Does a pups personality change as they grow or is it?

the way they are raised that makes them the way they are?



For example..if you have a pup that is going through a 'fear' stage..is the way YOU handle it that makes a difference in 'HOW' it affects their personalities as adults? Does YOUR reaction to the situation make a difference?



Or is it their 'personalities' that will make them be the way they are no matter what you do?



Star please, would like a lot of opinions on this..



ThanksDoes a pups personality change as they grow or is it?
When in the litter the breeder can usually spot the less confident pups almost right away. If the breeder is a good one then she or he will work with the pups to see if they can bolster the pups confidence. If the pup comes from genetically inferior dogs to begin with then nothing you can do that will stop a fearful dog from being really confident. It is already genetically predisposed.



There is a big difference with the stages a pup go through as it grow to a pup who is for lack of a better word already predisposed to be shy %26amp; fearful.



A normal pup with a great disposition goes through some of the stages of lack of confidence due to a new situation totally unknown to it then Yes it most certainly is in the way the owner present this situation to pup that will make or break how the pup perceives it down the road.



If you recognize the situation as one that will cause a reaction in the pup that is one of it's unwillingness to go on or the pup shuts down then it is up to you the owner to find a way to make the situation less intimidating to the pups so it learns that the situation is not one to be uncertain about at all. Usually all it takes is training and repetitive exposure to the situation to allow the pups to see it as normal and something it can conquer with out a problem.



Hope this helps!



ADD: Merry Christmas!Does a pups personality change as they grow or is it?
Well, in my experience, dogs usually grow out of certain habits and personalities that they may have as a puppy, but on the other hand, a lot of it is about nurturing the dog a certain way. Obviously, if a dog is neglected as a puppy or left outside a lot, it is going to be a very unsocial dog. However, if you coddle your dog too much as a puppy, it will never grow out of the over-cuddly thing. So there needs to be a balance. I'm not really sure what you mean about the 'fear' stage, but I'm sure that most of the puppy's personality traits will depend on the way he is raised, but he will also be born with certain traits that you can't get rid of, unfortunately.
Both just like a person. Yes, a parent has the ability to give their child a good environment to grow in and give them the support and discipline to become a good person but each child even within the same house grows up with very different personalities.
Yes, its how YOU as the owner handles it. Take whatever it was and make him go through it again but letting him know that its ok. Trust me, I've watched ALOT of the Dog Whisper episodes lol. its the same thing as humans the only way to get rid of the fear is to go through it.
There is some degree of temperament that is inborn... that first reaction to something new is seen nearly from birth. How they learn to handle themselves after that first reaction definately has a LOT to do with how you deal with them and the issue.



Fear stages are a time I choose to specifically add some stressors to their life... whilst making certain that they are safe and successful. The early foundation I build with my pups means that they have a default behavior (sitting) to fall on when they are a bit fearful. This allows them to do something that always can be rewarded and can be used as a base to build upon when the pup/dog is confronted with something that frightens them. I become very focused and exact when guiding a dog into accepting something worrisome. My matter of fact approach, which they have seen numerous times during training, reassures them that all is well.



Conversely, people who baby their dogs during a fear episode are reassuring their dogs that yes, there is something to be feared and that the fear reaction is appropriate.
Hi,



As dogs grow older, they are also maturing. In general small dogs are maturing quickly than large dogs though they go through same stages from puppyhood to senior years. For more info about this, check out this site:



http://dogtime.com/ages-stages.html
I believe that although there are genetic aspects to a a dog's personality, certain traits of that dog's personality can be dealt with. As for fear stages, I completely agree that how the stages are handled play a huge part in how the dog develops.



A German Shepherd Dog puppy for example goes through two major fear phases. During that time, socialization needs to be a huge part of that dog's life. New situations need to be introduced and the puppy needs to succeed in what they do. New objects, people, animals...they all need to be properly introduced to the puppy and when they are introduced, that puppy needs to be praised for confident behaviors. Wheelchairs, crutches, people in uniform, umbrellas...everything that dog will come across later on in life needs to be introduced at an early age.



This is a main reason why I so strongly suggest puppy classes for GSDs. They need the socialization and the confidence boosts in order to develop into balanced adults.



Now if during those fear stages, a puppy is not introduced to new situations or if those fear stages are not handled properly, the puppy may develop into a shy or unsure adult dog with fear behaviors which are not completely related to that dog's genetics.



A reputably bred GSD will have the potential to become a stable adult dog and chances of that happening may be in your favor, but if that dog is not properly worked with, it can still develop into a fearful adult dog.



Now there are certainly situations in which no amount confidence building activities or socialization will be able to change a dog. A dog with horrible genetics will always have horrible genetics. A fearful dog will in some cases always be a fearful dog. Behaviors can be worked with, but temperment cannot be changed. Dealt with? Yes, sometimes, but the genetic buildup of that dog will ALWAYS be there. You cannot change that.
At a fear stage, if something bad happens it sticks for a very long time. It is very hard to get that image out of a dog, but the right owners can do that.



Every dog has a personality but during puppyhood is when that personality is still forming in some ways.
Genetics is what the pup is born with, and you cannot change that. But you can modify behaviour, to a certain extent, through how you treat them.



Your example of the fear stage - yes, I do believe that how you deal with the pup during that stage affects the dog they grow into. It's the same as if a dog was abused as a puppy.



But a dog that is soft will never be hard, to give an example of genetic behaviors.