If you think that your dog exhibits a behavior for your attention, try the following tests. For example, if an owner yells No!, that is still regarded by the dog as attention and can perpetuate the behavior. Even behaviors which start as a frustration related behaviors can be rewarded inadvertently when owners pay attention to the dog when he performs the behavior. Sometimes, what appears to be a compulsive behavior is actually an attention seeking behavior. Dogs that chase their tails often end up mutilating the tail requiring amputation, while dogs that suck on themselves frequently cause skin infections. It can cause injury to the dog as the impulse to perform the particular behavior becomes stronger and stronger. The behavior can take over the dog’s life replacing normal sleep and feeding habits. Dogs often start to perform the compulsive behavior with any stressful event, not just the original inciting situation. Over time, compulsive behaviors progress and get worse. For some dogs, this behavior becomes ritualized and repetitive because of the intense reward that is associated -reduction of the physiologic feeling of stress or frustration. If holding the toy in his mouth actually reduces the neurotransmitters involved with the stressful event, the dog is likely to perform that behavior again when he is stressed. When a dog is frustrated or stressed, he may start to perform a normal behavior such as holding a toy in his mouth in order to relieve that stress. With each stressful event that your dog encounters, there is a release of neurotransmitters involved with the stress response. What Causes Compulsive Disorders in Dogs?Ĭompulsive disorders are caused by conflict, stress and/or frustration. They are exhibited for longer than expected periods of time, are repeated out of context, and in situations in which they would be considered abnormal.Ĭommon dog behaviors which can be classified as compulsive include spinning, tail chasing, fly biting, light chasing, barking, chewing, staring into space, sucking on a toy, or sucking on a part of the body. These behaviors are exaggerations of normal dog behaviors. Here are some other important insights into this curious dog behavior we call compulsive disorders… What are Compulsive Disorders?Ĭompulsive disorders (obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD) occur in dogs, although not with great frequency. Instead, in dogs, these disorders are called compulsive disorders. What is the difference? Obsessive compulsive behaviors include obsessive thoughts, which don't apply to dogs since we can’t know what they are thinking. Can dogs have OCD? Not really, but they do get compulsive behaviors.
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