Nerves and AGE - Page 1

Okay, so the issue of nerves has arisen again and of course we still can't find a good explaination and/or test so that even a novice would understand what they see in a dog.  My question is how much influence does age have on nerves?  Most, if not all, puppies go through fear periods.  Would one expect the solid nerve dog to Not go through these?  What about hormones/maturity... around 1 to 2 years of age it seems that a dog is a little less secure due to this.  Sometimes I think it takes until a dog is about 4 years old for them to get their hormones in check.  Are there ages you give some allowance for?  I know many do not start any type of compulsion training until a dog is at least a year old as they say puppies can't handle the stress.

Amy,

Nerves and fear are two different things. Now with that said, fear is a huge problem in a dog with weak nerves. This is a very touchy subject, and I am guessing that is why it has gone unanswered. I strongly suggest that you research what "nerves" are, because it cannot be easily explained. The biggest thing that I get from your question is that you need to determine that the two are different.

Age has nothing to do with nerves. The dog is born with the nerves/temperament. It is the handler's responsibility to nurture and build the dog in all phases of his/her maturity.

All dogs mature at different rates, and dogs with strong nerves are normally able to be trained at a quicker pace, provided you read your dog right and do cross any of the dog's thresholds.

Simply speaking, fear is a familiarization problem. Dogs may show flight or avoidance with a situation that they are not familiar with, and fears in dogs are the generally the product of previous experiences. You have to help them overcome fears by repetition.

Anjablue posted this link a few weeks ago. The article is pretty good in describing nerves, temperament and drives.

http://www.vanerp.net/ilse/GSDINFO/Elements%20of%20Temperament.htm

Hope it helps.
I should mention that this site seems not to work with Firefox, but does work with Explorer.

Thanks for the replies.  Correct me if I misunderstand.  A strong nerved dog will also go through fear periods and may be initially unsure of things unfamiliar to them or things that left a bad memory.  A weak nerved dog is always on edge, from puppyhood through it's life, and it would take a lot of work to get it over things that intimidate it.

excellant link and article, thank you for sharing it Sam1427