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My dog is suddenly afraid of strangers. Is this normal for his age?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Irish Setter | Male | neutered | 11 months and 20 days old | 53 lbs

Is it normal for a dog his age to be afraid of everyone he doesn’t know? I thought at first it was just men, but he just recently was terrified and barking at a friendly lady who was just trying to say hello. He was so friendly as a puppy, and now he’s not! It’s been worrying me for weeks.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Katie S

Certified Dog Trainer

Published on April 29th, 2019

Puppies go through several fear phases and also these phases where everything they used to be fine with, suddenly isn't. A lot of it is just their mental development and they need some time to mature. It is always critical that puppies be well socialized, but there is also a fine balance of doing enough or doing too much. Sometimes we push our dogs too much and they just need a break and time to decompress. It is also unfair to believe our dogs will always like every person they meet. This lady may have appeared friendly but was telling the dog a different story. Dogs are amazing at reading body language and can pick up on even the subtle littlest things. It is possible she was pretending to be friendly but could have been hesitant or leary herself and Conan picked up on it and made himself leary too. Somtimes you just don't know what they are thinking. I would suggest taking Conan on walks and giving him space from people for a few days and see if his behavior improves. Sometimes our dogs ask us for space and we don't listen. There is no reason why our dogs need to greet every person they meet. Try this and if you feel his behavior is getting worse it would be a good idea to reach out to a local trainer who can see Conan and his reactions and offer advice based on what they determine is going on.

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    Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately if dogs are not adequately socialized as puppies, they can become fearful as they get older. The good news is you can still work on making Conan less fearful. I recommend you work with a trainer who uses positive reinforcement, or a veterinary behaviourist if Conan isn't responding to working with a trainer. See the links below for more information: http://info.drsophiayin.com/puppy-socialization-checklist-0 https://www.dacvb.org/page/dogs I also recommend talking to your vet about having Conan neutered. Unneutered males are prone to aggression, humping, roaming, marking and other behaviours, and neutering can help reduce the risk of these behaviours. It can also reduce the risk of testicular cancer and certain types of prostate disease.

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