The Myth of the 4-Month Meltdown
The email typically starts something like this: "I read somewhere that a rescued dog's "true colors" do not always appear right away, but may show up weeks or months later as the dog realizes that it is in its permanent home. One trainer said that bad behaviors will start to show up after four months. . . "
First, dogs don't keep calendars.
Second, no two dogs are alike.
Third, no two dog owners are alike.
Fourth, despite repeated claims by the National Enquirer, dogs do not just spontaneously combust.
And most importantly, anxiously awaiting the purported behavioral meltdown to
spontaneously occur at some predetermined date is exactly why it may occur (and sooner rather than later
if your newly acquired dog is a high energy, high octane drivey brainiac such as a German Shepherd Dog or Cattle Dog).
This psychic prediction of some sort of "Four Month Meltdown" does have some basis in one fact: and that
fact is, when the average dog is left to its own devices without consistent behavioral modification,
training, and management tailored to that dog, the dog will more likely than not eventually
exhibit behaviors that will be at best displeasing and at the worst disastrous. This will occur regardless of
whether the dog has been recently re-homed, or if it has been a resident in the household for years.
One dog may transition to a new owner and household in 10 seconds or less. Another may take two years.
It's reasonable to expect some transitional adjustment. But it is not reasonable to presume that ongoing,
escalating, increasingly disruptive behaviors are unavoidable because of some predetermined "Post-Adoption
Behavioral Calamity Day" on the calendar. And it is even more unreasonable to accommodate or excuse such
behaviors if they occur. Because what inevitably happens is that after some weeks or months of this escalating
free-for-all, things come to a head and the dog is "suddenly" deemed out of control and the exasperated
owner is throwing their hands up in surrender proclaiming, "I knew this would happen!"
Dogs are animals. They are, by and large, clever and intelligent animals. Due to their nature as a pack
animal, they crave structure, social stability, and consistent leadership. Deprive the dog of those key
elements, leave the dog to its own devices and to the opportunistic juvenile delinquent lurking within,
and you will assuredly find that the dog's "true colors" --- meaning, inherent drives, character, and
temperament -- will surface in all their uninhibited and unchecked splendor, be they good, bad, or just plain ugly.
In the absence of consistently applied behavioral management, what else could we reasonably expect?
Digging, chronic barking, destructive chewing, herding the neighborhood kids, harrassing passing people
or dogs -- these are not new behaviors that spontaneously appear as if by magic because it has been
exactly four months since the date of acquisition. They are a cascading expression of the dog's neurological
and physical responses to its environment, responses that the dog reactively displays and then increasingly replays
in the absence of learned, readily achievable, and more rewarding alternate behaviors.
Your new Labrador puppy digging up the yard? Be a leader, recognize that he's bored out of his gourd, and give
him something more interesting and productive to do.
Your 18-month old adopted German Shepherd barking at and chasing people walking by your fence? Take charge and
create the environment that will elicit alternate behaviors.
Your 2-year-old Cattle Dog lunging at joggers as they pass you on your morning walk? Realize that the
mammal buying the kibble is the one holding the most powerful end of the leash, so learn, teach, and
consistently require the alternate behaviors that you want.
And if you don't know how to resolve any of the above unwanted behaviors, ask for help from someone who does.
I am convinced that failed dog adoptions/returns would be at least halved if shelters, breed rescue
groups and other animal welfare agencies would make just one change in their dog adoption policies:
require that every adopter and their newly adopted dog commence post-adoption team counseling and
training within the first week of adoption, with training "tune-ups" during the first year following
adoption. There are some forward-thinking regional breed rescue organizations requiring post-adoption training . Unfortunately, under pressure
to place dogs with a broader pool of potential adoptive owners (many of
whom would not agree to commit to post-adoption training) to make room for the endless
crush of incoming dogs in need of re-homing, the prospects remain remote for all breed rescue organizations to implement universal post-adoption training requirements. To better understand the
ramifications of this post-adoption team training vacume, we only need
to look at the high number of dogs that, because of behavioral issues left unaddressed, go through one,
two, three or more failed adoptions, further compounding the dog's behavioral problems and the national
crisis of too many homeless dogs coming in to a system with too few and chronically overextended no-kill
rescue/shelter resources.
Instead of waiting to see if, despite all the dire warnings, you and your newly acquired dog
will somehow luck out and dodge the bullet of the mystical "Four Month Meltdown" -- consider an
alternate, proactive strategy to maximize the quality and longevity of your new team,
and extend your "Adoption Day Honeymoon" for a lifetime:
- Set the stage for success right from Day One.
- Learn how to teach, train, and maintain desirable behaviors.
- Be the fair, confident, and consistent leader that your dog needs and requires every single
day of its life, from the first moment you forge your new team to the last.
Consider that if your dog has been exhibiting escalating and increasingly disruptive behaviors, the solution
may be readily available right there at your end of the leash, rather than at the "Relinquishments"
counter at your local shelter.
(Note: If you observe that your dog is displaying sudden onset unusual behaviors or personality changes,
especially any behaviors that would be considered aggressive, consult with your veterinarian today to
request a full physical examination to identify any physiological reasons for the behavior(s) that may
require medical diagnosis and treatment.
