hope in right section! confident boy lost his umph!

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emma-louise
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:09 am

hope in right section! confident boy lost his umph!

Post by emma-louise »

morning boys and girls!

sorry not been on for a while! but on the upside its been because we have been getting on great!
im just after a bit of advice for my little man jack, (excuse the ramble but prefer to put to much info down than not enough!)

hes about to turn one i a few days, i decided from day one i wasnt going to get him neutered untill he was a year old and full grown so he is still got all his bits!
hes very well socialised excellent with dogs kids etc etc and has never been a problem with new situations etc, we have had fosters before and our last one now lives with dad and we see her every day, he is regularly intorduced to as many new sounds / smells etc as i can and his walk is varried to help with this, there have been no changes to the house / routine / food etc he had a full clear vet check on monday.

over the last week i have noticed a change in him my confident boy he has grown steadly more and more nervous of things, he no longer greats strangers with a waggy tail and a grin more head down and will jump at any sudden movements, if there is some thing new for example some work men left a bucket on the path the other day and he was really fearful of it cowering, trying to back away and eventually running full pelt past it!
the final straw was today we went up the river a little further than we normally would and some thing seemed to totally freak him out! there was no one around, no dogs etc but he was so scared of some thing, he was backing away, tail betwwen legs, ears down, jumpy and frightened i had real touble getting him to come back to me and he bolted at one point almost running in to some barbed wire

this is not my normal confident boy i cant think of whats wrong with him in every other way hes the same, hes the same with his doggy pals at the park, still loves to chase ball, still my snuggle baby but he just seems to of lost all his confidence

does any one have any sugestions / ideas what this could be?
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

Well - something has happened that is very bad as far as he is concerned, and we don't know what has been going on in your life recently :) so it has to come back to you to go over the days before this started to see what has happened that is different.

You mention workmen leaving a bucket. Have you had work going on at home?
emma-louise
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Post by emma-louise »

nope this one in the middle of town!

i cant think of a single thing that has happened thats changed, hes not been left with any one, no one shouts at him or tells him off.

i really cant think of any change
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

He could be going through one of his fear periods and something has upset him.
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emma-louise
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Post by emma-louise »

what are fear periods?
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

I did put it up on the Saffy forum but here it is, it will be in 2 posts I think:


Prenatal Period
Conception to Birth

Neonatal Period 0-13 days


Puppies are not able to regulate temperature or eliminating without their mother’s stimulation

Transition Period 13-21 days

Ears and eyes gradually open. Best time to introduce other species and novel items

Awareness Period 21-23 days

Rapid time of sensory development. Best time to introduce new floor surfaces and auditory stimuli

Canine Socialisation Period 21-49 days

Pup learns how to stop mother’s discipline and how to be a dog.

During 4th and 5th weeks,

short car rides may be introduced and stimuli such as radio, dishwasher, TV hair dryer vacuum cleaner introduced.

During the 5th and 6th week i

ndividual attention with humans should be given daily.

Human Socialisation Period 7-12 weeks

Best time for rehoming. Pfaffenberger believed that from 7 to 16 weeks of the puppy’s life his basic character is set by what he is taught.

The pup should be socialised to as many pleasant but varied experiences as possible during this time.

Fear Impact Sub-period 8-10 weeks

Experiences that a pup perceives as traumatic during this time tend to be generalised and may affect them for the rest of their lives.
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

I did put it up on the Saffy forum but here it is, it will be in 2 posts I think:


Prenatal Period
Conception to Birth

Neonatal Period 0-13 days


Puppies are not able to regulate temperature or eliminating without their mother’s stimulation

Transition Period 13-21 days

Ears and eyes gradually open. Best time to introduce other species and novel items

Awareness Period 21-23 days

Rapid time of sensory development. Best time to introduce new floor surfaces and auditory stimuli

Canine Socialisation Period 21-49 days

Pup learns how to stop mother’s discipline and how to be a dog.

During 4th and 5th weeks,

short car rides may be introduced and stimuli such as radio, dishwasher, TV hair dryer vacuum cleaner introduced.

During the 5th and 6th week i

ndividual attention with humans should be given daily.

Human Socialisation Period 7-12 weeks

Best time for rehoming. Pfaffenberger believed that from 7 to 16 weeks of the puppy’s life his basic character is set by what he is taught.

The pup should be socialised to as many pleasant but varied experiences as possible during this time.

Fear Impact Sub-period 8-10 weeks

Experiences that a pup perceives as traumatic during this time tend to be generalised and may affect them for the rest of their lives.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

Seniority Classification Period 12-16 weeks

The age of cutting teeth and apron strings. By 16 weeks, the puppy’s emotional makeup is fully developed.

Flight Instinct Period 4-8 months

There is a time during this period lasting 2-4 weeks when the pup will test his wings. He won’t come when called and will run away when the owner tries to put on the lead.

Second Fear Impact Period 6-14 months

In large breeds, this stage may last longer. This period shows a fear of new situations and novel objects

Young Adulthood 18-24 months

Many dogs may show a rise in aggression levels during this time. They may become protective and territorial and take advantage of any relaxation of the guidelines set by the owner.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

Useful stuff, Mattie. Mods, may we have this pinned?
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

I could put it into another thread so it is the top post, see what Em says. :D
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Darkaia
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Post by Darkaia »

wow...reading this thread has answered one of my questions i had about my dogs fear of the garbage truck. He is almost 2 years old so i'm thinking it may be Second Fear Impact Period. Is there any way to get them over this or will it just go away on its own?
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emmabeth
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Post by emmabeth »

yes please mattie :)
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