Re: OCD

In Reply to: OCD
Posted by:  Mary Stone
Posted on:  May 31, 2001 at 07:35:29

: I don't have a question, but want to tell Heather (5-30-01)whose dog paws and bites the water that she is not alone. My 4 yr old will stand in her wading pool and bite and paw the water until I can't stand it any longer and have to remove her from the scene. She doesn't like to swim either, but loves her pool.

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I know several Jack Russells that do this. I don't know that I'd call it OCD as much as I'd say the terrier has just found a way to amuse him/herself.

The problem with things like flashlights/laserlights is that they are solely visual, and can really mess with a dog's mind. The dog begins to hallucinate the light, since his mind cannot reason what exactly the light is or when to honestly expect it. People may say "oh, but he knows when I pick up the flashlight that it's time for a game" but sometimes the canine mind doesn't work quite as we expect it to. Once the dog gets accustomed to chasing the light from a flashlight, they move on to glints off a watch or shadows on the wall. These things have no smell that a dog can pick up to know to expect to see it. It has no sound... taste... scent. Water in a pool is quite different from that.

I have a dog who is addicted to his Kong. If he doesn't have a Kong with him when he's crated or put outside, he stresses out. He simply ENJOYS the Kong, but he doesn't have OCD.