During your pet's dog juvenile period, she may experience a strange phase where she becomes fearful of new things and people. Don't let it affect her development permanently!
Dog Juvenile Period: How To Recognize It
Somewhere between your dog's fourth and seventh month, she may begin to exhibit signs of increased fearfulness or nervousness. This can occur even if she seemed to be a happy, well-adjusted pup before then. This period of regression is often called "juvenile-onset shyness" by experts, and it is a very common phase that every dog (and dog owner!) must experience.
Because of the different maturation rates of breeds and even individual dogs, the juvenile period may not start until even the eighth month, and could last into the pup's first year. Just be aware of your dog's behavior, and you should be able to recognize when she enters into her dog juvenile period.
No one really knows why it happens, but the fact is that it does, among all breeds and all temperaments. While you are often told to put your puppy into a training class around six months of age, this just may be the worst time to do that, if your pooch is going through her dog juvenile period.
Socialization: A Way To Combat Fearfulness
One important way to fight the symptoms of juvenile-onset shyness is to continue to make an effort to 
socialize your dog. Socialization is a process of giving your pup positive experiences with new faces and places, and is crucial in the very beginning of the dog's life. But even after that initial socialization, a dog needs continual experiences to keep from getting stuck in fear.
Here are a few ways to keep your dog socialized, even through the dog juvenile period and beyond:
- Go on regular walks, take your dog to a local park or other area with lots of activity. Let her meet other people and other dogs.
- Become acquainted with other dog owners and visit them so your dogs can playtogether. Experiencing other home situations is valuable during your pooch's dog juvenile period.
- Don't ever force your dog to participate or jump into the fray, especially if she is acting truly afraid. Give her some space and let her see you petting all the other dogs in the park. She may decide on her own to approach them once she sees you having a good time.
- While you shouldn't force your dog, you also shouldn't baby her. If she's fearful of loud noises or people, don't let her hide in your coat while you pet her and say, "Poor baby." That will only encourage the fearful reaction. If you can, talk to her normally and act happy and unconcerned about the noise or the flurry of activity. When she sees you're not afraid, it could help her overcome her own fear.
The best thing to remember is to be patient -- the dog juvenile period doesn't last forever, and by working to help your dog through it, you'll end up with a happy, well adjusted pet.
