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All Growed Up
By Marilyn Marks
Here’s the scenario: A client calls because their dog has bitten someone. Among other questions, I ask "How old is your dog?" If I had a dollar for every time the answer was "two" or "about two" I’d be rich. That’s because dogs emotionally mature at two, and mature beings take matters into their own hands (er, mouths).
For dogs, being two is roughly equivalent to 30 for humans. Adolescents try on new behaviors for size but usually back down when they know they are in over their head. Young adults begin to "know who they are" in moments of conflict but still show lack of confidence in their decisions. At two, a dog, like a person, has reached the stage of action with confidence.
A bite (or a threat to bite – snapping, growling, etc.) where there wasn’t one before is seen as coming "out of the blue" to the owners. In most cases the dog has warned of its discomfort or conflict with a situation during the previous months but it wasn’t a bite (yet!) so no one took it seriously. In other cases the signs of discomfort were more subtle, going unnoticed by the owners. In a small number of cases, the problem behavior does seem to arise out of nowhere, but it is really due to the dog’s genetics "turning on" at a certain age or stage.
In the following example, an adolescent dog clearly shows his developing sense of self: Mojo, a 10 month old mastiff-german shepherd mix was playing with 8 or so other dogs at our playgroup one weekend when in walked Mr. Big, a 6 year old german shepherd (both dogs are neutered). Mr. Big is in fact the alpha of the room and is benevolent to almost all the dogs, but he has challenged Mojo before. Mojo used to scream and lower himself and slink off. Today Mojo stood his ground but didn’t start anything. Mom was proud that her dog knew how to back down. "Not for long," I said. And explained to her that at 10 months her dog was just starting to mature. "One day he will decide what to do when confronted by Mr. Big. Right now he’s backing down, he knows his place. But when he’s older he may not feel the same." Sure enough, later in the play session, Mojo went over to where Mr. Big was playing with some other dogs and stood nearby, watching. His presence alone (that close, and staring) sends a strong message to Mr. Big. The "relationship" is still evolving but the signs were not at all obvious to the owner.
If your dog is under two, consider that his/her responses to the world are still evolving. Whether "dominant" or fearful, a dog who has tolerated things, such as the kids’ poking, people taking bones away, guests entering the house, someone (especially a child) holding him/her back from something he/she wants, may decide to communicate with a bite (or a warning snap).
Not all dog bites happen at age two. Dogs may bite (for too many reasons to go in to here!) at any age. But if your dog shows any signs of aggressiveness get some professional assistance. Don’t think a growl or snap isn’t bad – it is a bite waiting to happen.
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