I felt compelled to write since I've read so many postings about dogs that seem uncontrolable. I have an American Cocker I got at the age of 6 weeks. She's now 7 months old and on Ritalin for ADHD.
I work in special education and noted the characteristics. My vet did the actual testing. When she was a young puppy I found myself using my human diagnostic labels. She seemed autistic, opppositional defiant, sensory impaired. She was so highly sensitive to sensory things and touch that she didn't like being held or petted. She still doesn't like being restrained. Normal behavior techniques failed to work, because she was so overly attentive that nothing could break that once she was focused on something. Dogs with ADHD bite FAR more than the normal dog. They might well be mistaken as "mean." She has chewed everything, including glass, stones and bricks. It is more over-attentiveness than what one might think of as highly hyperkinetic behavior. Because nothing escapes her attention, she's a bigger scamp than many dogs. If I drop anything I have to be very fast, or she'll have it in her mouth.
She was a model in her puppy class with an excellent animal behaviorist...with food as a reward. However, she was more attentive to another dog's red leash than to the dog. I was describing her as so many have in posts: naughty, didn't listen, surly, mean, destructive and just plain difficult. But when she's good, she's adorable. I've raised husky pups who were easier to handle than my cocker. So you may not be crazy. Don't give up on your dogs. Research is hard to find, but it is out there.
I work in special education and noted the characteristics. My vet did the actual testing. When she was a young puppy I found myself using my human diagnostic labels. She seemed autistic, opppositional defiant, sensory impaired. She was so highly sensitive to sensory things and touch that she didn't like being held or petted. She still doesn't like being restrained. Normal behavior techniques failed to work, because she was so overly attentive that nothing could break that once she was focused on something. Dogs with ADHD bite FAR more than the normal dog. They might well be mistaken as "mean." She has chewed everything, including glass, stones and bricks. It is more over-attentiveness than what one might think of as highly hyperkinetic behavior. Because nothing escapes her attention, she's a bigger scamp than many dogs. If I drop anything I have to be very fast, or she'll have it in her mouth.
She was a model in her puppy class with an excellent animal behaviorist...with food as a reward. However, she was more attentive to another dog's red leash than to the dog. I was describing her as so many have in posts: naughty, didn't listen, surly, mean, destructive and just plain difficult. But when she's good, she's adorable. I've raised husky pups who were easier to handle than my cocker. So you may not be crazy. Don't give up on your dogs. Research is hard to find, but it is out there.
