It was a HUGE problem with the ISSR dogs! I once went through the training forum and made a list of all the threads that dealt with dogs with fear issues. It was a real eye-opener!
I no longer follow what's happening with the breed, since the death of Tina Barber, the breed founder, so I don't know if that's still the case, or if the other rival registries have been able to lick the problem.
The breed was mainly based on American lines, many of which have temperament problems, then when she outcrossed to a dog that was (supposedly) a cross between a giant malemute and a German shepherd, things seemed to get even worse...:crying:
The fall I got my dog, we were out in the woods while someone was shooting a deer hunting rifle. She looked up briefly at the first noise, then went back to sniffing a bush. She also stood beside me while we watched an excavator dig up the sidewalk, put her nose into strollers, and kissed babies. About 9 months, everything went south, and when she saw my best friend approaching us on the street, she tried to run away and hide! She was suddenly afraid of children, men, bicycles, loud noises...EVERYTHING! One day, a small off leash puppy came running up to greet her, and she freaked so badly she tore the leash out of my hand. When I took her to training classes, she would hide underneath my chair, and refuse to take even very high value treats, like chicken.
Everyone said, "oh, she's going through a fear period" Well, she never grew out of the 'fear period', so I rehomed her at the age of 2. :frown2: