Not sure if this study is still active:
I am a researcher at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine's Animal
Behavior Clinic and we are doing a study on German Shepherds. The goal of this
study is to identify factors associated with canine compulsive behavior and
whether this behavior has a genetic basis. To this end we need lots of German
Shepherd participants who are unaffected by compulsive disorder for our control
group.
We also need German Shepherds who repetitively spin or chase their tails.
Resources for treatment can be made available upon request.
Enrollment involves filling out a consent form, a survey and having a saliva
sample mailed to Tufts University. For more information or to request a
saliva sampling kit, please email me at nicole.cottam@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:nicole.cottam@xxxxxxxxx> and let me know if:
* you have a pedigree for your German Shepherd
* his/her age
* and if he/she does any behavior that seems like a form of canine
obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Nicole Cottam, ACAAB
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine's
Animal Behavior Clinic
200 Westboro Road
North Grafton, MA 01536
USA
On Jun 5, 2017, at 11:44 AM, Sue Tomlinson
<arcturusgermanshepherds@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I need some advice. I recently took in a 2 year old dog who chases his
tail. He bites it until it's raw. I've tried cones, collars, supplements,
even Hemp oil to calm things down. Nothing works. If I yell when he starts
in he flops to the ground and submissively urinates. Obviously, he's been
severely punished for this. I'm trying to redirect and retrain. Has anyone
ever had success with a dog like this and what did you do?
Also, is this a hereditary problem...OCD? I love his pedigree, but want
to be careful with those lines.
