Two or the rarer Attention Seeking Behaviors that might need dog training or vet visits

The following issues I found on a website were classed as attention seeking disorders but in reality most of them are medical and obsessive compulsive disorders that need treatment rather than training:

• Chewing or licking themselves (sometimes loudly)
• Chasing their tail or chasing light or shadows
• Barking at something when there seems to be nothing there

Chewing or licking themselves (sometimes loudly)

I was amazed to find this as an objectionable thing. Perhaps lots of dogs do it?

This is a problem to be stopped when it is licking itself because it is very submissive and anxious or bored and digging a hole into its skin. Obsessive licking is also a psychological problem that can be inherited and needs to be addressed or suppressed by anti anxiety drugs.

Alternatively your dog might have a grass seed stuck in its paw or body, may have some bad mud on it, or might be suffering a strong skin allergy. That is what my dog often has and he licks himself to sleep at night.

We found that large doses (six omega 3 capsules) along with the right ratio of sunflower oil for omega 6 has massively subdued this issue. the licking is not because of dryness though, it is from secondary infections of fungal and bacterial population growth, because of itchy skin getting licked making the environment in the paw hair always wet.

As you can see whatever causes it, licking repetitively of a dog must be addressed and solved as much as possible to not drive it and you insane. You must find the cause before you treat it !

Dog chasing their tail or chasing light or shadows

Only cruel owners with little regard for their dog seem to think these actions are funny.

A dog chasing its tail is usually a sign of either an itchy anus or pure boredom. If it is a medical condition such as a blocked gland, then it needs a vet. If it boredom, you need to walk your dog off lead and give it something to live for.

Cats are more likely to chase laser pointers on the wall, but here we are talking about a dog chasing any light or the edge of shadows on the ground. This is obsessive compulsive disorder in the main, and often occurs for intelligent dogs like border collies. It can be very difficoult to train a dog out of this and needs professional help. If you don’t, you will reinforce it and slowly drive your dog insane.

Barking at something when there seems to be nothing there

Again this could be boredom or they might be hearing some noise that we just cant hear. If a dog is staring at a wall and their is no rat noise or obvious iinsects then it is possible that the dog is suffering from early signs of dementia. Severe dementia will hve humans and dogs go to corners of rooms and stare at nothing as their brain sits in a state of confusion.

If your dog has dementia it is serious and if you let it continue you will usually have to end up putting it down. Or you can use drugs to manage their dementia or use drugs to prevent it in the first place when they turn about 8.