- Continued
From The Experts
From Stress in Dogs - Learn how dogs show stress and what you can do to help by Martina Scholz, Clarissa von ReinhardtA distinction is made between compulsive movement and compulsive noise making. The behavior is kept up over a long time period and/or repeated in the same manner without there being an obvious reason for it. For example running in a figure of eight, running around in circles, chasing his own tail, monotonous barking and excessive licking are observed. - From BEFORE and AFTER GETTING YOUR PUPPY by Ian Dunbar
- scratching, tail-chasing, head-pressing, or in extreme cases, self-mutilation. Stereotyped behaviors cause the release of endorphins, perpetuating their repetition, and in a sense, the dog becomes drugged and hooked on mindless, repetitive activity. Stereotyped behaviors are like behavioral cancers; they progressively increase in frequency and squeeze most useful and adaptive responses from the dog's behavior repertoire until eventually the “brain-dead” dog spends hours on end barking, pacing, chewing himself, or simply staring into space.
- From BEFORE and AFTER GETTING YOUR PUPPY by Ian Dunbar
A vital facet of your puppy's early education is to teach him how to peacefully pass the time of day. Feeding your puppy's kibble only from hollow chewtoys — Kongs, Biscuit Balls, and sterilized bones — keeps your puppy happily occupied and content for hours on end. It allows the puppy to focus on an enjoyable activity so that he doesn't dwell on his loneliness.
- From Oh Behave!: Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker by Jean Donaldson
The dog is conflicted so neither approaches nor avoids, but chases his tail instead. If the frustration or conflicts are chronic enough, the behavior becomes more entrenched and at a certain frequency gets dubbed a compulsive disorder. Once it’s at this stage, it’ll happen whenever the dog feels stressed or is bored and, in the most severe cases, virtually all the time the dog is not otherwise occupied. - From Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats by Karen Overall
The intent of this type of active behavior mod is to help teach the animals that when they are rewarded for the physical signs that correlate with changes in underlying physiological state, they will feel not just the pleasure of the reward, but relief from the condition. This is a form of biofeedback for dogs and cats. If done correctly and consistently, the dogs and cats will learn that when they become distressed, they can alleviate that distress by exhibiting these competitive and relaxing behaviors. -
- From Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats by Karen Overall
Once you are able to successfully interrupt the problem behaviors, you can start active behavior modification. Active behavior modification for OCD involves teaching the animal behaviors that actually encourage relaxation and that prohibit the animal from engaging in the OCD-related behavior. For some dogs who want to chase their tails, this may mean that they are encouraged to lie down completely flush with the ground with their head and neck stretched out. When the dog stretches out and takes a deep breath he gets a terrific food treat.
- From Stress in Dogs - Learn how dogs show stress and what you can do to help by Martina Scholz, Clarissa von Reinhardt
- lick and bite herself in the region around the base of the tail, as if she had fleas or the anal scent glands were full. The vet’s examination didn’t find anything wrong and nobody seemed to be able explain why she did what she did. Eventually, the woman changed dog schools and the new trainer found the cause of the behavior. The dog was stressed out by the tension at home between the owner and her partner due to the woman’s decision to get a dog. There were constant arguments and the man made the dog fully aware that her presence was not appreciated. The dog soon started to swallow any...
- latrenda shared from Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats by Karen Overall
Many herding dogs spin or chase their tails when stressed or when affected by OCD. Not all cases of OCD are endogenous. Some, such as this case, are profoundly affected by kenneling and social conditions.
- From Natural Remedies For Dog Diseases (Natural Remedies For Animals Series) by Mark Gilberd
- In flea bite allergies over the back and in front of the tail will be the most affected area. Eczemas of various types can be considered under this heading although not all forms of eczema are allergic in origin. They may be acute or chronic, wet or dry with clinical signs and symptoms similar to those outlined
- From Behavior Problems in Dogs by William E. Campbell
Other behavior problems associated with spinal subluxation have been self-mutilation and lick granuloma, scratching, tail chasing, biting (apparently due to hyperesthesia), mis-diagnosed sympathy lameness. -
- From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
stereotypy—a single, nonfunctional behavior repeated over and over again. Animals kept in sterile environments, where they can’t meet their basic behavioral needs, commonly develop stereotypies.... Stereotypies can change the animal’s brain chemistry, and they don’t necessarily evaporate when the animal enters a richer, more appropriate environment... - From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
If your dog licks or performs any other behavior more often than seems normal, get help right away—that gives you and your dog the best chance of success. Treatment for compulsive disorder generally combines medication, stress reduction, and a full, interesting life with plenty of mental and physical exercise. You can also learn to spot your dog’s triggers so as to derail compulsive incidents before they start. - From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
“Excessive crate confinement or neglect has been implicated in the development of grooming and licking excesses.” Steven R. Lindsay, Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training. -
- From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
So when should you worry? First, if your dog humps to the exclusion of other activities or constantly licks at or rubs her genitals, you might be looking at canine compulsive disorder or a medical problem. - From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
As for adult dogs, they may chew inappropriately for all kinds of reasons—boredom, loneliness, canine compulsive disorder—and also for no bigger reason than that they acquired the habit in puppyhood. - From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal
Caution: Canine compulsive disorder commonly takes the form of spinning. Don’t teach your dog this trick if she already has a diagnosis of CCD or even if you think she might; also stay away from it if your dog is a Bull Terrier, like Spuds MacKenzie, because this breed is prone to CCD and, specifically, to spinning as a symptom.
Some of the authors listed above also provide information for further reading:
- From Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats by Karen OverallMoon-Fanelli, AA, Dodman, NH. Description and development of compulsive tail chasing in terriers and response to clomipramine treatment. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1998; 212:1252–1257.From Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats by Karen OverallSchneider, BM, Dodman, NH, Maranada, L. Use of meantime in treatment of canine compulsive disorders. J Vet Behav: Clin Appl Res. 2009; 4:118–126. Schneider,From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal6. Landsberg, Hunthausen, and Ackerman, “Stereotypic and Compulsive Disorders,” 211 (“Case 1”).From The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet (Quick & Dirty Tips) by Jolanta Benal1. Andrew Luescher, “Compulsive Behaviour,” in BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine, ed. Debra F. Horwitz, Daniel Mills, and Sarah Heath (British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2002), 229–36. 2. G. Landsberg, W. Hunthausen, and L. Ackerman, “Stereotypic and Compulsive Disorders,” in Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat, 2nd ed. (Saunders, 2003), 195–225.
- Note: I do not recommend any type of punishment for a dog displaying compulsive behaviors. That includes walking off and leaving a dog alone. Instead i would suggest trying to positively redirect the behavior before it starts.
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