Puppy Development Fear Periods
It’s so useful for guardians to know that this stage is temporary and that it is completely normal.
Puppy development fear periods. The puppy now has the brain waves of an adult dog, but the attention span is short. 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. The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell.
Young dogs go through two separate “fear periods” as they grow, which are essentially times when the pup is extremely sensitive to bad experiences. This second fear period is also at the time many owners are. Fear imprint period (8 to 10 weeks) the puppy is very susceptible to long lasting effects of fearful stimuli at this stage.
Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited. This also coincides with a very critical socialization period. He cannot regulate body functions such as temperature and elimination.
Puppy development week by week starts as soon as your puppy is born. What does a fear period look like? Newborn puppies are born at the end of nine weeks of pregnancy, with their eyes and ears tightly closed.
They already have a fur coat but they cannot yet control their own body temperature. If the puppy perceives an event as traumatic, he may generalize it and it could affect him for the rest of his life. Tail wagging begins and the puppy begins to control body functions.
Your puppy is coming into a new home, leaving behind his mother, and litter mates, and is being introduced to a new family. Puppies will experience two different fear periods before reaching adulthood. Puppies experience two fear periods during their development, and each fear period lasts for about 2 to 3 weeks, on average.