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Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

nature.com

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Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#11

Post by superkuh »

stirfish wrote: post #7
superkuh wrote: post #3

>Behavioural addictions, characterised by compulsive engagement in rewarding activities despite adverse consequences in the long term, are more heterogeneous and less well-understood than substance addictions Indeed. Mostly because every study on "behavioral addictions" is published in third tier journals or is a negative result in real journals. It's something that doesn't actually exist in mammals and it's current…

>It's something that doesn't actually exist in mammals and it's current popularity is mostly from profit seeking scams for rehabilitation "clinics" preying on the 'screens are addictive' meme burning through current parent populations. What about gambling, eating, or shopping?

Gambling is not an addiction. It is "gambling disorder" and it was grandfathered into the DSM. It is explicitly not an addiction medically. Eating and shopping are two great examples not erronously grandfathered in, which committees repeated find are not addiction, but which those scammers love to profit off of.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#12

Post by superkuh »

cs702 wrote: post #8

This research only confirms what many dog owners already know, but it still deserves an Ig Noble Prize.[a] --- [a] https://improbable.com/ig/about-the-ig-nobel-prizes/

It doesn't though. Only the headline implies that. If you read the discussion you find the authors of this study do not claim any addictive behaviors were found.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#13

Post by librasteve »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #2

If there's a frisbee or ball in sight, my female border collie won't even attend to basic bodily needs. And she'll chase the object while she's in pain and exhausted or shivering with cold and not notice. She has lupoid onychodystrophy which causes her nails to come in deformed and split and painful and she'll still obsess on some running play/task while she's got bleeding paws and can barely walk. An an owner we hav…

my sprollie is the same (half nap collie) … he is 100% ball obsessed

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#14

Post by herghost »

We've recently come to this conclusion with our Cockapoo. His mother was a working Cocker Spaniel.

When the weather is poor we have often tried to get shorter walks in dry spells but augment it with as much ball time as possible to make sure he's getting enough exercise (since he generally dislikes bad weather).

It's become apparent that there's no possibility of satiety through chasing the ball though. He will simply go forever, however tired he looks.

I joked that as a Labrador will seemingly eat itself sick, a Spaniel will run itself lame.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#15

Post by hippo22 »

delichon wrote: post #6

Perhaps not surprising, working breeds – many of which are known to have been artificially selected for high toy or predatory motivation – were overrepresented in the sample. This is the vibe I get from my golden retriever. Chasing the tennis ball is more than play, it's a justification for life, her contribution to the pack. Actually eating food has a higher priority than chasing the ball, but not much else does. Wh…

Watching a dog that likes playing fetch is cathartic. I truly wish I had that level of purpose and fulfillment in my life.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#16

Post by tsol »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #2

If there's a frisbee or ball in sight, my female border collie won't even attend to basic bodily needs. And she'll chase the object while she's in pain and exhausted or shivering with cold and not notice. She has lupoid onychodystrophy which causes her nails to come in deformed and split and painful and she'll still obsess on some running play/task while she's got bleeding paws and can barely walk. An an owner we hav…

I wonder if autism is a similar kind of selection process. They are people selected by nature to be obsessed about different things, but this could be incredibly fruitful if you end up focused on the right thing. Of course in this situation we have no control over the selection process, it's a product of living in a world that's difficult to

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#17

Post by callamdelaney »

We have a springer, cocker and a sprocker. We knew that addiction to these things were a problem and so we didn’t allow it to develop. I do think that people who are constantly throwing balls, especially with a wanger, are idiots.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#18

Post by hippo22 »

superkuh wrote: post #11
stirfish wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It's something that doesn't actually exist in mammals and it's current popularity is mostly from profit seeking scams for rehabilitation "clinics" preying on the 'screens are addictive' meme burning through current parent populations. What about gambling, eating, or shopping?

Gambling is not an addiction. It is "gambling disorder" and it was grandfathered into the DSM. It is explicitly not an addiction medically. Eating and shopping are two great examples not erronously grandfathered in, which committees repeated find are not addiction, but which those scammers love to profit off of.

"Gambling Disorder" is in the disorder class "Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders" in DSM-5 though.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#19

Post by qnleigh »

superkuh wrote: post #3

>Behavioural addictions, characterised by compulsive engagement in rewarding activities despite adverse consequences in the long term, are more heterogeneous and less well-understood than substance addictions Indeed. Mostly because every study on "behavioral addictions" is published in third tier journals or is a negative result in real journals. It's something that doesn't actually exist in mammals and it's current…

> given the absence of established benchmarks or standardised criteria

The quote you cite doesn't support your claim. If there is no established criteria, then no amount of evidence will establish the link. But absent a rigorous definition, they are still giving evidence for a qualitative similarity between human addiction and the observed animal behavior. That's not a null result.

Re: Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toys

#20

Post by [deleted] »

hippo22 wrote: post #15
delichon wrote: post #6

Perhaps not surprising, working breeds – many of which are known to have been artificially selected for high toy or predatory motivation – were overrepresented in the sample. This is the vibe I get from my golden retriever. Chasing the tennis ball is more than play, it's a justification for life, her contribution to the pack. Actually eating food has a higher priority than chasing the ball, but not much else does. Wh…

Watching a dog that likes playing fetch is cathartic. I truly wish I had that level of purpose and fulfillment in my life.

[deleted]
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