OCD in Dogs

[Catherine]

People studying dog behavior have recognized that some dogs develop OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). The call it CCD(Canine Compulsive Disorder), but the dogs develop compulsive behaviors the same way humans do. In fact they are really drawing on human research to diagnose and treat the dogs.


http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170627...g-with-ocd


It is complex and humans and dogs can both benefit from the research being done. There is a genetic link which explains why some breeds have a tendency to CCD and others do not. The types of medications that are helping people are also helping dogs.
This time we tested them on ourselves first.

This is going to open up our thinking about conditions like OCD/CCD and it is going to change how we understand dog intelligence. If they are able to get the same mental illnesses that we get then they must be more like us than we realize.
This could open up a whole new way of looking at research. This is not a matter of creating a similar illness in animals and then trying to study human disease from it. These dogs are naturally exhibiting the illness and so really can contribute to our understanding of the disorder.

This is a research methodology that can really have positive results for both species(humans and dogs).
I hope other researchers that are still imposing human diseases on animals to try and understand things, will now take note and realize that you need to study diseases in species that get them naturally if you want meaningful results.