Ever watched a dog eat? They chow down hard, but for many not even food can keep their attention, and the sight of a special toy will instantly pull them away — in what researchers say may be a sign of addiction.
Such behaviour resembles human behavioural addictions to gambling or online gaming, says a Swiss-Austrian research team.
If your dog loves their toy so much they just won’t let go of it, it may seem cute, but addiction to play poses a risk to dogs too, according to the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in October.
After all, some dogs don’t stop playing even if they are totally worn out or injured, say scientists led by Stefanie Riemer from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.
They looked at the play of 105 dogs aged between one and 10 with a toy of their choice, with all the animals described by their owners as very playful.
The most common breeds were Malinois (18), Border Collies (9) and Labrador Retrievers (9), classic working breeds. They also asked the owners about their dogs’ everyday interaction with toys.
Food? My owner? Whatever!
The researchers found 33 of the dogs showed addictive behaviour — based on factors such as whether the animal was overly fixated on the toy, showed little interest in alternatives such as food or playing with the owner, persistently tried to get the toy when it was not available, and were unable to calm down within 15 minutes when the toy was taken away.
The results confirmed individual reports of addictive play behaviour in dogs, say the researchers.
As with behavioural addictions in humans, the key is compulsive engagement in activities despite negative consequences.
More studies are needed to clarify why some dogs tend to do this, as well as the specific health consequences, such as possible strain on ligaments and joints.
Many mammals and birds play
Playful behaviour is ubiquitous in mammals, especially young ones, as well as some birds and this is usually a sign of well-being, though it can also be avoidance behaviour in stressful situations or serve to reduce social tensions.
Also, activities that began as fun can become compulsive and develop into a behavioural addiction, say scientists.
Behavioural addictions are based on similar neurobiological processes and behavioural symptoms as substance addictions. In humans, sports, sex, shopping and work can all become addictive alongside better-known behaviours such as playing computer games or gambling.
Bred specifically for play drive
Scientists have studied behavioural addictions in animals such as mice, with some specifically bred to run excessively on a wheel developing physiological withdrawal symptoms similar to those seen in drug addiction after abstinence.
“Like excessive physical activity in humans, running on a wheel can disrupt everyday activities in rodents and lead to impairments in nest building and protective behaviour,” researchers say.
But only dogs are known to exhibit addictive behaviour spontaneously, meaning without this being deliberately induced for experimental purposes.
This may be due to centuries of selection particularly in working breeds or working lines. In working breeds, young dogs with an obsessive motivation to play are considered particularly easy to train and also show better concentration.
So such breeds or breeding lines are specifically selected for toy motivation as a performance indicator. That can make these dogs unsuitable as family pets because of their strong drive. This may not always be sufficiently clear to those who focus mainly on the cuteness of Border Collies and other breeds.
