Your Dog May Be More Human Than You Think

Have you ever watched your dog chase his/her tail for hours on end?  How about seen them lick or chew on their paws for no apparent reason?  Now have you ever thought that these could possibly be signs of a mental disorder?  A recent study published in the January issue of Molecular Psychiarty reports that scientists have located a gene for obsessive-compulsive disorder among certain canine breeds.

In an article posted on AOLNews, titled "Obsessive-Compulsive Gene Located in Dogs", Katie Drummond reports that the canine research suggests that some breeds, especially Dobermans and Bull Terriers, are at an exceptionally high risk. Up to 70 percent of some litters seem to have obsessive tendencies.

For more than 10 years, behaviorists at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University collected blood samples from Dobermans that exhibited compulsive behavior.  The team found that dogs exhibiting more compulsive behaviors, were more likely to express a CDH2 gene. That gene, located on chromosome 7, mediates communication between neurons in the brain. The CDH2 gene is located in the same area in humans and dogs.  

What we now know about dogs might help explain certain human disorders.  Experts are cautiously optimistic. "It's certainly true we have basically the same gene in us, so it's an intriguing lead, but there's a lot more work that has to be done to see if this particular finding is relevant to human health and obsessive- compulsive disorder," Dr. Michael Slifer, an assistant professor of human genetics and genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine stated.

So the next time you see some peculiar behavior from your pet, stop and ask yourself if it could be something more than boredom or quirkiness!