time, the Shiloh training forum was FULL of people complaining, "My Shiloh is scared of...(fill in the blank)...everything from lawnmowers, children, men, other dogs, even the dark! Some people had dogs that refused to go for walks as they were so frightened of the world outside the house!

Temperament issues, folks. Neither Star nor Eska went through fear periods when growing up, though they both occasionally showed mild anxiety around new things and experiences, and Eska had to be carefully re-introduced to cars whooshing past her after being hit by a car.


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