# Late Fear Stage



## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

So now that I've started a heated discussion on a specific trainer (my bad, I didn't mean to... I swear!) :behindsofa:

Cash will be one year old on May 18. :birthday:

....but he seems to be going through his fear stage...._now??_

When he goes on walks especially, he will stop in his tracks and won't move. Sometimes it's because of a branch, a loud car, a person nearby or things that I can't even see or hear. 

I'm assuming this is because I just finally got Ryker to stop pulling, so now I'm bound to have one that makes me drag him.

Obviously constant walks with praise is key. We've also been differing our route so he's more exposed. BUT.... what do I do when he suddenly becomes afraid while walking? Do I stop and wait for him to relax? Do I drag him (he does wear a harness)? Do I pick him up?

Suggestions would be welcomed.


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

I think first of all, you should try to work out what caused his fear and what triggers it.... then you can work on desensitizing him.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Dogs that behave normally at the park kind's bore me. Not that I don't love to watch them play but it's the dogs with strange behaviour that I find fascinating. That's what really gets my eyes and ears working. I've gotta know why? What is causing this?

Sometimes it's waay difficult to suss out the reason... the thinking behind it... the triggers if any. But like Wild Woman says... there's almost gotta be something in common to all his 'halts'. Something spooking him. 

Best of luck.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Caniche to extract from some of what I learned from Ian Dunbar over the last two weekends, this isn't a "fear stage." Dr. Dunbar actually debunked the fear stage story at the lecture seminar I went to. Unfortunately the workshop I was at was so busy I never had a chance to ask for the original reference from him. I will try to find it after I finish giving and grading finals next week.

Fear is not innate it is based on not having adequate early exposures to diverse social environmental stimuli in the critical puppy developmental period that ends around 12 weeks of age. Dr. Dunbar advocates for puppies to meet other puppies, other species and lots of humans in those first 12 weeks. He would argue that adolescent dogs begin to show fears when they are 7,8, 10 or 12 months old because the didn't learn about the thing that now scares them (or something similar to that thing) when they were puppies. I think his advise to you would be along that offered by Wild Kitten, figure out what he is reacting to and use classical conditioning to desensitize.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Here's the thing - I did socialize him. Cash went to many places and was exposed to many different people, places and objects. He was fine and never showed this behavior until about a month ago. He's also never had a "negative experience" with anything that spooks him.

So far I can't narrow down what spooks him. He stops walking when a car goes by, a lawn mower, another dog and sometimes nothing that I can see or hear. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm sure you did socialize him, but something got missed and now he is showing it. It could have been a fleeting trivial thing to you, but something happened that meant something lasting to him. Don't worry over it, just use sound techniques now to fix it and help him move along.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

well you need this question like a hole in the head, but how did he do on his last checkup - and how long ago was it? just to be sure there are no medical issues.

desensitization is the classical response, but it doesn't help with what to do in the meantime - as in, you're walking, he stops and won't move. you don't know what the problem is at that point and you don't want to hurt him by dragging him. what to do, as in right now? 

assuming a bit of coaxing doesn't work, personally, i would pick him up, walk on a bit, then put him down again and see what happens. if he is still frozen with what seems to be fear, i'd take both dogs home and start walking the dogs separately so you can focus on cash. and that might be the time to work on getting him to focus on you while walking, with intervals of free (on-leash) roaming, sniffing, etc., at least until you can figure out if there's just one thing he fears or if it's a generalized noise sensitivity.

whatever it is, i think it's important to create a framework of security. people laugh at dogs who hide behind their owners, etc, but imo the real message is that they know they have a refuge in a fearful situation.


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

Caniche said:


> Here's the thing - I did socialize him. Cash went to many places and was exposed to many different people, places and objects. He was fine and never showed this behavior until about a month ago. He's also never had a "negative experience" with anything that spooks him.
> 
> So far I can't narrow down what spooks him. He stops walking when a car goes by, a lawn mower, another dog and sometimes nothing that I can see or hear.


Ryker is the older one right? Do you always walk them together? And you said that Ryker always was a puller? Does that mean that he always walked ahead and Cash followed? 

Now that Ryker has a sight problems and is more unsure, and you said that he also stopped pulling, maybe that transmits to Cash too? 

Those are all just guesses, but if that is the case, maybe walking them separately, and building Cash's self esteem so he learns that it is ok for him to walk ahead and lead the way (so to speak) could improve things...


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