How to Make Things Better:
Continue socializing the maximum amount as possible, but avoid exposing the dog to overwhelming situations. Create positive associations through counterconditioning. for instance , you’ll prefer to feed your dog treats when he notices the
arrival of the mailman. Build confidence through training (brain games like those seen within the Brain Training for Dogs course work well). the game of dog agility can work well too. Avoid traumatic experiences during this delicate phase.
Is There a 3rd Fear Period?
Clarence Pfaffenberger, author of “The New Knowledge Of Dog Behavior,” suggests there’s a 3rd fear period happening in early adulthood. During this point , the extent of aggression may increase and therefore the dog may appear more protective and territorial. Episodes of “teenage flakiness” should occur. Some believe there may even be a fourth period because the dog reaches early adulthood, but I couldn’t find reliable literature thereon . General Tips for handling Fear Periods These tips will come handy to assist you affect your pampered pooch’s fear periods. However, they also work for dogs who are fearful generally .
While they’re effective, confine mind that your dog’s tendency for being fearful could also be the work of genetics instead of a short lived problem resulting from a fear stage. Following are some tips to assist your puppy or dog get through these frightening fear periods: Remain as Calm as Possible You might be ready to mislead your boss, but when it involves dogs, they’re masters at reading emotions and visual communication
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If you’re overly concerned or simply a touch tense about your dog acting fearfully or defensively, rest assured your dog will perceive it. Don’t put tension on the leash, get tense or ask your dog in worried manner. Stay relaxed and loose in the least times.
Pretend it’s No Big Deal
Your dog feeds on your emotions. even as a mother dog would take her pups out from the den and guide them through threatening and nonthreatening situations, show your dog that the stimuli he fears are not any big deal. Some find that saying during a casual tone “it’s just a showering (fill within the blank), silly boy” helps the dog to know it’s not an
enormous deal.
CounterCondition
If your dog acts fearfully towards certain stimuli, you’ll attempt to change your dog’s emotional response by using treats or anything the dog finds rewarding. the instant your dog sees the threatening stimulus, give him treats, the instant the threatening stimulus disappears take the treats away. an equivalent are often through with sounds the dog finds startling, make the sound become a sign that a tasty treat is coming.
What if your dog won’t take treats?
Most likely, the stimulus is just too scary and therefore the dog is over threshold. Don’t Overwhelm, Desensitize!
When trying to countercondition your dog, work under threshold at a distance from where he doesn’t react fearfully to the stimuli and is in a position to require treats. If you overwhelm and flood your dog, you risk sensitizing him, which suggests you create him more fearful. Don’t force your dog to interact with the scary stimulus; rather, allow him to research whatever he fears on his own and remember to praise/reward any initiative your dog takes!
Socialize, Socialize, Socialize
Fear periods are a part of a dog’s developmental stages.
The more your dog is exposed to stimuli and learns there’s nothing to be frightened of , the more confident he are going to be within the future when he encounters anything intimidating.
While the most window of opportunity for the puppy socialization phase closes at around 14 to 16 weeks, socialization should virtually never end. Don’t Punish the Fear
Last but not least, avoid punishing your dog for reacting fearfully. It appears that the bulk of aggressive displays from dogs are thanks to fear; therefore, by punishing the behavior you’ll only make the fear worse.
Let your dog build confidence by letting him investigate things on his own when he’s ready, and praise him for the trouble . Use forcefree behavior therapy techniques like desensitization and counterconditioning to assist your dog overcome his fears instead. While behaviorists have studied fear periods for a few time, it’s important to stay in mind that they’ll not occur within that exact timeframe for every puppy. If your dog goes through a fear period, confine mind that it’s not the top of the planet .With guidance, desensitization and counterconditioning, your puppy or dog should get through it with time!
