Why is my puppy suddenly afraid?
All puppies go through a fear period at about 8-12 weeks and again at 6-14 months. The first fear period is when a puppy becomes more aware that there is a bigger, "scarier" world out there and they can feel a bit overwhelmed.
Dogs live in the moment, and they think about what is going on in their world "now." They don't think about the future or "reason out" what is happening in their world. It is therefore important for us to realize that when we try and comfort a fearful puppy, we actually are reinforcing their fear. Because dogs live in the moment, they internalize our comforting them as associated with the fear itself and they may feel overwhelmed. It becomes a self fulfilling prophesy, and fear behaviors can build. They react to this by running away, shutting down, and in some cases when feeling really stressed can bite.
One of the best things you can do for your new puppy is to give him/her time to adjust without feeling pressure. Let your puppy get used to his environment until he/she is ready to play or interact. Make all your experiences as positive as you can. Give them lots of treats when they are behaving normally, even if that is just standing near you. Their brain will switch on with their nose, so a tasty treat is great. If they try to avoid you, you can leave a leash on them in the house and just step on it to ground them. Don't make a big deal about it and give them a treat when they are standing still. I would even toss a few treats and not even really talk to them or make eye contact with them; just let them figure it out without feeling any pressure. As they get more comfortable, you can start asking more things of your puppy.
When you first get your new puppy, limit the new people he/she will meet in the first few days. When they do start to meet someone new, have your guests sit down and ignore your puppy. Let your pup make the first move and get his/her confidence up.
Just remember, the more we try and "force" the issue by comforting a scared puppy the more fear we actually reinforce. Take the pressure off for a bit and your puppy should come right around. Soon you will find you have a puppy that is happy and comfortable in their new home. Don't forget, socialization outside the home is also important, and we will talk about that in our next issue. And finally remember, I am here to support you and your new Sand Lake Kennels puppy.
Dogs live in the moment, and they think about what is going on in their world "now." They don't think about the future or "reason out" what is happening in their world. It is therefore important for us to realize that when we try and comfort a fearful puppy, we actually are reinforcing their fear. Because dogs live in the moment, they internalize our comforting them as associated with the fear itself and they may feel overwhelmed. It becomes a self fulfilling prophesy, and fear behaviors can build. They react to this by running away, shutting down, and in some cases when feeling really stressed can bite.
One of the best things you can do for your new puppy is to give him/her time to adjust without feeling pressure. Let your puppy get used to his environment until he/she is ready to play or interact. Make all your experiences as positive as you can. Give them lots of treats when they are behaving normally, even if that is just standing near you. Their brain will switch on with their nose, so a tasty treat is great. If they try to avoid you, you can leave a leash on them in the house and just step on it to ground them. Don't make a big deal about it and give them a treat when they are standing still. I would even toss a few treats and not even really talk to them or make eye contact with them; just let them figure it out without feeling any pressure. As they get more comfortable, you can start asking more things of your puppy.
When you first get your new puppy, limit the new people he/she will meet in the first few days. When they do start to meet someone new, have your guests sit down and ignore your puppy. Let your pup make the first move and get his/her confidence up.
Just remember, the more we try and "force" the issue by comforting a scared puppy the more fear we actually reinforce. Take the pressure off for a bit and your puppy should come right around. Soon you will find you have a puppy that is happy and comfortable in their new home. Don't forget, socialization outside the home is also important, and we will talk about that in our next issue. And finally remember, I am here to support you and your new Sand Lake Kennels puppy.
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