The age at which dogs grow out of their puppy brain and settle into adulthood ranges from 12 months to the 12th of never

By Kim Campbell Thornto

Andrews McMeel Syndication

When Terry Albert’s Labrador retriever Tank was 10 years old, a friend commented, “He’ll be a great dog when he matures.”

When does that happen? It’s the $64,000 question. The age at which dogs mature is, well, nobody knows, really. The usual answer is 18 to 24 months. Puppies spend those first two years maturing physically, but it can take a while for their brains to catch up. Breed, age at spay or neuter, training foundation and individual temperament are all factors.

And we can get so used to wild and crazy puppy antics that when our dogs start to settle down -- if they do -- it can come as a shock. First-time dog owners especially may worry that something is wrong with their pup. Here’s what to expect when -- or if! -- your pupper becomes an adult.

The process of a puppy reaching maturity is a physiological phenomenon, but it’s also brought on by environmental stimulus, says veterinary behavior specialist Debbie Horwitz, DVM. “So what you encounter during that time is going to affect how you behave,” she says.

Puppies acquired over the last two years haven’t necessarily had the same experiences that previous puppies had growing up. They may not have been to puppy kindergarten or spent much time sitting outdoors at a crowded coffee shop or visiting other establishments. Those pups may respond differently to new people or experiences than pre-pandemic puppies.

Training can affect when puppies mature. Dogs in training for detection work or to be service dogs start to become a little steadier between 18 months and 2 years of age, Horwitz says. “It takes a while to train dogs to reliably do things,” she says.

That’s true for companion dogs, too. What Horwitz calls behavioral leveling usually occurs when dogs have become familiar with their environment and know what’s expected of them. They’re less distractible, more able to settle on their own.

Breed and individual temperament matter, too -- maybe most of all. The age at which dogs start to mellow varies wildly. “Studies say between 12 to 36 months, but that is a big range. I see it clinically around 2 years for larger breeds,” says Kathryn Primm Gressett, DVM.

Dogs from working lines, whether they’re sporting breeds or sled dogs, tend not to get serious or to slow down for years. Flat-coated retrievers, for instance, are nicknamed the Peter Pan of dogs. If they get a grown-up brain at all, it’s not until they’re 5 or 6 years old. Labradors have a similar trajectory.

Shelties and collies start to chill out when they’re 12 to 18 months old, but for Australian shepherds and border collies, 2 to 3 years tends to be the magic age, owners say.

Dex, a German shepherd, is 16 months old.

“I think that USPS lost his adulthood,” says owner Rebecca Barocas. “Some days I fear I will be living with a 100-pound exuberant puppy forever. His breeder says at 3 years, his adulthood, like magic, will arrive.”

Toy breeds such as cavaliers might calm down at a young age -- or they might retain a puppy brain throughout life. One, who shall remain nameless, was raiding leftovers on picnic tables at the ripe old age of 8 years old.

Sometimes memory is at fault. Horwitz has friends in their 70s who recently acquired a springer spaniel puppy. “It has been years since they’ve had a puppy,” she says. They love Wrigley, who’s 15 months old, but they’re surprised by his energy level.

“We had Labs. They weren’t like that,” they told Horwitz. She reminded them that they had two children at that time. They all wore each other out. But she can tell Wrigley is starting to calm down: “In another six months, they might be saying, ‘What’s wrong with Wrigley? He’s so quiet when people come over.’”

So take heart, new puppy owners. Your pup will (probably) get a grown-up brain one of these days.

Q&A

How to find

a veterinarian

Q: My mother is moving to be near me, and we need to find a veterinarian for her cat. What should we look for?

A: Great question! Making sure a cat gets regular checkups with a veterinarian who’s familiar with her is the best way to catch and treat developing health issues before they become serious, giving your mother the pleasure of her cat’s company for all of the cat’s nine lives.

The foundation for a great relationship with a veterinarian is confidence and trust in the entire veterinary team. A well-run practice requires the skills of the front desk people, vet techs and veterinarians. Here’s what to look for.

-- Will your mother feel comfortable calling or coming in with any question or concern? She should be taken seriously when she brings her cat in for something nonspecific, like slowing down, a change in bathroom habits or becoming snippy with the kids?

-- Does the veterinarian respect your mother’s observations about her cat? She’s the one who knows her pet's normal habits and attitudes.

-- Do you both like the way pets are treated at the practice? Ask for a tour of the clinic before becoming a client. (They may ask you to come during off hours and to wear a mask to protect everyone’s health.) You should see the same level of care, compassion and cleanliness in the back room as in the lobby and exam rooms.

-- How is the veterinarian’s “petside” manner? Your mother should be confident that even if she’s waiting in the car, her cat is always treated as if she were standing there looking over the veterinarian’s shoulder.

When she finds a veterinarian she feels that way about, she has found the right one.

Bonus: Here’s how to be an exceptional veterinary client: fearfreehappyhomes.com/how-to-become-an-exceptional-veterinary-client. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Feline bone

count varies

-- How many bones does a cat have? The range is between 230 and 250, with a lot depending on their tail and toes. A long-tailed Maine coon cat will have more vertebrae than a Manx with no tail or a Manx mix with just part of a tail. And a cat with extra toes -- they're called polydactyl -- will have extra bones as a result. The average cat has about 244 bones, 38 more than our 206 bones. But we have something cats don't: collarbones. Without a collarbone, a cat can fit its body through openings the size of its head. Assuming it isn't overweight, of course.

-- Give your bird choices when it comes to perches. That plain wooden dowel that came with the cage is boring. Add in a rope perch -- the bouncy coil types are lots of fun for birds -- a mineral perch (not sandpaper), an acrylic perch and a natural tree branch. Rope perches can be run through the washer and dryer or the top rack of your dishwasher. Mineral perches feel good underfoot, and birds enjoy wiping their beaks on them. Acrylic perches are sturdy and easy to clean. Choose natural branches from trees such as almond, apple, citrus, ash, elm, dogwood and magnolia. Cut them to fit inside the cage, scrub with soap, rinse well, and break off and discard any insect pods before giving to your bird.

-- When you think rats, you probably picture a gray-brown street rat or a white lab rat. But when it comes to color, domestic rats, aka fancy rats, are highly diverse. They can be found in such shades as silver mink, platinum, blue, chocolate, cinnamon, champagne and fawn, and can have markings including hooded (the head a different color than the body) or masked. They’re beautiful! -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

It’s Pet Dental Health Month. Here are 8 cool things to know about dog teeth

By Kim Campbell Thornto

Andrews McMeel Syndication

When you look at your dog’s teeth, you’re looking at the canine version of a multipurpose tool. Dogs don’t have opposable thumbs or long fingers for grasping objects, so their teeth often stand in for hands. Teeth are good for picking up toys, holding onto things, scratching an itch, removing parasites from fur, defense and, of course, eating.

Anatomically, dog teeth have some interesting differences from human teeth, as well as some similarities.

First, the numbers: Dogs have 42 teeth, while humans have only 30. But not every dog has 42 teeth.

Hairless dogs such as Chinese cresteds, Peruvian Inca orchids (PIO for short), and Xoloitzcuintli (aka Mexican hairless) not only lack a coat, they are often lacking certain teeth as well. The missing hair and teeth result from a mutation on a gene called forkhead I3 gene (FOXI3). Dogs with two copies of the FOXI3 mutation are hairless, those with a single copy have some hair and those with no copies have a regular coat and dentition. In Chinese cresteds, dogs with a normal coat and teeth are called powderpuffs. Xolos and PIOs with hair are simply referred to as “coated.”

Like human teeth, canine teeth are formed in layers. Enamel, the white part that you see when your dog smiles at you, is the hardest substance in the body. Beneath the enamel is dentin, the main support structure of the tooth, which, unlike enamel, continues to thicken throughout the dog’s life. Harder than bone but not as hard as enamel, it’s sensitive to temperature and pain. Inside the dentin is the pulp, living tissue that contains blood vessels, nerves and the cells that produce dentin.

Dogs have longer tooth roots than humans. According to veterinary dental specialist Jan Bellows, DVM, 60% of an animal’s tooth is below the gumline.

Primary, or first, teeth -- also known as deciduous teeth -- start to erupt when puppies are 4 to 6 weeks old. Baby teeth consist of incisors, canines and premolars. Molars hang back and come in with the secondary, or permanent, teeth. (That’s why puppies have only 28 teeth while adult dogs have 42.) Secondary teeth start to push their way through when pups are 3 months old and are completely in by the time pups are 7 months old.

Sometimes, baby teeth hang on rather than falling out, causing crowding in tooth sockets. These persistent primary teeth need to come out so they don’t push permanent teeth out of place.

Chewing can ease the pangs of incoming teeth, but puppy chew items should be soft so they don’t break the primary teeth, which have weak enamel and dentin, Dr. Bellows says. “No antlers, no bones, no nylon chews, because they break teeth,” he says. “Once those teeth break, bacteria (can) get into the pulp and travel down to the apex of the root, which can affect the secondary tooth permanently.”

Some dogs need orthodontic treatments, not for a pretty smile, but to give the dog a functional, pain-free bite -- not a mailman kind of bite, but the way the teeth are aligned. Dogs have a scissors bite, meaning the upper incisors overlap the lower incisors and the lower canines fit between the upper third incisor and the upper canine. When the bite isn’t right, it’s called a malocclusion and can cause pain. That’s when dogs need orthodontic attention.

“If they have a malpositioned tooth, or if they have a skeletal deformity, where the lower teeth are making holes in the upper palate, then they should seek the advice of a veterinary dentist to either decrease the height of the teeth that are causing the problems and restoring them; putting medicine on top of the pulp and putting bonding on it so the canines aren't penetrating anymore; moving the teeth to functional positions; or taking them out,” Dr. Bellows says.

Q&A

CGC title gives

dogs options

Q: What are the benefits of a Canine Good Citizen title for a dog?

A: I’m glad you asked! Dogs who earn a CGC have a foundation of good manners and skills that will stand them in good stead throughout life.

Dogs are evaluated on 10 different skills: greeting a friendly stranger; sitting politely for petting; willingly allowing brushing and paws and ears to be handled; walking on a loose leash; moving politely through a crowd; sitting, lying down and staying in place on cue; coming when called; behaving politely around other dogs; reacting with confidence to distractions; and being left with a trusted person.

The CGC title can be earned by any dog of any age, breed or mix. It’s often required for making therapy dog visits -- in addition to regular therapy dog training -- and it’s a good basis for learning other skills and dog sports. Your homeowners’ insurance company may offer a discount if your dog earns a CGC, or you may find that it’s a requirement for moving into an apartment or condo complex. Hotels may waive or discount pet fees if you show proof of your dog’s CGC.

Young dogs can start with the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program and progress to the CGC title. Shelter dogs or dogs in other special situations may benefit from the CGC-Ready program, which preps them for the CGC test.

After acquiring their CGC, city dogs can earn the CGC-U title, demonstrating their skills at navigating urban environments -- riding on an elevator, for instance. They are tested in public settings that include traffic, crowds, noises, smells and other distractions. A CGC-U title might be required for your pet dog to ride public transportation or enter certain dog-friendly establishments.

Bonus: CGC training will help you and your dog develop strong communication skills. Always train with someone who uses positive-reinforcement techniques. -- Mikkel Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Smart tips to

housetrain pup

-- Got a new pup? Here are some housetraining tips. Puppies need to relieve themselves after they wake up, after they eat or drink, and after play. Take him out immediately after those activities, and reward him as soon as he potties outdoors with praise or a treat (or both!). When you know he’s “empty” because you saw him potty, he can play in the house under supervision. When you can’t supervise, give him some downtime in his crate. That will help him learn to “hold it.” Remember that young puppies, especially small breeds or mixes, can't go very long without eating, drinking, sleeping or relieving themselves. A good rule of thumb: Puppies can hold it as long as their age in months. A 2-month-old pup can stay in a crate for about two hours, for example.

-- Birds keep their feathers fine by drawing them through their beaks, cleaning and coating them with oil they pull from a gland at the base of their tails. This behavior is called preening. Preening is a social behavior, too; besides preening each other, birds may also enjoy preening the hair of their favorite people.

--If your cat is sneezing and has runny eyes, she may have a respiratory virus such as feline viral rhinotracheitis or feline calicivirus. Signs of viral respiratory disease include a watery or puslike discharge from the eyes and nose, lots of sneezing, and ulcers in her mouth or on her nose. Respiratory viruses can develop into pneumonia or a secondary bacterial infection, so it’s important to take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as you notice signs. These types of viruses are highly contagious, so if you have multiple cats, isolate the sick one so she doesn’t spread the disease. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

How do you know if your pet loves you? Read their signs

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We love our pets, no doubt about it. In a survey of 16,000 dog and cat owners and 1,200 veterinarians across eight countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Japan and China), 95% of respondents said they consider pets part of the family, and 98% reported benefits from having a pet in their lives, including increased happiness, reduced loneliness and decreased stress, according to the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute and Zoetis.

But do pets love us back? We think the answer is yes, and so do some leading scientists. Neuroscientist Gregory Berns at Emory University and psychology professor Clive Wynne at Arizona State University are among the canine cognition researchers who have made dogs and their relationships with us the subject of their studies. Berns is the author of “How Dogs Love Us,” and Wynne of “Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You.”

On the cat side: In separate studies, researchers at Oregon State University’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab, as well as scientists in Sweden, found that cats -- long thought of as aloof creatures -- seek out and often prefer social interactions with people.

Maybe our pets can’t speak the words “Happy Valentine’s Day,” but they show their love for us through their body language, vocalizations, brain response and actions. Here’s how you can tell when your pet is saying “I love you.”

-- They want to be close. Some lean against a leg, want to be in a lap, lie on top of your head or next to you, rest their heads on your feet or rub their faces against you. Cats are known for rubbing against their people to “mark” them, using a scent gland on their cheek. When your cat is winding through your legs or knocking foreheads with you -- known as bunting -- that’s what she’s doing. Dogs also have scent glands in the facial area and will nuzzle or rub their faces against their people.

-- They gaze at us. Staring is bad manners among dogs and cats, who consider it an aggressive act, but when interacting with us, dogs will return our looks of love and even seek out eye contact, showing us eyes that are normal size with a relaxed gaze. Cats give eye kisses by slowly blinking at us. Blink slowly back at your cat if you want to return the love.

-- They react happily to the sound of our voices. Don’t you love it when you come home and call your pet’s name, and he comes bounding joyfully to you? It’s even more special when he leaves a favorite toy or even a meal to come and greet you.

-- They love our scent. Your scent triggers activity in the reward center of your dog’s brain. The area known as the “caudate nucleus” is rich in dopamine receptors. For humans, it lights up when we anticipate eating Mom’s apple pie or reuniting with someone we love. Using positive reinforcement techniques, Berns trained dogs to enter an MRI machine willingly and unsedated. He then scanned their brains while presenting them with the odors of different people. Only one type of smell activated the caudate: that of someone they knew. In “How Dogs Love Us,” he writes: “Could it be longing? Or love? It seemed entirely possible. These patterns of brain activation looked strikingly similar to those observed when humans are shown pictures of people they love.”

Like yours, our own pets have special ways of showing their love. My dog Harper is a watcher, always looking to see what I’m going to do so she can trail after me. Mikkel’s cat Mylo flies to her side when she calls. “He jumps into my arms, crawls up my chest, then drools and purrs on my neck, making happy biscuits in my hair,” she says. Now that’s love!

Q&A

Why dogs can’t

eat chocolate

Q: Why is chocolate toxic to dogs, and what should I do if my dog eats some?

A: For those of us who love chocolate and know about the health benefits of dark chocolate, it’s hard to imagine that it could be toxic to our best friends.

Lots of dogs love the taste of chocolate, based on the number of them that I hear about who have broken into the Halloween stash, holiday gift boxes of the stuff, and Valentine’s Day sweets, but chocolate doesn’t love them back.

Chocolate contains both caffeine and a substance called theobromine. Both are plant alkaloids, mildly stimulating to humans, but toxic to dogs; they aren't able to process theobromine as efficiently as humans.

You may have heard of dogs who eat, say, a whole pan of brownies with no ill effects. That’s because chocolate's toxic effects -- known as chocolate toxicosis -- vary by size of the dog, amount and type of chocolate eaten, and individual sensitivity.

The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more toxic it is. That doesn't mean that milk chocolate is safe. One ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is a potentially lethal dose in dogs.

Dogs who ingest chocolate may start to vomit, have diarrhea or become unusually thirsty within six to 12 hours. Other signs include restlessness, a distended abdomen, seizures, a racing heart (tachycardia), and high or low blood pressure. Dogs who are highly sensitive to theobromine or who ingest cocoa powder or unsweetened baking chocolate can die from cardiac arrhythmias, hyperthermia or respiratory failure.

Another factor is the possible presence of xylitol, a sugar alcohol, in some chocolate products. It's highly toxic to dogs and may be of more concern than chocolate itself. When in doubt, call a pet poison hotline. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Vaccine protects

bunnies from virus

-- We’ve reported previously about deadly rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, which is circulating in the United States and affects pet and wild rabbits. University of Illinois veterinarian Krista Keller, an exotic animal specialist, recommends that pet rabbits be vaccinated now before possible outbreaks in the spring. The calicivirus can be carried to pet rabbits indoors on human shoes and clothing, as well as to bunnies grazing in yards where wild rabbits have been. It has a rapid incubation period of one to two days, causes hemorrhaging and is highly contagious. The vaccine, which is a two-shot series and requires annual boosters, is nearly 100% effective at protecting against infection. That’s good, because no treatment is available. Adult rabbits are at greatest risk; humans and other animals are not affected. For more information, see the House Rabbit Society website: rabbit.org/rhdv.

-- Belgian Malinois are commonly employed by police, the military, and search and rescue teams. Jobs they perform -- thanks to their keen sense of smell -- include sniffing out contraband, the coronavirus, and jaguar and cheetah scat.

-- Children on the autism spectrum had significantly improved social skills and behavior after a cat joined their family. That’s one of the findings of research fellow Gretchen Carlisle of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She conducted a study that involved placing shelter cats with families whose children were on the autism spectrum. The cats were screened for social temperament, and families could choose the cat they preferred. Research team members monitored not only the children’s behavior but also the stress levels of the cats. “After the adoption of their cat, parents rated their children as having an improvement in empathy and fewer problem behaviors,” Carlisle said. “Parents also rated their children as having less separation anxiety.” -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by “The Dr. Oz Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.