Puppy Development Fear Periods
Puppy development week by week starts as soon as your puppy is born.
Puppy development fear periods. Most people realize that puppies have a fear period, however are unaware that there are actually up to 4 recognised fear periods. He cannot regulate body functions such as temperature and elimination. Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited.
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. What does a fear period look like? 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 are dependent on their mother or another heat source to keep them warm. This second fear period is also at the time many owners are. Critical periods in puppy development.
The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell. 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. Try to avoid frightening the puppy during this time, since traumatic experiences can have an effect during this period.
We’ll talk about when these fear periods occur later on, but for now, let’s talk about what fear periods look like in your pup. If the puppy perceives an event as traumatic, he may generalize it and it could affect him for the rest of his life. The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell.
The human socialization period begins at seven weeks and ends at 12 weeks. Newborn puppies are born at the end of nine weeks of pregnancy, with their eyes and ears tightly closed. Generally speaking, puppies go through two potential fear periods during puppyhood.