Canine ADD???

I have a great Shephard mix who chases lights and shadows incessantly. If I take him over to the off-leash doggie park, he will stare at the ground for a long long time and will prance onto shadows or flickering lights he sees on the ground. He is fully capable of doing this hours on end.

When the sun is not out due to overcast, or during his night time walks, he is a normal happy pup. Other times he is also distracted and will play normally depending on his 'mood'. Some times there is no way to take him away from that behavior.

Does anyone know what is causing this and if there is anything we can do to get him from taking these obsessive behaviors? He is such a nice dog and thoroughly enjoys playing with other dogs which is much healthier for him compared to the endless staring into the ground.

Thanks,
Martin

A friend and neighbor to our leasehold in Baja California has a rotweiler that will try to dig up a light aimed at the ground. If a reflection of the sun from your wrist watch makes a bright spot on the desert floor, she (Gretchen) tries to dig it up. At night a flashlight triggers the same activity. They have to be careful that she isn't left where she will find and continuously dig at a reflection, say from a car mirror or... and do herself an injury to her front paws from the ceasless digging.

Excessive compulsive behavior? Otherwise she is a sweetheart and has no other strange traits or behaviors.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I had a Rott back in the 80's that did the same thing and was never played with that way when a pup, so I don't know where he picked it up. Came home one afternoon to find the linoleum in the kitchen all dug up...in the middle...there were no seams.... That's the last time we had a colored glass thingy hanging in front of the window.

The "Horse Whisperer" did and episode on this a while back about a dog that was played with a light when a pup and kept the obssesive behavior. I didn't really like that particular scenario because I couldn't figure out how or if he actually cured the dog. Something to do with longer more frequent walks with the owners to keep the dog's mind focused on them more... I think

Hi

I,m new to the forum.

But have been reading your posts, I'v got a black Lab he's 7 month's old, he loves to chase shadows, tourch lights and reflections from mirrors or even the sun when outside, as he is still training the tourch light chasing works wonders when he wont come back when called at night.

How about when they spin round and round franticaly chasing there own tail, I'v been told this is bordem?

L.plates [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I took Sammy to that guy, the 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Milan. He is quite impressive in his teachings. Yes I heard about the episode regarding a dog that chased lights. No we didn't get any particular insights about one way or the other to fix the issue.

Oops, that's what I meant.. the DOG whisperer. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
It seems like most of his solutions are to walk the dog more, even putting a backpack on the dog to make it seem more like the dog is doing something. I wish he had a book come out so I could sum everything he says up.

Yeah, here is the problem... and we don't know the cause really... and here is our non-solution, longer walks with the owners.

I wonder if the dog were a tree, what kind of a tree he would be... I wonder what the squirells and bunny rabbits would think about the kind of tree the dog would be... etc. ad infinitum ad naseum.

As far as I know Gretchen (their rot) never damaged anything indoors but the frantic digging was a clear and present danger to her paws.

It is probably more than coincidence that your rot sid this too. May be a behavior they are predisposed to pick up.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

He teaches a consistent story - and it does have a strong relationship to exercise and earning everything that they get. Ceaser makes a compelling argument about us giving the dogs what WE think they want as opposed to what they actually need. And what they actually need is much different from what we think they need.

We think that dogs need affection the most. Probably becase we need affection and therefore believe that they need that same thing. Ceaser notes that dogs in nature do 'work' for everything, including what they do to earn their relative position within their pack and what they do to feed themselves. Exchanging affection isn't in the equation at all.

His (Ceaser's) regular client is someone with a dog that is out of control. He also has formed some type of relationship with Hollywood folks. So that's what you see on cable, having cut a deal with National Geographic.

I went to his 'shop' where there were some 40 or 50 code red dogs. These are dogs who were scheduled for euthenisia for various reasons having to do with agression. We took Sammy there for a couple of mild behavioral problems. The 40 code red dogs were all, each and every one, in good behavior and seemed neutral to Sammy's visit.

Sammy immediately responded. We do our best to keep him calm and submissive (Ceser's favorite words). And we make him work for everything. Even eating his regular meals we have him do something small like sitting or such. We have him follow behind us out the door and other such small things.

It's been interesting. The funniest thing has been the reaction of our friends who want to know what it's like to talk to a 'movie star'. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img])

Anyway, that's the story.

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We do our best to keep him calm and submissive (Ceser's favorite words).

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...and the owners "calm assertive". [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Well, yes in fact.

Turns out this is all about me and very little to do about Sammy.

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I realize this won't help people who posted before me given the age of this thread but if anyone else has a dog w obsessive/compulsive behaviors , I would recommend checking this link to Cesar Millan's site :
Dealing with Obsessive Dog Behaviors | Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan