Do Not Use Laser Pointers With Dogs. Part 5

Part 5 – Sources That Report on Laser Pointers Causing Canine (and Feline) OCD

Photo: pupford.com

An internet search of Google for “laser pointers and dogs” returns over 3 million results that include articles published on the websites of Humane Societies, by Veterinarians, dog trainers, and the American Kennel Club.  There are threads posted on forums of people sharing their experience.  Those comments have a common thread that I relate to, i.e., they did not know of the harm of using a laser pointer with their dog.  Unfortunately, the Google search also includes advertisements for laser pointers, marketed as toys under the heading, “Best laser pointers for dogs”. 

I’ve visited animal shelters. I’ve gone to veterinarian offices.  Many of these places have loads of literature about products to protect your dog from fleas, ticks and heart worms; but not one had any information on using laser pointers with your pet.  In all the posters and pictures on the walls of their waiting rooms, not one warns of using laser pointers with cats and dogs.

The following are pertinent excerpts from eight (8) articles by credible sources that are available on the internet.  If you decide to get involved to have a warning label put on laser pointer packaging, the following information supports why, and the seriousness.  (The links open in another tab or window.)

  1.  Laser Pointers: More Frustration Than Fun.  American Kennel Club

 “The movement of a laser pointer triggers a dog’s prey drive, which means they want to chase it. It’s an unending game with no closure for the dog since they can’t ever catch that beam of light, like they can when chasing a toy or food.”

“Many dogs continue looking for the light beam after the laser pointer has been put away; this is confusing for your dog because the prey has simply disappeared. This can create obsessive compulsive behaviors like frantically looking around for the light, staring at the last location they saw the light, and becoming reactive to flashes of light (such as your watch face catching the sunlight and reflecting on the wall, or the glare of your tablet screen on the floor). Dogs that exhibit these behavioral issues are often frustrated, confused, and anxious.”

2. How LOLCats and Laser Pointers Are Bad For Our Pets.  The Smithsonian Magazine.

Credentials and About Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Center For Canine Behavior Studies

 “Dogs (and some cats) instinctively chase these bright-red dots simply because the dots move, said Nicholas Dodman, a professor of animal behavior at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Movement automatically stimulates their innate prey drive, which explains why lower-on-the-food-chain animals such as rodents and rabbits often freeze in place as a survival strategy.”

“They can get so wound up and driven with prey drive that once they start chasing the light they can’t stop. It becomes a behavior problem,” Dodman said. “I’ve seen light chasing as a pathology where they will just constantly chase around a light or shadow and pounce upon it. They just spend their whole lives wishing and waiting.

3.    Pet Laser Pointers : Dangerous Idea!

         Élodie Roy, Certified Dog Obedience Trainer at Ashworth College, Atlanta, GA.

“The mind needs to limit uncertainty and know what to expect. Since the unknown is scary and the light has no smell, is untouchable, and has no taste, the anxiety increases. This is called the absence of cognitive closure.”

“Laser pointers can cause anxiety, as the lack of cognitive closure creates a growing state of frustration that can lead to anxiety and obsession in the animal.”

“This is why chasing prey that cannot be touched or caught is no fun for your pet.”

“Unfortunately, compulsive disorders are seen in pets that play with lasers.”

4.   Laser Pointer Syndrome. By:  Shannon Wright, BHS Dog Behaviorist. Published by Butte Humane Society

 “Laser Pointer Syndrome is a condition that results in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) behavior.  Laser Pointer Syndrome causes a dog to quickly become frustrated because they’re unable to achieve the target. A dog will become SO fixated on ‘the catch’ that nothing else matters.  In extreme cases, this fixation & drive can escalate, and your dog may start to lunge and leap at other lights, shadows, and reflections that attract their attention.”

5.   Why are Laser Pointers Bad for Dogs in Oxford,MS?  Bottletree Animal Hospital in Oxford, MS

 “Another issue with laser pointers is that this kind of play can become an obsession for some dogs. They might start searching for the laser light even when it’s not there, leading to anxious or compulsive behaviors. This could even extend to chasing other light sources or shadows, which is not a healthy behavior and can even become destructive.”

 6.     Cat Bandits.  Understanding OCD In Cats

“Since laser pointers were first introduced to cats as playthings, feline behaviorists and veterinarians have voiced their concerns about the potential negative effects of the toy. Experts suggest that laser pointers could trigger OCD-like behaviors in cats, but what’s the science behind it?”

“According to a study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, cats that were exposed to laser pointers for extended periods of time displayed signs of stress and anxiety. This is because the laser pointer provides no physical reward for the cat, leaving them feeling unfulfilled and frustrated.

7.     The Dangers of Playing With Laser Lights, by Sara Reusche, CPDT-KA, CVT, ANWI owner of Paws Abilities Dog Training, LLC in Rochester, Minnesota.        

 “During laser play sessions, Howie’s intensity began to concern his owners.  He bit at the carpet where the laser had been and slammed into walls.  They threw away the laser and attempted to dissuade him from these dangerous behaviors by putting him in his crate whenever he did them.  He persisted, chasing lights and shadows in their home.  Soon, Howie was spending the majority of his time in his crate, with a blanket thrown over the top to block out any light. “

(Note:  Howie injured himself by chasing the elusive laser beam.  This included nose bleeds and broken teeth due to trying to capture/bite the elusive laser beam.  He was surrendered to a rescue when his self-injurious behavior became too much for his owners to handle.  This is a repeated action with dogs and cats being surrendered to shelters after playing with a laser pointer that at times, visits the behavior on unsuspecting, untrained adopters. )

 8.  Training Obsessive Compulsive Behavior In Dogs. Oregon Humane Society 

        “Do not use laser pointers to exercise or play with your dog. Frustration can play a role in OCD behaviors and laser pointers, without the satisfaction of ever catching anything, can be extremely frustrating for dogs (and cats).”

Next: Part 6 – I Inform Petco of the Danger of Laser Pointers for Dogs