Puppy Development Fear Periods
Many will go through a fearful time when they begin teething between four and five months of age.
Puppy development fear periods. Fear periods are a normal part of puppy development, but they also can be overwhelming for dogs. Most dog owners will never witness this very first fear period considering that most puppies go to their new homes at 8 weeks, so it's worth noting that when referring to the first fear period, it's the one taking place at 8 to 10 weeks as described below. Veterinary behaviorists, this first fear period takes place between the ages of 8 to 10 weeks.
The fear can be of. Puppy development week by week starts as soon as your puppy is born. We now know that the first fear period peaks at 8 weeks.
As you can see, this period overlaps that of the previous definition and children or animal should not be allowed to hurt or scare the puppy — either maliciously or inadvertently. So to take a puppy from everything it knows such as the breeder, littermates and mum at this critical time can have serious repercussions. Great care should be taken to avoid fearful reactions during this stage.
This period is when the most rapid learning occurs. Puppies experience two fear periods during their development, and each fear period lasts for about 2 to 3 weeks, on average. Most people realize that puppies have a fear period, however are unaware that there are actually up to 4 recognised fear periods.
He cannot regulate body functions such as temperature and elimination. Concurrently, the fear impact period begins at eight weeks and ends at 11 weeks. Fear periods are times during which puppies become more sensitive to a variety of external stimuli.
Generally speaking, puppies go through two potential fear periods during puppyhood. Your puppy is coming into a new home, leaving behind his mother, and litter mates, and is being introduced to a new family. Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited.