Puppy Development Fear Periods
The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell.
Puppy development fear periods. The puppy responds only to warmth, touch, and smell. We’ll talk about when these fear periods occur later on, but for now, let’s talk about what fear periods look like in your pup. Eyes and ears are open, but sight and hearing are limited.
So to take a puppy from everything it knows such as the breeder, littermates and mum at this critical time can have serious repercussions. 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. A second fear period can happen during the fifth of sixth month of development, but can happen a bit later, during puppy’s adolescent period (any time between 6 to 12 months of age).
Fear imprint period (8 to 10 weeks) the puppy is very susceptible to long lasting effects of fearful stimuli at this stage. Critical periods in puppy development. Concurrently, the fear impact period begins at eight weeks and ends at 11 weeks.
What does a fear period look like? Your puppy is coming into a new home, leaving behind his mother, and litter mates, and is being introduced to a new family. He cannot regulate body functions such as temperature and elimination.
He cannot regulate body functions such as temperature and elimination. Veterinary behaviorists, this first fear period takes place between the ages of 8 to 10 weeks. It’s so useful for guardians to know that this stage is temporary and that it is completely normal.
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. Puppy development week by week starts as soon as your puppy is born.