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Fear Periods


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What does everyone do during their young dogs fear periods? Do you bother training or hold off until it's over?

Jovi (13months), seems to be having one at the moment. Very jumpy and wary of everything. She usually has nerves of steel and will do anything confidently but yesterday she became fearful of an instructor who she is usually friends with and wouldn't go anywhere near him even though he was offering food and was jumping when the seesaw made a noise even though the week before she was standing next to it unflinching. Nothing happened to her either last week or before we started that would make her like that.

Even today when she walked on plastic she startled badly :(

I just ignored her reactions and just worked on things that she was still eager to do. I assume that's what you are meant to do? :o

My two boys were pretty consistent when growing and honestly can't remember when they went through either fear period, so this is new for me!:o

Edited by tollersowned
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It depends on the dog a bit. Ziggy developed an unholy fear of Great Danes in the midst of show training. We had several in our class and he was fine with the 96kg Mastiff!!! As it only occurred during the line up I could work around it, ignore it and reward appropriate behaviour. Em went through a couple of weeks where everything freaked her out - brush, lead, anything. I completely quit training and spent lots of time just hanging out and playing with her - it turned it into a really positive experience for both of us. She let me know when she was ready to train again.

A good thing to remember is that fear is an emotion - you cannot reinforce an emotion but you can reinforce the behaviour that stems from an emotion. It can be a fine line!

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Well said spotted devil, you need to be careful not to reinforce the behaviour stemming from the fear response in these situations. Go slowly with any fear, introducing elements separately in a calm environment and rewarding normal behaviours. For example, you could try having her walk over plastic when going out the front door or gate on a walk and rewarding good behaviour, or setting up a plank in your backyard and rewarding her investigating it then encouraging her to walk up and down it to try to remedy the see-saw response. Once the normal or favoured response is consistent in the home environment start to explore it again in a different environment such as a park, working up to training classes or other environments where there is a lot of stimulus around.

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When CK was going through his fear periods and OMG they were horrendous, I would treat it like any other training set back. Just ease back on the criteria and work through it until we got a success, then revisit it again in the next session.

For the see-saw maybe increase distance to a tolerable level and then work back. For the plastic - maybe shape walking on it?

Definitely neutral response for any fearful behaviour though

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Is she coming into season?

I hope not! She had her first season only 5 months ago so I am praying she isn't a bitch who cycles so frequently!

Thanks for the reply everyone, will work with her slowly. We aren't going back to club for awhile as we have weekend away shows coming up so she won't associate it with bad things when we go back.

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At 13 months, isn't the dog a bit old for a 'fear period'.

It could simply be a crisis of confidence or a reaction to stress or pressure. Whatever it is, I'd be taking a few steps back to rebuild confidence (which I'm sure you are)

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At 13 months, isn't the dog a bit old for a 'fear period'.

It could simply be a crisis of confidence or a reaction to stress or pressure. Whatever it is, I'd be taking a few steps back to rebuild confidence (which I'm sure you are)

I thought she was too old as well, but when I googled it said dogs can get them up to 14 months of age?

I was unsure what to call it, as nothing had happened or changed in our home environment or even at the club to warrant reactions (well I didn't think so)

Definately working on confidence building again rather than anything else......would having one of my older dogs with her while building confidence help?

Ha this thread makes me sound so stupid, but this has seriously never happened with my older two and she came to me cocky and confident

ETA: Sorry that was a lie, I have just started working full time hours again instead of part time. Last week was my first week so it would make sense now that she is a little unsure of what is going on.......would that be a reason?

Edited by tollersowned
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Is she coming into season?

I hope not! She had her first season only 5 months ago so I am praying she isn't a bitch who cycles so frequently!

Thanks for the reply everyone, will work with her slowly. We aren't going back to club for awhile as we have weekend away shows coming up so she won't associate it with bad things when we go back.

She might be a soft bitch coming in to season. Keep a diary on what she is like to give you something to look back on, this might be normal for her when her seasons are getting close and would be due in a month anyway.

My young Rottie bitch gets soft just before she comes in season and has the worst phantoms you can imagine, I dread the thought of her going through it again like last time. She gets all sooky and dug a bloody great hole under my grooming shed, she sounded like a bitch in whelp, had imaginary pups and was looking everywhere for them, had milk and she was not even mated. I will try her on hormone drops next time and see if that takes the edge off her. She gives me the shits at times being demanding but I would rather her a bit soft that aggressive like some can get with their seasons.

Edited by Andisa
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Will definately be keeping an eye on her, her mum used to do 10 month cycles so I was kinda hoping she would do that.....seeing as I want to trial her! :laugh:

Will be interesting to see what her cycles are like then. Since you don't want 6 mth cycles she probably will :o .

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My girl is going through a fear phase ATM she has just turned 9 months. She is very easily freaked out by just about everything.

She is a fairly high drive girl anyway but she seems to be going a 100 miles an hour of late. Also even more talkative than usual, if that is possible :laugh:

I am of no help to you sorry but am very interested in how other Dolers handle this time in their pups lives. I try to act indifferent to her frightened state &

encourage & try to support anything that will give her confidence. :shrug: Unsure what else to do.

I would of thought 13 months is a late to be having a fear phase but correct me if I am wrong anybody. Suppose every dog if different.

Edited by BC Crazy
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While my BC wasn't great anyway she did go through a noticeable rough patch around 13 months. She was around 5 months out of season as well and because she was going to be desexed anyway and was desexed before coming in again so I don't know if that was the cause her in her case but I know people did suggest it might be a part of the issue.

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My girl is desexed so the coming into season I am unsure about but have heard & read that it can play a major part in this whole

fear phase period :shrug: I take my older boy out with us pretty much all the time & I find she is tonnes more relaxed than on her own

ATM. He is a very steady natured dog. Was thinking of trying her with a Thunder Shirt for when we go in the car as she is very anxious when

she's traveling, thought it may help. Also have just started giving her Vetalogica Calming tabs, just giving her 1 tab in the morning, will see

how she goes on that dose. Might up it if required. Just trying things out to ease her symptoms cause it must be an aweful feeling to be afraid

pretty much all of the time :(

Edited by BC Crazy
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Guest lavendergirl

My girl is desexed so the coming into season I am unsure about but have heard & read that it can play a major part in this whole

fear phase period :shrug: I take my older boy out with us pretty much all the time & I find she is tonnes more relaxed than on her own

ATM. He is a very steady natured dog. Was thinking of trying her with a Thunder Shirt for when we go in the car as she is very anxious when

she's traveling, thought it may help. Also have just started giving her Vetalogica Calming tabs, just giving her 1 tab in the morning, will see

how she goes on that dose. Might up it if required. Just trying things out to ease her symptoms cause it must be an aweful feeling to be afraid

pretty much all of the time :(

BC what are the ingredients of these tabs? I am looking for a remedy for separation anxiety and thought I might give some natural remedies a go. I tried the Thundershirt - did not work but dogs who have storm phobia seem to have more success with it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Is she coming into season?

She might be a soft bitch coming in to season. Keep a diary on what she is like to give you something to look back on, this might be normal for her when her seasons are getting close and would be due in a month anyway.

I would put my money on her coming into season sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. Have just been through this with my toller girl and I remember she came into season just before Jovi did last time.

Bugger all you people being right :(

She came into season today, and was getting more and more reactive to other dogs as the weeks progressed as well. So looks like I will have a few signs before she does.......still holding out for 10 months in between though, this 6 month cycle sucks :p

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