Dealing with Obsessive and Fixated Behaviors - Excerpt from the book "Be the Pack Leader"

For dogs, obsessions and fixations can become as seriously harmful as addictions are for humans. When we laugh at a dog that is fanatically mad over a toy, a bone, a shaft of light, a game of fetch, or the neighbor's cat, it's like laughing at someone who is a falling-down drunk.

Sure, his behavior looks comical at the moment, but the truth is, he's truly got no physical or psychological control over himself.

Someday, he may really hurt himself and those around him. That's exactly what obsessive behavior is to a dog - an addiction. An interesting fact is that the term addiction derives from the Latin word addicere, to sentence. When we allow our dogs' habits to progress to the point of obsession and/or addiction, we are actually "sentencing" them to a very frustrated, unhappy existence.

Identifying Obsession

A normal dog plays well with others - you, your kids, and other dogs. Balanced dogs can like one toy or game more than another, but it's still a game; it's not a life or death situation. An obsessive dog will take such games very seriously. Her playing will have a whole different level of intensity to it.
When a dog is becoming obsessive, her face and her body language will visibly change. Her body will stiffen. A glaze will form over her eyes - her pupils become fixated and you can't distract her gaze. It appears almost as if she's in a trance. She's entered a zone in which there is no lightheartedness, no relaxation, and no joy in play. Think of a gambling addict at a slot machine, mechanically pulling the one-armed bandit over and over again, fixated on it but clearly not having fun. Obsession is not a happy place to be. It's a zone in which an animal is blind to everything around her that should make her happy.

Preventing Obsession

One step to preventing obsessive behavior is to monitor the intensity of your dog's play. I try to supervise the intensity of my own kids' play - because between them, one of them is going to be faster, or one is going to be physically stronger. If I can keep them at an intensity level that is mild, they can't hurt each other physically or emotionally. But they can still enjoy themselves. The point is, your dog must understand that there are limits to any game - whether it be playing with a favorite toy, or stalking the squirrels in the backyard. Those limits are determined by you, not by her.

Correcting Obsession

Make sure your dog is properly exercised and is not living with pent-up energy. Most of the time an obsession is something that the dog has discovered can work as an outlet for anxiety, frustration, or suppressed energy.
Correct obsessive/possessive behavior immediately: this is where the importance of knowing your dog comes in. You must learn to recognize the physical cues and energy signs that your dog is getting into an obsessive state, and stop her at level one before she escalates to level ten. Your job should be at that very moment to correct the dog, to bring her to the highest level of submission, keeping the toy or object of obsession (if that's what it is) next to her until she moves away from it voluntarily. Most people will snatch a toy away and say, "No!" By doing this, they can escalate the obsession into a higher level - making the object prey, and making you a potential target. Your dog may not want to bite a family member, but she's in a state now where she can't stop on her own. Remember, dogs don't rationalize.

An Excerpt from Be the Pack Leader (p. 282-284)

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Wed, 07/07/2010 - 9:19am — ChevyGrl

obsessed with toys when other dogs come near him

Hi. i have a 1 year old boxer (chevy) he is well socialized has lots of exercise . when he has a toy ,a human can reach down and get it out of his mouth or away from him he will not do a thing. But recently when another dog comes around him (when he has a toy) He will stand still and hover over the toy and growl. I am not a fan of this bc we go to dog parks and one of them has toys(which i do not argue with) he is fixated on the toys rather then dogs. Now the dog and him can play chase when he has the toy in his mouth and he has no problem. i want to break this habit before it gets worse. i had to lay him in submission position at the dog park the other day bc i was standing there and was going to pick up the ball and a 5mnth lab came over and chevy growled and kinda barked and lended into get the ball had him by the collar so i made him sit and lay in submission on his side till he was calm . (while he was laying there he could hear the squeak of the toy around him) . we got up got a drink and i made him sit then i let him go play and he got the toy again and growled so i took it away from him .

What do i do to stop him from being this way around dogs.

He is perfect with everything else.. plays good with dogs doesnt start anything loves animals.

Help please
Thanks

Sat, 06/19/2010 - 11:02am — Creakychair

Fixated with fish!

Please help! Our dog has become obsessed with our pet piranha in its tank. The tank has been there about 3 weeks, but 'Buddy' our 5 year old Jack Russell has become completely obsessed with it. We've tried various techniques, from the fake throat grip to reassuring him nicely etc. and lifting him up to the tank, but none are working. And now buddy's tummy is starting to get sore with him jumping up all the time! :(

What can we do to break his obsession with the fish in the tank???

Tue, 06/15/2010 - 7:23am — maika

Hola

Buenas tardes. Cesar.

Soy española y me gustaria exponerte un caso muy raro y sin explicación.

Como puedo ponerme en contacto con usted? En español me entiendes, pero no se donde exponer mi caso.

Gracias.

Sat, 05/15/2010 - 10:02pm — bm1314

Obsession - coping with stress

I have a 1.5 yr old terrier mix named Baxter Lee. I adopted him about 5 months ago. He is super sweet and loves to cuddle! The first couple of months went great; however, recently I noticed him licking blankets, his paws or his crotch. It's like he goes into a trance. Its become a minor addiction, I think he's coping with stress. The way in which he preforms these behaviors appear to sooth him, like he's saying, "there, there, Baxter, its okay." It makes me sad because he's traumatized and does not understand that he is safe now. I do exercise Baxter and also have a friend who takes him running every other morning. Any tips would be super helpful. thanks you.

Mon, 05/10/2010 - 5:39am — Lynn at Work

Obsessive behaviour with Cats

My daschund/beagle cross-breed Coco is totally obsessed with cats - he paces up and down the fences bordering my two neighbours (they have cats) and either cries if he the cats aren't there or snorts, if they are and this escalates to very agressive growling and grunting as he can't get to them. The cats do tease him by sitting on the other side of the fence watching him (for long periods of time) or playing and running along the fence or coming onto the property at night to lay there scent (my dogs sleep inside). On one occassion one of the cats fell into my garden and Coco got it by the tail and only due to my intervention did it get away (the cat bit me). I now have an Irish Terrier Molly (1 and half yr old) and Coco's behaviour gets her very excited so she'll bark at the cats when she see's them (a very different bark, more like, come and play where Coco doesn't bark but his behaviour is let me get at it and destroy it). This off course is causing very bad vibes with the neighbours and i'm worried Coco is teaching Molly bad behaviour. What can i do as i'm at work during the day and not able to distract him. When i'm at home i can hear the cats bells and distract him but only to a point. I'm at my wits end.

Mon, 04/05/2010 - 7:14pm — SaraBob

Everything is a trigger?!?

Hi Cesar!
I have a 1 year old spayed Pit-Bull/Brittany Spaniel mix. We did not properly have a chance to socialize her I sincerely regret that. When we take her on walks and there are children around full aggression comes out (hair up, glazed eyes, teeth showing). I want her to get used to kids but she always scares them. If she see a dog or other animal same story. She has killed 3 squirrels already. She is perfectly fine with our older 5 year old intact male. When she plays though, like with a stick or the hose Daisy "blacks out" and goes crazy I stop the activity immediately but I feel as though I can not properly play with her. We walk every day she doesn't pull me and she's very calm; that is until she see's any movement what so ever. Please help any suggestion would be awesome. Thank you

Fri, 03/19/2010 - 7:19pm — bebe383838

Fixation On Dogs

We have a 1yr 3month old Dalmatian mix we adopted him about 2 months ago. He is a great loving dog good with kids well behaved house broke but the first time me and my family took him to the park we seen that when he spots any kind of dog he goes crazy! I mean waging his whole body he tries to do anything to get to the dog! And when he gets to play with one that doesn't pay him no mind he won't leave them alone he just keeps sniffing them and pouncing around! Sometimes mounting them male and females! Sometimes some dogs won't put up with his hyper activeness and they try to attack him! I have tried to catch him before he gets into that frantic state but he will obey my commands but he will cry I mean like a little kid he cries louder then my 2y.o and 4y.o! We love him alot he's one of the family we don't want him to not have any friends to play wit! He doesn't act like that with anything else ducks,squirrels,birds nothing. So please any tips would be greatly apreciated thank you. P.S his name is PATCH

Thu, 03/18/2010 - 10:06am — Lindsay13

Obsessive Licking

I have a 3.5 yr old blue healer mix named Sakhiya and she constantly licks the carpet. She doesn't lick tile or hardwood, just any carpeted area. I have tried using bitter apple where she licks and disciplining her but nothing seems to work. She is at the point now that when she does it and you say her name she looks away from you or licks her paw like she was never doing it in the first place. It's not an extremely bad habit but the sound of her licking the carpet does get a little annoying. Any advice please help!?

Thu, 07/29/2010 - 4:54am — Kay Cross

Obsessive licking

I have the same problem with my 4 year chocolate labrador. Not particularly serious but quite annoying. Any tips as to how to control it.

Sun, 05/02/2010 - 1:27pm — noemahernandez

Obsessive licking

YES WE HAVE A FEMALE PITBULL SHE WILL BE 5 TOMORROW,I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT TO DO SHE LIKES HER PAWS AND SHE WHINES FOR MY STUFF ANIMALS,.AND FOLLOWING US AROUND, AND IF WE GO INTO ANOTHER ROOM SHE WHINES AT THE DOOR SHE'S DRIVING ME CRAZY

Wed, 03/17/2010 - 10:30pm — stevetristan

Newfoundland Obsessive Behavior

Our 10 Month old Newfie is starting to show some obsessive behavior with his kiddie pool. At night especially late at night he is circling inside of the pool trying to catch something??? Last night we timed him in the pool circling for over 2 hours. Being a water dog, I assume that he is showing skills to learn how to do water rescue. We would like to have our dog trained in the water, but dont know of any trainers in our area of the San Fernando Valley. Can anyone help?

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 6:46pm — diverdown

obsessive over reflections and Squirrels

I have a 1 year old German Shepherd who is extremely obsessive over Squirrels and any type of reflective lights. If I put a CD or DVD in the player, he'll see the reflection on the ceiling and he'll spend at least 15 minutes looking on all the ceilings, whining and barking even though we have never encouraged it or found it entertaining. He behaves the same way if we punch the punching bag that is hanging or towards anything he finds aggressive.....including his own Sister if she is aggressive towards another Dog. This behaviour also extends outdoors anytime they see a Squirrel. I have been dragged across the property with them on leashes because they went crazy and wanted to get the Squirrel. Nothing gets through to them when they are in this state and when I have tried to interupt the behaviour it makes it worse because then they are looking for something to react to. I've tried being forceful, calm, making them focus on sitting or doing a down, running the opposite way and even constant movement past the obstacle but none of this works. I'm terrified one day they will see one in the road and pull me into it without thinking. They are great Dogs but this Squirrel obsession must be dealt with quickly. They are well exercised, socialized, have Doggie friends and don't have a problem with small Dogs at all. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've contacted many "professionals" including Brad (End of my leash) and all I ever get is "join a class"..I've been in 3 different types already. No one tells me how to deal with it now, it's a daily problem and I need help.......

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 9:25am — stewart

Rottweiler agressive over treats

My 18month old, male, neutered, rotty luka is agressive over treats.
He is fine with his normal everyday food.
When given a treat (pigs ears/jerky - not processed treats)
if i go near or touch him, he goes rigid his pupils get huge, he growls and snaps his teeth.
He is such a soft loving dog that isnt aggressive over anything else, only ever barks when playing not even when the door bell goes.

Please help

Sat, 08/21/2010 - 10:37am — toconno

rotty

Please let me know if you have any luck. My dog does the same thing. He is only 5 month old and I would like to stop this now before he gets too old.

Sat, 03/06/2010 - 10:13am — zelicks

Need Help: Male German Shep puppy won't stop eating his own poop

How embarrassing but true. I rescued this pure breed puppy in November 2009 and I have tried everything to stop him from eating his own poop. When he starts nothing you do will get his attention to stop. I even bought a wire basket muzzle and had to cover parts of it with plastic, and yet he still manages to get to the poop. I've put Tabasco sauce on it, tried putting Forbid in his food, gave him vitamins, and several other things to no avail. Now I think my other dogs are doing this disgusting thing too. The dog has a digestive disease so I don't know how or if this is related but will all the meds he's on you think something would have worked. He also thinks he's in charge and intimidates my other dogs at time which I thought I fixed but appears to keep happening. I know he doesn't want to be the dominant one in the house, but for some reason keeps trying.

Thu, 05/13/2010 - 3:46am — KCSRogue

My Shih Tzu eat's all poop he smells

My Shih Tzu eat's every thing that smells like poop. He knows he's not allowed to do it because when I say 'no!' he'll ignore it... most of the time. But when I get distracted he'll make a run for it and quickly eats it.
If I try to 'grab' him by the neck he'll duck(?) and is scared and I don't want him to be scared (never hit him), but he keeps eating.
I've tried everything I can think of but nothing works.. I'm really(!!) getting desperate :-(.

Love, Kar-Li

ps. I'm Dutch and I hope my English is good enough...

Tue, 05/04/2010 - 8:40pm — tkmc555

Good luck

My GSD was the same way...even at 2 years she is still eating poo on occasion but it has got a lot better. I tried the pineapple and everything else, nothing worked for us. The only thing that worked for us was an immediate leash correction the moment she even eyed the poo. Good luck.

Sun, 03/28/2010 - 10:17pm — peacefulZoe

try feeding your dog pineapple

pineapple: there are enzymes in it that create a 'new' smell that dogs don't want to eat.. worth a try. good luck!
if this dog is on meds, double check with the vet that the pineapple properties won't cause a chemical reaction with the meds.. or call a pharmacist/chemist..

Sun, 01/31/2010 - 7:43am — bells02au

Male dog behaviour toward our other male dog (mating)

Hello
We have 2 shih-tzu cross maltese dogs (both male) our older dog who is almost 7 constantly tries to mate with our younger dog. I realise this is probably a alpha-dog issue however, I have noticed that quite often that he is aroused when he is doing this. He is usually a quiet dog but often can get agressive over food or toys. Against my strong protest my husband refused to get our dog de-sexed as both dogs have some health issues and surgery would put them at risk. Our Vet recommended we trial chemical casteration but this was too expensive. I am wondering how to stop my younger dog being constantly 'mounted' as it is not good for our older dog's heart complaint also.

Many many thanks and I love the show!!!

Belinda

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 1:34am — elee1999

How Can I break my Dog From being obsessive With Cats

We are trying to Adopt out our 2 year old boxer to a family due to our neighbor and her complaints. He is great with their kids and their Boxer, but he is obsessed with their cats. Every time he hears their bells he starts hunting them it’s like he is in a trance . How can we help this problem so he can ignore the cats and the family not Halfling to worry about their cats going missing? Please Help

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 9:53pm — kennedy_gaud

my chocolate lab, marley, is

my chocolate lab, marley, is obsessed with fetching, however i cannot stop that activity seeing as thats her exercise. i dont know what to do, because corrections dont work and neither does putting her into submission, she just gets back up and grabs that ball or stick or whatever.

Tue, 12/29/2009 - 9:08am — HeatherC

German Shepherd with Leash Aggression

I have a 2-year old German Shepherd female who gets very excited at the sight of other dogs on leashes and jumps and barks at the sight of them. Some larger dogs receive less of a reaction but she especially obsesses over smaller dogs, barking and jumping until they submit. I've tried to make her heal but she's too distracted and excited to listen to any of her commands (she responds to these out of sight of other dogs though). I've tried giving her treats at the sight of other dogs to associate a positive reaction but have had no success. What would you recommend?

Sun, 01/10/2010 - 7:13am — elaine_nolan

Saint Bernard, Obsessive barking...

Hi, Did you ever get a response on how to handle this problem? we have a Saint Bernard (10months) who is exactly like your German Shepard, he is so good in the house and alone with us butt he minute he sees another dog he barks and pulls on the lead and we cannot distract him at all. We have tried treats and are going through a new process of trying to get his attention using a "look" cue where he is to look at us, he does this in the house and when in situations where no other pets are involved but completely ignores us when he is near another dog. If you got a solution that worked for you i would really appreciate trying it out? Thank you.

Fri, 12/18/2009 - 8:07pm — jenwil83

I have a dachshund who, when

I have a dachshund who, when she gets things in her mouth that she wants, like a rawhide chew, or even leaves and other random things (yesterday she actually had a piece of concrete she found) gets VERY obsessive over it, and if she thinks we are going to try to take it away will run and try to get away, and then if we get too close will growl. Tonight it went to the point where she actually bit my toe (thankfully didn't pierce skin). The leaves and other things I've been able to get away from her, but the rawhide chews seem to bring out the worst of it. My solution is usually to not give them to her anymore, but it also means that my other dog doesn't get them, either (he is a very passive longhaired dachshund), because she will steal them. I've tried to "claim" the items as my own like I've seen you do in the show, but she's so small and fast that she just runs away. Help!!

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 12:54pm — tronqui1

Have you solved the problem?

Dear Gail B, I have the same issue with my 4 month old Cocker Spaniel. Today he bit through leather garden gloves as we were trying to remove a sock he scooped up. We managed to get it out and I pinned him belly up on the ground until he calmed down completely, but my fear is that he might continue. I have also been placing socks or tissues or rawhide bones next to him until he calms down and walks away. Please let me know if you found any solutions. Thank you so much.

Tue, 05/11/2010 - 8:12am — tracy_arcand

Our 6 year Cocker Spaniel is like Dr.Jekyl and Mr. Hyde

Hi Everyone,

I have the same problem with my 6 year old Cocker Spaniel. He seems to find an object on the ground (mostly my sons toys) and become obsessed about it. We've tried everything and lately it seems to be getting much much worse. He becomes extremely aggressive and actually bites anyone who comes near him. We are getting even more worried because my son is at the point where he will soon be crawling and I am worried he will go near our dog when he is in the obsessive state. We look for signs when Bruce(our dog)starts becoming in this state, but sometimes there is no triggers or reasons for it. We love our dog but we are starting to wonder if there is any way we can correct this behavior or is it too late. Any feedback or solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!

Thu, 04/01/2010 - 8:10am — Stacyoga

Same issue 5 month Rott/lab puppy

Our puppy is very sweet, but has the same issue mostly with tissues. We took him to training class and he's doing well. They taught us leave it and drop it. lately, it is almost like he gets stubborn if we've said leave it and decides he's getting something on a walk and not going to give it up. He got a tissue (i think) outside at the park I ordered him to drop it and he wouldn't meet my eyes and looked away. I tried to take it, like in the house when he has a sock, but he clampped his jaws shut and refused, growled a couple of times until i felt he was going to bite me. I feel now like I have shown him he's in charge. I get that I'm supposed to show him I'm the Alpha, but in this situation I'm at a loss! Can anyone help?

Sun, 11/15/2009 - 12:57pm — Gail B

Obsessive Behaviour

Can a dog with obsessive tendencies actually be cured forever or are they like someone with addictions who can only be expected to learn how to manage them?

Sun, 03/07/2010 - 4:00am — hancrofts

golden retriever, Erin, 6

i have a 6yr old golden retriever, she is typically lazy, gentle, soft and harmless. however she has developed a bad habit in the last six or so months. when we take her for walks and she See's another dog she stops (gets the glazed over look in her eyes, and ignores us completely!) then she runs full pelt at the dog shes seen. when she gets to them she might bark a few times, she smells them and generally just wants to play, she is very friendly to them but to some of the dogs she targets it must seem really scary when they see her pelting towards her, also other owners freak out thinking Erin is about to eat there little dog! because she runs so fast up to them. she isn't aggressive at all. but im worried that a dog she targets is going to turn around and bite her and because she has run across the field I'm not even close enough to get her to come back to me!
i don't want to stop her playing with other dogs and most owner don't actually mind because after the the target,pounce play routine she does she goes back to being sweet, soft, lazy Erin again.
i just need some tips to break her out of her "surprise hello's!"