Hello, my 5 month puppy is going through a fear stage at the moment, everything is freaking him out, people walking along the street, garbage bins, anything really!! he barks at things when he is not sure, is this a common thing for pups to go through (fear stages) he was fine until about 3 weeks ago! thanks xxxxxx

Hi Guest,

Why not join and then you can provide a bit more info, ask more questions, reply to other posters etc  :)

In the meantime it sounds as though your puppy is just feeling a bit insecure - this may be due to a fear stage (yes, they do go through this at varying ages, often hormone driven) but it would help if you could add extra info such as breed, how long you've had him, what sort of socialisation and training you've already done with him.

The main thing at this age is not to put too much pressure on a nervy youngster.  You should gently and gradully habituate him with things that upset him but don't over power him with too many things at once nor compound his fears by fussing him for reassurance as he may associate that as a reward for his behaviour or you being equally worried by the noises/objects/situations.

Try and find a not too busy area, say a small village shopping precinct, and sit on a bench with him and let him become accustomed to the comings and goings of everything - don't force him to accept anything he is unsure of - keep him at a distance from things which upset him and gradually increase the length of time you spend and closeness to the objects of his concerns over a long period and only when you see signs of improvement.   Also try and find a good training class with a compassionate instructor - not one who uses negative training such as shouting commands, choke chains, manhandling the dogs into positions.

HTH, but also hope you register - it's fun, free and lots of advice is ready to hand.   Regards, Teri :)

My 16 week old BC is going through a similar thing & I just ignore it & praise & treat him when he goes to people & dogs, had him at an obedience show on Saturday & he was heaps better. I take one day at a time & let him find his feet. I take him out with my very pushy Cavalier who adores everyone so he can see that people are no threat & neither is anything else.

Hi guest,

Yes, this is the second sensitive period which has been shown in relatively recent research. The first one is thought to be between 5 weeks and 16 weeks (still not sure of the end of the sensitive period). By the way, this is why it is important to find a good breeder, to ensure those puppies get exposed to life and novel things as soon as possible.

Some breeds are more 'sensitive' than others - e.g. border collies, GSDs, dobies.

Good advice already given, get him out there used to all these things all over again ensuring you don't overwhelm him.

All the best,
Patty