Puppy Phobias & Fears

Some puppies bound through puppyhood and adolescence full of confidence and not fazed by anything. It’s also quite common for puppies to go through fearful periods and it's important to recognise what has frightened him in order to help.

Patting and reassuring your puppy when he's frightened can have the opposite effect we intended by reinforcing the fearful behaviour. It's the confident behaviour we want to encourage. So calmly and quietly move puppy to a safe distance and carry on as normal. The best way to avoid problems is to expose your puppy to as many different situations as possible when young - but never force him to face his fears by placing him too close to whatever concerns him. If your puppy has severe problems with fear or phobias, do ask your vet for advice.