Puppy Development Fear Periods
Puppies will experience two different fear periods before reaching adulthood.
Puppy development fear periods. This period is when the most rapid learning occurs. Most people realize that puppies have a fear period, however are unaware that there are actually up to 4 recognised fear periods. This also coincides with a very critical socialization period.
Tail wagging begins and the puppy begins to control body functions. Critical periods in puppy development. 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.
Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited. 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. Young dogs go through two separate “fear periods” as they grow, which are essentially times when the pup is extremely sensitive to bad experiences.
They already have a fur coat but they cannot yet control their own body temperature. Try to avoid frightening the puppy during this time, since traumatic experiences can have an effect during this period. Concurrently, the fear impact period begins at eight weeks and ends at 11 weeks.
Fear periods are a normal part of puppy development, but they also can be overwhelming for dogs. A second fear period can happen during the fifth of sixth month of development, but can happen a bit later, during puppy’s adolescent period (any time between 6 to 12 months of age). If the puppy perceives an event as traumatic, he may generalize it and it could affect him for the rest of his life.
Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited. Generally speaking, puppies go through two potential fear periods during puppyhood. So to take a puppy from everything it knows such as the breeder, littermates and mum at this critical time can have serious repercussions.