Harry the Difficult Dog
I first became interested if dogs could have ADHD when I adopted my miniature poodle, Harry, as a rescue. At ten months old, he was a ball of energy and dysregulation. I thought he would get better with time, but nine months later, his behavior remained problematic.
Harry had great difficulty recalling his training. He could not stay on command for even five seconds. He could not learn to stay sitting at the door before I opened it. He jerked and lurched ahead on a leash, bouncing around when walking. When he saw anyone he knew on the street, he was beside himself with excitement and could not calm down. If we met another dog, he literally leaped with joy and jumped all over the dog, who usually did not like it. This did not deter him in the least. Then, as we tried to depart, he ran in circles around me, jumping and lunging in several directions at once. He was distracted by the slightest thing and could not pay attention for long, even to his own favorite toys. Conversely, he riveted his attention on random objects like a dry hydrangea corymb blowing down the street and would not be moved.
In addition, Harry showed many fearful behaviors: He did not acclimate well to noises, such as the phone ringing but went wild barking. If a friend came to visit, he showed a combination of fear and excitement: jumping, barking, and then retreating over and over. He became upset if I put something new on the floor, like a sheet of newspaper and would not cross it even to be close to me. He often was distressed by a sudden movement from me and would approach and then back off, even if he wanted me to hold him.
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*This article was previously printed in a different form on the Psychology Today website (psychologytoday.com). Put my name in the Search space.
Since Harry had all these inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive, as well as fearful behaviors, I decided to research what the literature says about dogs and ADHD. What other factors might play a part in deciding what is underlying Harry’s behavior? For example, what about environmental issues or anxiety?
What Does the Literature Say About ADHD-Like Behavior in Dogs?
In deciding whether Harry had ADHD, it was important to determine if for his breed, he showed excessive inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A dog bred for these behaviors, like a Border Collie, does not have ADHD since these would be expected traits.
Several studies of Finnish dogs by Tiira and colleagues (2016) and Salonen and colleagues (2020) found that in more than 13,000 dogs, 72.5% had problem behaviors like excessive barking, aggression, fear-related behaviors, and compulsive behaviors. In addition, anxiety was very common with noise sensitivity (39%), general fear (26%), separation anxiety (17%) and aggression (14%) very prevalent. Furthermore, 20% showed inattention and 15% hyperactivity/impulsivity.
Sulkama and colleagues (2021; 2023), using a behavioral survey developed for ADHD-like behaviors in dogs, evaluated over 13,700 Finnish dogs from 264 breeds and mixed breeds. Breeds with the highest levels of hyperactivity and impulsivity were working dogs like shepherds, terriers, and retrievers. For inattention, breeds with highest levels were terriers, Golden Retrievers, and Chinese Crested dogs. Interestingly, Border Collies were very high for hyperactivity and impulsivity but low for inattention. What about Miniature Poodles like Harry? In this study, they were low for hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. So, Harry is certainly different from his breed expectations.
Wright and colleagues (2011), in developing a scale measuring impulsivity, found three distinct factors: behavioral regulation, aggression/responsiveness to novelty, and degree of responsiveness. Dogs scoring high on problems with behavioral regulation were more impulsive. The most impulsive breeds were terriers, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrieves, and Border Collies, with the least impulsive being Standard Poodles, Golden Retrievers, and Shetland Sheep Dogs. Shelter dogs did not differ in impulsivity from dogs raised with one owner. Thus, some breeds are intrinsically more impulsive than others, with poodles being at the lower end.
Since some breeds are intrinsically more hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive than others, it is also important to evaluate other factors than genetics that might produce ADHD-like behaviors in dogs. These include environmental factors and anxiety.
Environmental factors
Factors in the environment such as amount of play time, frequency and length of walks, where the dog sleeps, how much time is spent alone, and neutering all play a part in development of ADHD-like behaviors. In addition, young male dogs from larger breeds spending many hours each day alone, getting less than two hours of exercise a day and participating less frequently in activities with owners showed the highest levels of ADHD-like behavior, and aggression (Hoppe et al. 2017; Sulkama 2023; Sulkama et al. 2021). Thus, particularly in breeds that have higher activity levels to start with, lack of exercise and attention from people can cause more hyperactivity and impulsivity, as well as aggressive and destructive behaviors. Few of these characteristics fit Harry: he is a small dog, gets lots of exercise, receives training, and has frequent interactions with me.
Anxiety and its effects
Anxiety often accompanies ADHD-like behaviors. In their study of Finnish dogs, Salonen and colleagues (2020) found that fearful dogs with separation anxiety were 4.1 times more likely to be hyperactive/impulsive and 3.4 times more likely to be inattentive.
Altered gut flora has been implicated in anxiety-related, fearful behavior in dogs. Use of prebiotics and probiotics has improved such behaviors (Sacoor et al. 2024). Metabolic studies have shown that dogs with hyperactivity and inattention show altered metabolites for tryptophan and phospholipids, which are related to the functioning of gut bacteria (Sulkama 2023). Thus, anxiety and hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention are interrelated in dogs, making it difficult to distinguish what is true ADHD from anxiety or from the natural characteristics of that breed .
Harry certainly had both the characteristics of ADHD behaviors and anxiety, including separation anxiety. He was atypical for a Miniature Poodle in the amount of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity he shows, so the question of whether he has ADHD or a high level of anxiety or both was not resolved by reading the literature.
Do Canine Rating Scales Give a Clue as to What Underlies My Dog’s Reactive Behavior?
In deciding if a dog has true ADHD, rating scales and other methods of assessment can be helpful. Canine scales measuring personality, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity were found in the literature, along with links to the actual scales. What follows is a description of the scales and how my dog, Harry, did on each.
The Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) (Hsu and Serpell 2003). This validated and reliable scale has been widely used to track behavior changes over time in shelter dogs and define characteristics of different breeds. It looks at factors such as aggression, anxiety and fear, attachment and attention seeking behaviors, predatory chasing, excitability, energy, trainability, and problem behaviors (Bohland et al. 2023). There is a free online version available to dog owners (http://www.cbarq.org).
On the C-BARQ, Harry scored as less aggressive with both people and dogs than average. He was, however, much more fearful of people and unexpected noises and sights, with more separation issues. He was less trainable and more excitable and energetic than average. Thus, Harry shows many problems related to fearfulness and anxiety as well as ADHD symptoms (excitability, difficulty with training and high energy).
ADHD Questionnaires
Questionnaires that rate ADHD in dogs are experimental, and while there were control groups of dogs with and without ADHD, there were no control groups of dogs with high levels of anxiety or ADHD with anxiety. Thus, dogs high in anxiety might score high on ADHD scales.
The Dog ADHD Rating Scale Owner Version (Vas et al 2007) is a validated scale that measures inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Replication in France found the scale discriminated between dogs diagnosed with ADHD and dogs without it (Marlois et al. 2022).
On the refined scale developed by Marlois and colleagues (2022), Harry scored at or above the scores of the dogs in their ADHD sample for Total Score, Inattentive Score, and both of their Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Scales.
The Lincoln Scales
Several useful rating scales were developed by the University of Lincoln in the UK. These free scales can be obtained from https://ipstore.lincoln.ac.uk/products.
The Dog Impulsivity Assessment Scale (DIAS) (Wright, Mills & Pollux 2011) measures impulsivity in three categories (Behavioral Regulation, Aggression/Response to Novelty, and Responsiveness). This valid and reliable scale allows owners to rate dogs for levels in each category as well as overall impulsivity.
On the DIAS, Harry scored outside the normal range for total score and behavioral regulation. For the aggression/reaction to novelty scale he was in the normal range and on the responsiveness scale, he was just below the normal range. Thus, much of Harry’s score for impulsivity was due to his lack of behavioral regulation.
The Lincoln Sound Sensitivity Scale (Mills et al., 2013) and Lincoln Canine Anxiety Scale (Mills et al., 2020), both validated and reliable measures, evaluate how a dog reacts to specific stimuli, for example, thunderstorms, fireworks, veterinary visits, etc. Both intensity as well as frequency of the fearful response can be measured. Also, over time, results of desensitization can be charted.
On these scales, Harry did not measure as very sensitive to many sounds, only sudden sounds. When he did react, it was like how he responds to the doorbell, that is, more of an announcement barking or guarding barking versus fearful responding. He was significant for fear of objects, having his harness put on, meeting new people, going in the car, suddenly seeing new things, going on vet visits, and grooming. He also still acts afraid of me at times.
The Positive and Negative Activation Scale for Dogs (Sheppard & Mills 2002) measures temperamental fearfulness (negative activation) and responsiveness to rewards (positive activation). For the negative scale, scores higher than the normal range suggest a fearful temperament. For the positive scale, scores below average may indicate depression and above average, high levels of sensation seeking or hyperactivity. The positive scale is further subdivided into three subscales: Energy and Interest; Persistence; and Excitement.
Harry scored much higher than the average range for the negative activation scale, suggesting he is temperamentally fearful. He also scored above the range for positive activation, particularly for the persistence subcategory. This suggests that he is temperamentally sensation seeking, hyperactive and persists in negative behaviors.
Other Methods of Assessment
Training Focus Clicker Test. This is a continuous reinforcement test in which the dog is first given treats at an exceptionally high rate, then at a lower frequency, then with varying intervals and finally after short break. If the dog can maintain attention for the 10 minutes of the test, it probably does not have ADHD (Miller 2023).
Harry riveted his attention on the bowl with the treats, even though it was not at his eye level. He quickly learned that a click meant a treat. He was able to sit for the clicker and to look at me very briefly. He was able to delay getting a treat. Thus, he passed the clicker test, except for looking, not at me but at the treat bowl. So, if he hyperfocused on the treats, did he actually pass? It’s hard to say. Certainly, hyperactive children can hyperfocus on items of great interest. Put to the test, out on the street, Harry has little attention even for the clicker.
The Stimulant Challenge. This test is done with your veterinarian administering a low dose of methylphenidate (0.2mg/kg) or dextroamphetamine (0.2mg/kg) after measuring the dog’s heart rate, respiration, and motor activity. Thirty to ninety minutes later, if heart rate and motor activity decrease by at least 15%, the dog likely has ADHD (Stiles, Palestrini, Beauchamp & Frank 2011). Because Harry is a small dog with a low body weight, there is a danger of toxicity at even low doses of stimulant, so I decided to forego this test for now.
Probiotics, Natural Remedies, and Prescription Drugs. There are a number of substances on the market that dog owners swear by to calm their hyperreactive dogs. I decided to try Purina’s ProPlan Calming Cure which is a blend of probiotics (McGowan, 2016). After six months on it, Harry was mildly calmer but had fewer digestive upsets. I also tried Rescue Remedy. Harry did not like the taste much, but it helped calm his behavior for a short period. Unfortunately, there is little research on the effects of any but occasional use. Harry really needed a longer acting medication that can be used all the time. Thus, I decided to try Reconcile, which is Fluoxetine for dogs, a prescription drug. Harry has been on it now for 10 weeks and is in many ways much calmer.
Does Harry have ADHD?
Harry is now 26 months old. He has gotten somewhat better with a routine, training, lots of exercise, and a carefully selected diet including probiotics, as well as the Fluoxetine. He will obey many basic commands (including “stay”) and is calmer around the house. He is still very reactive to sudden noise and barks a lot. He ls very responsive to affection, lets me pet him and hold him on my lap. He has mostly learned to walk nicely on a leash. If someone he knows approaches, he will go up to them but still will retreat rapidly if they move their hand. They still cannot pet him at all. He is still very wary of strangers, but he will approach if they stay very still and make no attempt to pet him. After we leave, he still jumps around, flips in the air and jerks the leash, BUT he does calm down now after a few minutes and after I use a specific direction to calm himself and walk with me. With other dogs, he still acts very wild and energetic, jumping on them and wanting to play, not reading their stop signals at all. This has resulted in his being bitten a few times.
The Fluoxetine has undoubtedly helped, and Harry is a lot less anxious and less hyperactive, unless he is already in a hyperreactive state, the dog equivalent of a meltdown, where he is just totally overwhelmed. Thus, after a year of living with and working with Harry, he is much more likely to be a highly anxious dog and less likely to be a dog with ADHD. Working with a dog trainer around some of his more difficult behaviors with be the next step.
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
― Josh Billings
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