Aggression and fear

At about 6 to 8 weeks of age and possibly again at about 6 to 13 months, your pup may go through what some call a fear period. During these ages some puppies may become hypersensitive to distressing stimuli. If you don't intervene, this fear may become aggression.

The best way to do this is to take a situation the dog feels upset in and turn it into an enjoyable one. Perhaps your puppy is frightened when visiting the neighborhood park. Maybe she cowers and hides when people approach.

Start turning things around by visiting the park when no one is around. While walking the grounds, give her some tasty treats (something she doesn't normally get). Your aim is to help her associate the situation with positive things. It always helps to have a full tummy, too.

When you see good results with an empty park, take her when there are only a few people and so on. Just remember that comforting your pet when they display fear is a mistake. This is great for kids but dogs take the comfort as a positive reinforcement of the behavior they are exhibiting and she thinks being afraid is okay. A nice little pat on the head when they are doing well won't derail your efforts, though.

If the treats and gradual exposure to the things your dog fears are not producing results, contact a knowledgeable trainer in your area who can help correct the problem before it grows into a bigger one in the future.