Is there such thing as Fear Period? in GSD? - Page 1

Hello Friends, is there such thing as fear period in our loved GSD? regardless of level of temperament? I found this so called fear period in some weak nerve dogs? doe sanyone of you found this in dogs with excellent nerves? your feedback is much appreciated.

all dogs go thru it, its not something the GSD is immune to. Some are more effected by others and some show it more than others, and some will show it earlier or later than others

Some will come out of it, some never do.

Thanks Zdog, and vomlandholz, is there any signs that Iam gonna be looking for? if they are going thru such stage? just want to make sure coz I don't want to ruined a good dog, not knowing what to look for, any advice is greatlty appreciated

All dogs go through a fear imprint period at about 8-10 weeks. Unfortunately this is also the time that most pups are sent to their new homes, uprooting them from their littermates, mommas, basicly their whole world. Very trauatic for all but the most confident pup. It is very important I think to expose them at this time to non-threatening situations that will build their confidence. Remember too, that it is important to stay calm yourself especially during this time, which can be very stressful for a new puppy owner. Try staying cool when your new pup has just eaten the living room! But remember that the pup will pick up on your emotions and especially at that time should be building trust in you.

Found this, which I have found can occur: Second Fear Impact Period 6 to 14 Months This period is otherwise known as Teenage Flakiness! In large breeds this period could extend longer since it is tied to sexual maturity. Incidents may occur more than once. This is a fear of new situations and is handled with the utmost patience. The dog is encouraged to work it out on his own. If anything, it is better to ignore the whole situation than to reinforce the fear by praising the dog or petting him while he is afraid. When you "reassure" a dog with pets and "it's okay, fella", you are telling him it is okay to be frightened and you are creating a potential problem. How can you tell? If the dog was fine with say a concrete block laying in the yard last week, then you notice today that the dog does everything it can to get away from it, that's usually a good indication. Fear periods can be over stuff they've seen before and not reacted to, or to new things. But they'll sometimes bark, hair raised, or avoid it. Key is to be patience and to not try to "reassure" that behavior. Angela

I have noted a fear period occasionally while a pup is teething, and occasionally, although rarely, again at 8 months when they're adult teeth are "setting permanently" in their jaws...corresponding with the unpleasant return of chewing up things you'd rather they didn't when you thought that phase was over with ;) Typically they are running a low-grade fever during these times and aren't feeling all that well anyway. I DO NOT coddle them. Life is tough. Just let them get over it. I don't want them to learn that displaying fearful behavior will get them out of dealing with life's hardships any more than I want them to learn that avoidance will get them out of performing an exercise they would prefer not to. I have never had one fail to grow out of this phase withing a few short weeks. Just be patient. SS

angela is absolutely correct. encourage the dog to work things out for himself and to develop problem solving skills. it will be priceless later on as well as helping to build confidence. pjp

Do a goggle search for German Shepherd fear stages and so on and you can read up on the different stages.