Canine compulsive disorder (CCD) is a condition similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans, and it is relatively common due in large part to modern-day lifestyles. Even devoted pet parents who provide for all their dog’s needs often aren’t in a position to let them live according to their true canine natures. If dogs could make their own choices, most would be extremely active, spending lots of time outdoors. CCD behaviors include tail chasing or spinning, excessive licking, chasing lights or shadows, fly snapping, and chasing after or pouncing on invisible prey.
Recognizing the Signs
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Compulsive behavior disorder in dogs is also characterized by the repetitive performance of behaviors that serve no purpose. These behaviors include tail chasing or spinning, excessive licking or self-mutilation, flank sucking, chasing lights or shadows, fly snapping, and chasing after or pouncing on invisible prey. CCD shouldn’t be confused with similar repetitive behaviors some healthy, well-balanced dogs perform. For example, herding dogs and other working breeds evolved to do jobs that require the same behavior over and over again. Many retrievers will fetch the ball from sunrise to sunset; other dogs spin in happy circles when they’re excited.
There are also dogs who fixate on smaller animals such as lizards or birds, or inanimate objects like rocks or golf balls. Bored dogs also tend to develop habits that resemble compulsive behavior, such as running along the fence in the front or backyard, or gently licking and chewing a particular paw. As with humans with OCD, the favored behavior of dogs with CCD can take them over to the point that it interferes with normal daily activities like mealtime and playing. It can also be difficult to interrupt the compulsive behavior once the dog begins performing it.
Two of the most common repetitive behaviors in dogs are obsessive licking which results in acral lick dermatitis (ALD), also known as a lick granuloma, and tail chasing. A 2012 Finnish study suggests that dogs exhibiting indicators like tail chasing, air biting (fly snapping), obsessive pacing, trance-like freezing, or licking or biting their own flanks do indeed have a disorder similar to OCD in humans. A number of features of tail-chasing dogs are similar to obsessive-compulsive humans, including: people with OCD and tail-chasing dogs begin acting out their behaviors at a young age, both are inclined to engage in more than one compulsive activity, and nutritional supplements (vitamins and minerals) are beneficial in reducing the behaviors in both people and dogs.
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OCD is linked to childhood trauma and stress; tail chasing is seen more often in dogs who were separated too early from their mothers. Certain people with OCD are on the shy, inhibited side, and this tendency is also seen in tail-chasing dogs. In addition to these similarities, a team of researchers including veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman performed MRI scans on a group of Doberman Pinschers, half with acral licking and half without. “When we scanned the Dobermans with acral licking, we found they had sophisticated, minute details in the brain that are also found in humans suffering from OCD,” Dodman told veterinary journal dvm360. “The changes were, if not identical, compellingly similar.”
The Doberman study also revealed a genetic component to CCD. “We … found a gene called CDH2, otherwise known as neural cadherin (NCAD), expressed most significantly in dogs with the compulsive problem,” explains Dodman. Following Dodman’s study, psychiatrists in South Africa discovered that the same deformation of CDH2 was found in humans with OCD. This overlap between species is quite striking, suggesting that the wiring of the brain plays a significant role in these conditions.
If you suspect your dog is developing a compulsive disorder, it’s important to take her to a veterinarian for a wellness exam to ensure the source of the repetitive behavior is indeed behavioral and not an underlying physical condition that needs to be identified and addressed. The sooner strange behavior stemming from CCD is addressed, the sooner you can intervene and help. For example, there are lots of reasons dogs lick certain areas of their bodies, many of which can involve allergies and/or skin disorders. It is important to rule out a problem that actually started in the body rather than CCD, which starts in the head.
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For dogs that do have CCD, the right diet, a “job” or hobby, lots of physical activity, environmental enrichment, and other strategies can be extremely beneficial in the management of the condition. Most dogs today aren’t nearly as physically active as they are designed to be. It can be a challenge to tire out a big or high-energy pet, especially a working or sporting breed. If your dog is performing compulsive behaviors, try increasing her exercise. Some suggestions include walking or hiking, jogging, swimming, obedience or nose work events, playing fetch or tug-of-war, flyball, biking with a special dog bike leash, and agility or other canine sports. Helping your dog stay mentally stimulated with chews and treat-release toys is also beneficial. Very few extremely healthy, physically active dogs have intractable compulsive disorders, which highlights the importance of helping the dog be as healthy and active as possible.
Dogs with compulsive disorders tend to be more anxious and high strung than other dogs. An anxious nature may be inherited, but studies suggest environment also plays a role in triggering the expression of a compulsive behavior. Dr. Dodman makes the point that environmental enrichment by itself probably won’t resolve a compulsive disorder, but a stress-free, enriched environment can prevent CCD in the first place and make relapse less likely after a dog has been successfully treated. Veterinarians often treat dogs with CCD with drugs that block opioid receptors, but jumping immediately to pharmaceuticals isn’t the recommended first step for this condition. They are sometimes appropriate in extreme, intractable cases or when an animal is causing harm to himself. They can also be beneficial as an interim measure to interrupt the cycle of behavior at the same time other less harmful remedies are being attempted. Behavior modification along with a wide variety of natural remedies is generally recommended first, since every drug has side effects. It’s also important not to try to prevent a dog from performing a repetitive behavior with physical restraint, because it typically causes more anxiety, not less.
