Training guide
Puppy Fear Periods: What Owners Need to Know
Why a confident puppy can suddenly become scared, when fear periods tend to happen, how to help your puppy through one, and when to ask for help.
Short answer
Many puppies go through spells when they suddenly become more cautious, even of things they used to ignore. Sources call these fear periods, and describe them around the first weeks at home and again in adolescence.[1][2][3] During one, don’t push your puppy towards what scares them: let them keep their distance, reward calm curiosity, keep training short and easy, and avoid frightening experiences.[1][2][4] These spells usually pass. If the fear is intense, doesn’t ease, or comes with changes in health or behavior, talk to your veterinarian.[4][5][6]
This guide fits you if your puppy has suddenly become scared of people, objects or places, or you want to know what to expect.
Look elsewhere if your puppy trembles, panics or tries to escape, or fear comes with aggression. VCA advises professional guidance for a high level of fear.[4] For fear of noises such as fireworks or thunder, ask your veterinarian.[6]
What a fear period is
A fear period is a stretch of puppyhood when a puppy becomes more sensitive to the world and warier of new things. Even something they used to enjoy can suddenly worry them.[1][2] It is a normal part of growing up, not defiance or stubbornness, and it doesn’t mean you have done anything wrong.[1][2][7]
Sources describe the timing differently. The AKC describes a first fear period at about 8 to 11 weeks and a second at about 6 to 14 months, earlier in small breeds than in large ones,[1] while another AKC article gives 8 to 12 weeks for the first.[8] VCA notes that after about 3 months, fear responses may start to outweigh a puppy’s sociability,[9] and that some dogs go through a fear period during adolescence.[3] Blue Cross describes another fear period around adolescence, after a first one when very young.[2] Not every source says every puppy has one, so treat the ages as a rough guide.
Why it matters
Puppies are especially impressionable at these times. The AKC warns that a frightening experience during a fear period can have lasting effects,[7] and VCA notes that socialization doesn’t help if the experiences frighten the puppy.[6] So the aim is not to avoid new things, but to keep each experience safe and positive.[1][4] The Puppy Socialization guide covers how.
Recognize fear
Signs of fear include trembling, freezing, panting, cowering, refusing to play or take treats, pulling away, trying to escape, and refusing to go on a walk.[4][6] A puppy who won’t take treats is too frightened to learn just then: VCA explains that a puppy can’t get used to something while they are frightened.[4]
What to do during a fear period
Make scary things less scary, gradually
VCA describes desensitization: exposing your puppy to the scary thing at a level so low that they aren’t frightened, pairing it with play or treats, and making it stronger only when they are relaxed. For a frightening coffee grinder, that might mean grinding for a few seconds while a helper plays with your puppy in another room, then over several sessions moving a little closer or letting the sound run a little longer.[4] The AKC suggests keeping a list of the things your puppy is nervous about and working them into later, short sessions; a puppy afraid of something one day may be fine with it the next.[1]
What not to do
Don’t make your puppy “face their fears”. Forcing them closer or pushing them into a situation when they are frightened can make the fear worse, and longer-lasting.[1][4]
Don’t punish fear. Punishment itself causes fear, and can make your puppy more frightened and their behavior worse.[5][6]
Don’t plan big stresses. During an adolescent fear period, Blue Cross suggests avoiding stressful events, such as a stay in kennels, a busy show, or neutering unless it is an emergency, and keeping life consistent and predictable.[2]
Classes and outings
Puppy classes can help, if they are run by reward-based trainers who understand fear periods; ask about their methods before you enroll.[7][9] On outings, VCA suggests starting at a comfortable distance from anything that might frighten your puppy, moving closer only if they are calm, and moving away again if they seem worried.[4] Ask your veterinarian when your puppy is ready for public places and classes. The Puppy Training Schedule by Age shows where fear periods fit in the first year.
When it is not working
- Your puppy is scared of something new at home
Check Whether you have been encouraging them to go closer.[1][4]
Try Let them keep their distance, reward them for looking, and work on it later in short, easy steps.[1][4]
- Your puppy won’t take treats on walks
Check Whether they are too frightened to eat.[4]
Try Move further away, or go somewhere quieter.[4]
- Your puppy is suddenly worried by visitors
Check Whether people approach or reach for your puppy before they are ready.[1][4]
Try Let visitors ignore your puppy, and let your puppy approach in their own time.[1][4]
Ask your veterinarian first if the fear starts suddenly, comes with signs of pain or illness, or doesn’t ease, because medical problems can contribute.[5][6] If your puppy shows a high level of fear, panics, or seems fearful in many situations, ask for professional guidance from a qualified, reward-based behavior professional.[3][4]
Sources
- Puppy Fear Periods: Why Is My Puppy Suddenly Afraid? (opens another site)
- Adolescence in dogs (opens another site)
- Normal vs. Abnormal Puppy Behavior (opens another site)
- Puppy Behavior and Training: Socialization and Fear Prevention (opens another site)
- Managing your puppy through adolescence (opens another site)
- Fear of Noises in Dogs (opens another site)
- How to Train Your Puppy Through Fear Periods in Puppyhood (opens another site)
- A Puppy Growth Timeline: Transitions in Puppyhood (opens another site)
- When should you start puppy classes? (Puppy Training Schedule) (opens another site)