“My dog has ADHD…” is a phrase often used to describe our overly aggressive, often impulsive canine companions. It’s a convenient comparison of activity levels with people’s familiar ADHD diagnoses. Still, canine hyperactivity disorder (HD) remains a rare clinical diagnosis, says dog behaviorist. Dr. Sally J. Foote.
Symptoms of Dog HD (dog adhd)
Not sure if your dog has canine hyperactivity disorder? Look for these symptoms:
- Can’t stop moving despite working out for hours
- Difficulty sleeping for a long time
- Loss of concentration when moving continuously
- Very difficult to train
- Not responding to anti-anxiety medication
- Responds well to stimulants to reduce activity
“As a diagnostic term, it (ADHD) does not exist in veterinary medicine,” says Dr. Foote.
Dogs can be very active through life stages, especially younger dogs starting at five to six months of age.
Many puppies are in a normal stage of development, she says, and often lack opportunities for exercise, early socialization, and impulse control. Puppies need to attend socialization classes at about eight weeks old – an important start to manners.
Dr Foote says: “With adult dogs squeezing and pulling on the leash, jumping and generally not paying attention to you, it’s often because training and manners haven’t started at an early age.
Help for hyperactive dogs
To reduce canine HD-like behaviors, she suggests:
- Walk or play outdoors for one minute for every pound of your dog’s body weight
- food quiz (enrich)
- Walking and feeding times are kept to a daily schedule
- Structure and training
If high activity levels don’t drop by 20 to 25 percent after trying to reduce them, she recommends finding a veterinarian behavioral researcher. She says: “Exercise, consistent routines involving polite manners combined with enrichment will help calm the “Noisy Manipulators”.
Some breeds have genetic energy, like Border Collies, Aussies, and Golden Retrievers. They are often nourished body and mind for active work. She said: “In a home setting, these breeds need to be substituted for their inherent operational needs.
“Otherwise, he’ll be repressed, and he’ll resentful, and he’ll start to show it by excessive barking, jumping jacks, and other behaviors. It really is that simple,” says Dr. Foote.
Dogs can’t learn what they’ve learned before, she added. They can learn a new way to function.
“That is why their habits and rituals must be maintained. Because if you slack off, they’ll back off.” Structure gives them security and predictability about life, what they have to do when, why, and how.
For effective ways to work with an energetic dog, including a detailed activity checklist for the rare HD condition, read professional trainer Pat Miller’s article”Think your dog has ADHD?” found in Dogster’s sister publication, The Whole Dog Journal.
Hyperactivity disorder in dogs is very rare. Distracted high-octane dogs are not. Quality exercise and training help answer the question “Does my dog have ADHD?” and help him find the sweet spot next to you.
