Puppy Development Fear Periods
Young dogs go through two separate “fear periods” as they grow, which are essentially times when the pup is extremely sensitive to bad experiences.
Puppy development fear periods. Puppies experience two fear periods during their development, and each fear period lasts for about 2 to 3 weeks, on average. Puppies will experience two different fear periods before reaching adulthood. Most people realize that puppies have a fear period, however are unaware that there are actually up to 4 recognised fear periods.
Growth and development continues into the adolescent phase, beginning at 5 to 6 months and extending up until your pup is 18 months old. Tail wagging begins and the puppy begins to control body functions. The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell.
The puppy now has the brain waves of an adult dog, but the attention span is short. Fear imprint period (8 to 10 weeks) the puppy is very susceptible to long lasting effects of fearful stimuli at this stage. Fear periods are a normal part of puppy development, but they also can be overwhelming for dogs.
Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited. Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited. We now know that the first fear period peaks at 8 weeks.
If the puppy perceives an event as traumatic, he may generalize it and it could affect him for the rest of his life. 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. The fear can be of.
Fear periods are times during which puppies become more sensitive to a variety of external stimuli. They are dependent on their mother or another heat source to keep them warm. Newborn puppies are born at the end of nine weeks of pregnancy, with their eyes and ears tightly closed.