As of: March 8, 2024, 8:00 p.m
By: Sophie Kluß
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A new study investigated this question and found striking similarities between dogs and humans.
What symptoms could indicate ADHD.
As a basis for their study, scientists from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest surveyed more than a thousand dog owners.
You should answer questions about ADHD-like behavioral problems in your four-legged friends and to what extent these affect everyday life together, for example when training or meeting other dogs.
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Even if the study could not conclusively clarify whether dogs can actually suffer from an animal form of ADHD, the results of the research team led by Barbara Csibra, Nóra Bunford and Márta Gácsi are an important step in this direction.
The study results were published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
Dog ADHD symptoms very similar to human ones
According to Geo
, the behavioral problems that many dog owners and trainers reported in the study were
very similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in humans.
The symptoms of the suspicious dogs were more similar to those of adults than to those of children.
ADHD Study: Identification of three major behavioral problems in dogs
A destroyed sofa, a scratched floor or nervous barking - do these behavioral problems in your dog sound familiar to you?
(Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/Imago
Based on the data collected from dog owners, the scientists were able to identify three main behavioral problems in suspicious dogs.
The following abnormalities in four-legged friends are reminiscent of ADHD in humans:
Attention disorders
and
Problems with concentration
Hyperactivity
, urge to move, constant restlessness
and difficulty implementing commands properly
Impulsivity and impatience:
External or sniffing stimuli lead to short-circuit reactions;
Dogs are difficult to control
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Sequelae of ADHD?
Fourth abnormality discovered
Similar to humans, it would be conceivable to diagnose ADHD using a questionnaire.
In order to be able to differentiate between different forms of behavioral disorders in dogs in the future, the Hungarian researchers tried to identify specific symptoms in dogs - and came across a fourth behavioral problem:
Vocalization
, i.e. sounds such as barking, whining or howling
However, vocalization is considered a consequence and not a symptom of ADHD-like behavioral problems - similar to children with ADHD who talk incessantly and frequently interrupt the other person.
A Finnish study from 2021 also showed that dogs showed ADHD-like abnormalities when they were frequently left alone.
Other consequences that are also observed in people with ADHD include aggressiveness, fear or a tendency to compulsions.
In addition, the study suspected a genetic component – just like in humans.
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Study facilitates future diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in dogs
The Hungarian study provides important insights into whether dogs can also suffer from a form of ADHD.
It is also “a good step in the right direction to improve the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD-like symptoms in four-legged friends in the future,” says
Geo
.
These and other research results could be groundbreaking for dog psychology.