207. Fear Periods in Puppies and Adolescence

Fear periods are a normal part of puppy and adolescent development, but most handlers go into them underprepared. They know the phrase but not the timing, the signs, or the right response. In this episode, Jo Perrott and LWDG Group Expert Claire Denyer break down both fear periods in practical terms: what they look like, when they happen, and how to work through them without making the dog's experience worse. Claire covers the difference between healthy exposure and flooding, the role of eustress in building resilience, and how the training a dog already has becomes an asset in the second fear period in a way it simply wasn't in the first.In this episodeWhy fear periods happen and what makes them vary so much from dog to dogThe first fear period: why it lands exactly when you bring your puppy home and what to do about itThe difference between exposure and socialisation, and why pushing puppies into group play during a fear period creates problems rather than solving themThe second fear period: when to expect it, why it blindsides confident dogs, and how hormonal shifts layer on top of itWhat "go back to basics" actually means in practice, not just as a phraseHow to use eustress to build resilience without flooding your dogThanks for being here. If this episode gave you something, a laugh, a lightbulb, or just the feeling that someone gets it, that's exactly why we make it.📚 Not sure where to start with your gundog training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. Work out where you exactly where you are and what to work on next, no more guessing needed.