狗狗也有“叛逆期”

山東 白祥文

一項新的研究表明，多數狗狗在某個特定時期也會經歷“叛逆期”。 狗狗的“叛逆期”大約發生在什么時候呢？ 狗狗的主人又該如何應對呢？

題材動物體裁報道文章詞數 難度 建議用時326 ★★★ 6 分鐘

A new study suggests that dogs go through a similar phase of stubbornness and disobedience when they turn about eight months old. Looking at the behavior of a total of 378 canines（犬科動物）, researchers found that the animals were more obedient either before or after they are 8 months old, but only when it came to their owners, not to less familiar trainers.

So not only do dogs appear to have a difficult adolescence just like we do, they also share the frustration that we often feel towards our parents or caregivers when we hit our teenage years.

“This is a very important time in a dog's life,” says animal behavior researcher Lucy Asher, from Newcastle University. “This is a period when dogs are no longer a cute little puppy and suddenly,their owners find they are more challenging and they can no longer control them or train them. But as with human teenage children, owners need to be aware that their dog is going through a phase and it will pass.”

In one experiment with 93 retrievers （尋獵物犬）, the dogs at eight months old took longer and were more reluctant to respond to a “sit” command given by their caregivers than they were when they were just five months old. The eight-month-olds didn't show the same stubbornness when the command was given by a stranger, though.

The researchers found further evidence of this effect in survey data gathered on 285 Labradors,Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and their cross breeds. Again, the caregivers ranked their dogs as less obedient at eight months old compared with five months old or 12 months old. The trainers reported that obedience increased between the ages of five months and eight months.

“It's very important that owners not punish their dogs for disobedience or start to pull away from them emotionally at this time,” says Asher. “This would be likely to make any problem behavior worse, as it does in human teens.”

Reading Check

1. When would be a difficult time for the caregivers to get along with their canines?

A. When the canines are about five months old.

B. When the canines are about eight months old.

C. When the canines are about twelve months old.

D. When the canines are about fourteen months old.

2. What can be inferred about a dog's rebellious period?

A. It could be actually momentary.

B. It differs greatly from that of a child.

C. It appears somewhat avoidable for a dog.

D. It seems to be more aggressive in the face of strangers.

3. What was Asher's suggestion for the owners of dogs experiencing rebellious period?

A. Avoiding punishments on them.

B. Distancing them for a period.

C. Giving more care to the dogs.

D. Delivering them to a familiar trainer.

Language Study

狗狗也叛逆？ 跟著叛逆的狗狗當偵探吧！

Read and think, and then complete the text using the proper forms of the given words.

Dogs, just like we do, go through a similar phase of 1. ___________(stubborn) and disobedience when they turn about eight 2. ___________(month) old. “This is a very important time in a dog's life,” says animal 3. ___________(behave) researcher Lucy Asher, from Newcastle University. “This is a period when dogs are no longer a cute little puppy and suddenly, their owners find they are more 4.___________(challenge) and they can no longer control them or train them.But as with human teenage children, owners need to be aware that 5. ___________（they） dog is going through a phase and it will pass.”