Obsessive Compulsive Disorders in Dogs – Dog Behavior Problem

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) in Dogs

Have you ever wondered why your dogs sometimes do what they do sometimes? Why do they sometimes dig excessively, bark for nothing, chase their own tails and tear newspapers, biting their own feet continuously. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a behavioral problem in dogs that stems out from stress, boredom, separation, anxieties etc. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders in dogs – OCD usually gets manifested in the subjects, who are stressed, bored and anxious, and often leads to destructive consequences directed towards the dogs themselves or any other objects in motion like, car, bikes, running kids, or even flying crows or any other pack members.


Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Caused by Stress

It is very important to see your vet as soon as you suspect you dog to be getting such behavioral problem due to stress. Dogs in stress are not safe for you and the other pack members. If the stressed dog is a large breed, he can be potentially threatening. Experienced vet can come up with the cure with right medications.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Caused by Boredom

This is again another serious issue that cannot be taken for granted. Boredom will lead to certain typical problems such as tail chasing, digging, seemingly purposeless barking, chewing his own lead, and even sometimes trying to destroy things. I would like to mention why actually I used the phrase “seemingly purposeless barking”. Putting it simply, apparently it may seem that your dog is barking at nothing and for nothing. But theirs is an underlying reason and that is he wants an end to his boredom, and he finds nothing to do but barking.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Separation

Separation from his loved ones – his owner and other family members can expose him to the risk of OCD. Separation causes anxiety (separation anxiety), which in turn may cause this behavioral problem in your dog. Remember, dogs are pack animals and they always love to live in close contact with their family members or other pack members. When they are forcibly deprived from what they want by instinct they tend to develop OCD. The "velcro dogs" (the dogs that are severely dependent on their owners) are more prone to develop OCD, if they are separated. Dogs are social animals and love to see you (owners and pack members) pass around in front of them. Thought of abandonment is one of the major reasons that most dogs get OCD attacks.


Once your dog gets afflicted to OCD it is really hard to bring him in the main grids of life, if not impossible. Better to prevent him from getting attacked by such a crucial behavioral problem than to cure. The more you let him play off the leash, the more you expose him to exercises, better for him. Tired dogs usually do not develop OCD, since they are content. Play fetch with him. Treat him as a member of your family and make feel being loved.

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