Fear Stage ?

[Colin]

I recall reading that puppies can often go through a fear stage but I can't remember at what age :?: Misty is now 8 1/2 months and (although nothing serious ) has shown a couple of signs of this.

From day one she has been a really bold, out going and confident pup, totally fearless in fact . Last night at training however she acted completely out of character. The trainer said she was progresssing so well (that's my girl :wink: ) that after our class we could stay behind for some extra training with a more advanced class. When the new dogs entered the room she got really scared and started scrabbling and hiding behind my legs, cowering with her tail tucked underneath. I'd never seen her like this before. We attempted a sit stay but she ran off and hid behind a Boxer that had also stayed behind from the earlier class too. Admittedly the other dogs were all huge  (some of them didn't look to have evolved much from wolves) but they were all so well trained that they hadn't  paid her any attention. (The size of a dog has never bothered her in the park before, she usually makes a submissive gesture then gets on with playing with them.) We had to leave eventually as there was no calming her fears, she was seriously spooked....... practically cowering in the corner.

I got used to such odd behaviour from Jimmy until he was about 18months old but I can't stress enough how unusual it was for her. The only other thing I can recall her showing fear of was the snowmen in the park last week. Someone suggested it could be a sign of her coming into season but I check each day and haven't noticed a change. I've been told to expect this more around 10/12 months, based on her ancestors.

I suppose maybe she was tired or it might just be a one-off but I would like to know if there can be a fear stage at around the 8 to 9 month mark. Does anyone know ?

Could this be a "fear stage" ?                    

[Mary]

I'm wondering if it was one dog in particular that she took a dislike to and put her off her stride totally? :?

As I said in an earlier post, boxers seem to worry Lottie because of their stance (I assume, or the face :? ).  Not a boxer in Mistys case if she has one in her regular class.  

Maybe next week, try leaving the class as you usually would and walk back in with the next class, maybe that won't feel so threatening to her :?:                    

[KellyP]

hi Colin

Has Misty been off her food or acting different in any other way? perhaps being clingy or moping around? as these things could also indicate her coming into season. Millie was 9 months when she had her first season, even though her mum was past the 12 month stage when she had her first, so i personally don't put too much 'faith' in predessors season history - although I could be wrong not too!  :?

Millie has never been through a 'fear stage' - although recently she's has become afraid of buses / lorries passing her whilst out walking .. perhaps this is something similiar? I just keep walking confidently and chivvy her along with a happy voice!

As for Misty - although she's met big dogs out in the park, perhaps it was a combination of being slighty tired, being in a confined space (no escape and all these big dogs she doesn't know! eek!) and so many bigger dogs being there.
As for the snowman .. well .. Millie was totally confused by snowballs.. had she have seen a snowman she probably would have been cautious and let out her bravest grrruff.

I think that as ong as you continue to act positively when she has these potentially scay encounters she will soon learn not to be so scared.

I'm no expert mind you - just my personal thoughts on it, and I'm sure someone else will be along shortly to add something too                    

[Shirley]

Hi Colin

Looks like it is a possibility that Misty could be going through a fear stage.  I knew I had read it somewhere before as well.  Look here:
http://www.dogclub.co.uk/advice/puppygrowth.php

HTH                    

[Colin]

Thanks for the replies. That is an interesting link, Shirley, and does tie in with Misty's reaction. I'll keep a watch for further evidence. The trainer told me to ignore her but didn't have time to expand on his thoughts as he was busy taming the wolf dogs.

Mary.... good idea for leaving the hall and then returning, she has passed these big dogs on the way out before and wanted to play with them . I know what you mean about the Boxer stance but this one was the only dog there she knew and seemed to be hiding behind him for protection. Thinking about it , she has done this with Jimmy a couple of times recently, waiting to see how he judges a situation before feeling at ease.

Intersting too about Millie's season being so much earlier than her mother's, Kelly. Blue Roans do seem to have their first one later rather than earlier as a rule, but it looks like I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled from now on though.                    

[Gilly]

I've had this with Butty too, and I notice it mainly at ringcraft....and one particular dog is a boxer  :wink:  I have also noticed that Butty isn't very keen on getting her bum sniffed (a typical dog greeting), she's more of a sneaky bum sniffer  :oops:  she waits until the dog in question turns to walk away and then sniffs, rather than the usual sniffing together...if that makes any sense  :?  We have alot of dogs at ringcraft...one thing I have noticed is that she seems to react nervous, twitchy because she is on the lead and maybe feels restrained. I don't ever have this problem with her when she's off lead. I presume that Misty maybe felt comfortable in her little group as she was used to all the dogs, I think most dogs have their own comfort zones  :? I think Mary's idea was a good one though  :wink:
I do believe that dogs go through a "fear" phase. Butty was such a confident little pup...and like you Colin I felt a bit perturbed that she suddenly seem to start acting afraid. I'm sure with some reassurance from you she'll be fine. I must admit i just tend to completely ignore Butty when she acts like this as I feel i'm feeding her fear  :wink:                    

[Colin]

Well we've stayed behind for the extra class for another two weeks and things haven't got any better. I tried Mary's suggestion of walking out after the first class, then going back in again. It seemed to work initially, she went upto the big dogs to say hello..... until she encountered a certain GSD then she went to pieces again and never  really recovered.  Last night she was the same although she seemed fearful of all the dogs again. Maybe she has got into a habit now, remembers the fear from the first time and just slips back into it  :?: We were doing "down stays" which she is really good in the first class but in the second class she breaks off all the time and heads for the exit, tail between her legs.

The trainer thought it could just be a temporary fear stage but also suggested she could be becoming over reliant on Jimmy. She does follow him around a lot in the park but is also very independent when approaching other dogs, of all sizes. I kind of discounted this theory but last night when we got home from training she started following Jimmy around the flat everywhere, lying down next to him. If he got up and moved somewhere else she was like his little shadow ..... she was never further than about 3 feet from him for about 2 or 3 hours. :?

I really can't understand it. When I got her my main worry was that her and Jimmy wouldn't get on, so it seems a bit silly to now be getting concerned that they are becoming too close. :roll: Misty does get walked a couple of times a day on her own without any problems although she is all over Jimmy as soon as they are reunited. To be honest Jimmy is the same, last night after over 2 hours on his own he spent about 10 mins playing with Misty before he acknowledged the fact that I'd returned home too.

Am I reading too much into all this or is there something I should be doing now for their long term benefit ? Not having owned more than one dog before I don't really understand how the dynamics of their relationship is supposed to operate.                    

[Jane S]

Bitches can definitely go through a fear period at this age - I put it down to hormonal changes, though it doesn't mean a season is imminent, it could still be a month or two away. I can remember Rhona being totally spooked at a show when she younger for no apparent reason but at the next show, she was fine & she has never behaved like that again - she did come into season a little while afterwards though. The best thing to do is to jolly Misty along & don't feel sorry for her or try to reassure her - i'm sure she'll soon get over this phase                    

[Colin]

Thanks Jane...... ladies and their hormones. :roll:   Here's hoping it is just a temporary phase.

Today in the park Misty met one of the dogs she's been scared of, a Great Dane the size of a horse. She ran up to him like he was a long lost friend.  :roll: His owner was astonished at how different Misty was, she had assumed she was a really shy and nervous dog from only seeing her at training. I think the Great Dane was a bit taken aback too, he didn't quite know what to make of this mad little Cocker buzzing about his heels. Hopefully Misty will feel a bit more confident next week after this encounter.                      

[PennyB]

Ruby went through this at this age which wasn't helped by being attacked by 2 staffies (who grabbed her belly and tried to pull her apart, until I intervened and thankfully only got a bruised arm). I think that when I took her to the emergency vets shortly after the place started to get full of other dogs who were very friendly and I acted normally and let her say hello to them. After the shock of the previous day I took her on the park a day later to see all her mates. I basically acted as normally as possible and she was fine. Ruby has no problem with staffs still, and I think I was the one who needed a sedative every time a staffie was on the loose, but thankfully Ruby was often rummaging in the bushes and so never noticed this new found fear of mine (she wasn't on th elead and so couldn't sense it through the lead). I had to be desentised in the company of staffies by someone I've become friendly with on dogpages!