May 18, 2011
In the last month or so, my dog has very suddenly become shy and fearful. Do dogs go through such abrupt changes in personality and then settle down?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy,One question about our boxer mix. He is nearly six months old. When we first got him from a shelter at 12 weeks, he was e VERY bold dog, completely outgoing and social, very friendly and eager. In the last month or so, he has very suddenly become shy and fearful. Very nervous around new and sometime familiar people and in strange and sometimes familiar environments. He is not shy around other dogs. He rides with me in the car almost every day but has recently become fearful of the car and will not get in. I have heard about "fear periods" but never put much stock in them and have never experienced them with any of our dogs in the past. This dog has been well socialized, trained at home then taken to obedience class for additional socialization. Do dogs go through such abrupt changes in personalty because of "fear periods" and then settle down or is this a sign of weak nerves and it is only surfacing now? I only ask because I have seen the bold personality he had and it was wonderful. I cannot trace his behavior back to any negative experiences, it seems to have happened quite suddenly. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks again for all your wonderful help.
Beverly
Cindy's Answer:
Dogs do go through fear periods, but there can also be other factors at work. Since I can't see your dog, I can only throw ideas out there. I have no way to really know what's going on.
Part of it may be that he's growing up and starting to experience more mature feelings that all dogs go through as they grow. This makes some dogs appear nervous, because they aren't sure how to handle feelings of being territorial, etc...
Another possibility is a reaction to a rabies vaccination (if he's had one) Some dogs have very drastic personality changes due to this vaccine. It's called a rabies miasm. Friendly dogs show aggression, confident dogs show fear, usually irrational fear of things that never worried them before like fear of their water bowl or something that is familiar.
Traditional vets will not even acknowledge that this problem exists but if you do a google search on rabies miasm you'll find some interesting reading.
Typically a homeopathic vet is needed to help treat this.
We have a list of vets that has been compiled by our customers and you can see it here. We are providing this list as a service; please do your own research into any health care provider you choose for your dogs.
It can also be a manifestation of his core temperament, but since it's very different from what you've experienced for the last few months I doubt that is the case.
Just a couple of ideas, it's most likely just a phase but I never rule out anything when dealing with behavior changes.
Cindy
Part of it may be that he's growing up and starting to experience more mature feelings that all dogs go through as they grow. This makes some dogs appear nervous, because they aren't sure how to handle feelings of being territorial, etc...
Another possibility is a reaction to a rabies vaccination (if he's had one) Some dogs have very drastic personality changes due to this vaccine. It's called a rabies miasm. Friendly dogs show aggression, confident dogs show fear, usually irrational fear of things that never worried them before like fear of their water bowl or something that is familiar.
Traditional vets will not even acknowledge that this problem exists but if you do a google search on rabies miasm you'll find some interesting reading.
Typically a homeopathic vet is needed to help treat this.
We have a list of vets that has been compiled by our customers and you can see it here. We are providing this list as a service; please do your own research into any health care provider you choose for your dogs.
It can also be a manifestation of his core temperament, but since it's very different from what you've experienced for the last few months I doubt that is the case.
Just a couple of ideas, it's most likely just a phase but I never rule out anything when dealing with behavior changes.
Cindy
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