During weeks eight through twelve, there’s a period called “The fear imprint period”. During this time any particularly scary or painful experience will leave an enduring impression in your dog moderately than if it occurred at another time in his life. If the experience could be very traumatic, It could literally wreck your dogs life.
While on this time it is best to avoid exposing your dog to traumatic experiences. For instance surgery akin to ear cropping, if it’s going to be done then it ought to be done before 8 weeks or after 11 weeks of age. Also if you take your dog to the vet have the doctor give him a treat before he does any examinations simply to make the visit to the vet a nice experience. Although it is best to avoid any stressful situations, proceed to coach your dog in a positive way.
During his first 12 months of growth chances are you’ll see fear reactions at times. Don’t respond by dragging him to the thing that he was afraid of. Actually don’t reassure him or pet him. The rationale for it is because he might think that you simply are encouraging his response and behavior.
What it is best to do is distract the dog with one other toy or a treat to get his mind off of the thing that scared him and on to something nice. Practice a few of the commands that he has already been taught so he can deal with a positive experience. After about two weeks or less that fearful behavior will disappear.
