Many an owner of our Terriers or Biewer Terriers calls us worried. A dog that was brave only yesterday has suddenly begun to fear things that did not bother it before. The good news is that this is often a perfectly normal part of growing up.

Fear periods are part of development

While growing up, a puppy goes through so-called fear periods. These are short periods when it becomes more sensitive and cautious. They can appear around the fourth to sixth month and again during the growth into a young dog. Suddenly the dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, a stranger, an umbrella, even though it took all of this calmly before.

This is not a step backwards and not a sign that you have done something wrong. It is a normal part of brain development. What matters is only how we respond in these moments.

How we act during a fear period often decides whether the fear passes or takes root.

Do not overdo the comforting

When a dog is frightened, it is natural to want to comfort it. But if we pity and comfort it excessively in that moment, we unintentionally tell it that the fear is truly justified. It is better to stay calm and relaxed. Our calm is the best message to the dog that there is no danger.

Do not punish fear

Likewise, never punish a dog when it is afraid. Punishment only deepens the fear and tells the dog that the nearness of that thing is even more dangerous. This does more harm than good.

So what do we do

The best thing is to give the dog time and space. Do not force it towards what frightens it. Let it approach on its own, at its own pace. When it does, praise it calmly. If the thing is too much, step back and try again another time, from further away. This way the dog discovers for itself that there is no danger, and the fear passes.

Fear periods pass on their own with calm, patient handling. A dog we stand beside then, without overdoing it, comes out of them even more confident.

About the authorPetrischa Robnik, breeder at Little Shining Angels. She has been breeding black and chocolate terriers (black and chocolate yorkies) and Biewer terriers for six years, under the Slovenian Kennel Club. She holds a degree in nursing and a master's in health and social management, and is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Organisational Sciences. She built her knowledge of breeding herself, from the literature and with the help of breeders abroad.

References and sources

Overall KL (2013). Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier Mosby.

Serpell J, Jagoe JA (1995). Early experience and the development of behaviour. In: Serpell J (ed.), The Domestic Dog. Cambridge University Press.

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