a good article on learning stages & sudden environmental change [SEC] or environmental contrast;
that's what most 'teen' dogs react to when they suddenly freak over 'nothing' in particular, or something that did
not faze them yesterday, panics them today.

<> DIAMONDS in the RUFF - Barking <>

Is the age too narrow? I seem to have run into such behaviours with 5 month old Fostering 5 month old Pup Litter Mate, BCs do mature more quickly than many (especially larger) breeds. She was acting like a "closed" adult, rather than "open" pup.

Thank you for this
I always read your links.
I am still picking up the pices with my 18 month old boy. He was attacked at WELKS dog show at 6 months. A German Shepherd broke out of its crate, raced up from behind and "had" him. We are still recovering from that; he is still anxious about dogs coming up behind him. When the judge asks to move the whole class round the ring, he can't move forward without turning and telling the dog behind to "Go Away".
Cheers,
Linda

posting this personal experience from Gail Fisher with her permission -
thanks very much, Ms Fisher.

aw, Linda, that's too bad - have U tried getting him to walk single-file with dogs he knows?
a follow-me walk to a known, happy destination might really help - dog A leads going out,
dog B leads coming back, but they don't get any closer than both dogs are comfy - nobody is reacting,
they are aware of one another but relaxed. Go to an outdoor cafe, settle with a coffee or cold-drink outside,
give the dogs a series of small but nice tidbits [brought along for the purpose, or BUY no-salt baked chips],
walk back...

taking him to matches instead of shows, where U can jolly him up in the ring with a toy to tug,
or have him AT THE END not the beginning or middle, would be good practice, too.

also, calmatives may help him - see this link
Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - dog body-language - and why it matters so much...
for What U can use, When U can use it, How to give or apply, etc.

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

as Gail notes in her experience, she saw a fear-period emerge anytime after 16-WO; small dogs mature earlier
physically & mentally than do large or giant breeds, so if they have a 2ndary fear-period, it's sooner vs big-dogs.

in my own experience, 5-MO is a bit early but not bizarrely rare, just not common; 6 to 7-MO is more often
the ages that i see, but remember that most of the dogs i see are over 60# - the average is about 80#.
given the connections among maturity, adult body-size & age of onset, i'd expect to see 2ndary-fear periods
later in my average-client's dog, than in a whippy 35 to 50# BC.

the good things about the 2ndary fear-period -
- it has a softer, fuzzier beginning & ending - it tapers on, & tapers off.
- it very rarely results in any long-lasting, major fallout:
barring a trauma or major fright, it's only anxiety in the here & now.
- it can be gotten thru simply by good management & consistency -
keep training, keep the dog as relaxed as possible, avoid flooding.

so simple common sense & kindness will get the huge majority of dogs thru it just fine;
it's nothing to panic over or worry in anticipation, it's MUCH less worrying than the 1st fear-period.

the bad things about the 2ndary fear-period -
- the fuzzy start means folks who don't pay attention, don't realize it's begun.
- somehow a scared infant-pup is appealing & empathic, while a scared post-puberty pup is a joke -
or even an embarrassment; folks can get mighty irritated with their 'big, strong pup' when s/he wimps out,
unexpectedly, in public. Take a deep breath, smile, back up a bit & keep training - the pup really IS
worried or scared, give her or him a break, make some happy associations & don't hand-wring about it.

this, too, shall pass - it's just a stage, & a pretty mild one.

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Think maturing fast is promoted breed trait for economic reasons.

Clients is a self-selcted group, people with small dogs seem to muddle through and leave unadressed more problems; they can resist lunging on lead due to fear based aggression quite easily for instance. The same thing in a large dog scares ppl and is obviously unacceptable. I think where I am small dogs (Westies/Yorkies/JRTs) are most common, then medium like SBT's, Scotch terriers & collies to small GR's & Labs (often overweight); with large dogs rarer. At all the classes I saw however, small dogs were entirely absent except for puppy play.

The attitude was summed up, by one owner I chatted with "When we had a Doberman we went to all the right classes and were very careful; you have to be with one of those. Now with a Spaniel we don't worry about any training." Easy to say, but of course they miss the benefit of calming & bonding effects with rewards based training.