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.”

Do Not Use Laser Pointers With Dogs. Part 1

I’m on a mission with hope that my experience might help others and our precious pets.  This is an 8-part multi-part series.  I’m going into great detail because what happened put me on an unexpected journey.  Some of you might have experienced that journey, or are currently experiencing it.  Hopefully, you have not encountered that journey and the information in this series will help you, or someone you know to avoid it.

I want to also share how you can take an active part to prevent unknowing pet owners, and dogs and cats, from being brutally injured by a product that commits animal cruelty under the marketing deception that it’s a toy.

Additionally, I’m asking for your help to save dogs and cats by pursuing warning labels on laser pointer packaging.   It would be nice if sellers of laser pointers as toys for pets would voluntarily discontinue selling them, however, based on my experience with Petco, it’s humanly impossible to reach decisions makers.

In this series,  I’ll give you resources to articles and videos regarding laser pointers causing dogs obsessive, compulsive, disorder, (OCD).  This issue also applies to some cats.  It’s not my intent to ignore cats and cat owners.  My focus is on dogs because that is my personal experience. 

 

Gracie at 4 months old.

Visitors and followers might already know that I got an 8 week old puppy in June, 2023.  Her name is Gracie.  She’s a German Shepherd Dog.  They might also know that I had a difficult time finding a local trainer for her.  I’ve taken part in, or directly trained dogs since I was 8 years old, but I’m now a senior citizen  and it’s been 12 years since I trained a puppy.  I know my limitations, so I had a plan before I brought Gracie home. That plan involuntarily changed first, by not being able to find a local, experienced trainer and secondly, the laser pointer.

In August, I developed edema in both feet.  For 3 weeks, I could not get on shoes.  During those three weeks, I considered that I had to keep Gracie busy inside because I could not walk her.  I hired a local trainer and my main focus was to teach Gracie to walk at heel.  We had been walking and she was doing good, but she has that herding tendency to suddenly put her body across the front of me.  I figured the trainer would concentrate on walking at heel and we would move to other things once my feet were better.

Along with not being dependable, that local trainer betrayed my trust. Rather than teach Gracie to walk at heel, he put her on a 30 foot leash and allowed her to run wherever she wanted because he doesn’t believe a dog should be on leash — only come when called.   I terminated his service after 2 weeks.

It was not only physical exercise that Gracie needed, but mental exercise as well.  Gracie was approaching 5 months old.  I ordered a laser pointer online from Petco.  My intent was to use it to point to items and tell her the name so she would know the names of items.  My plan was to advance her to bringing me items on command.  I purchased the laser pointer based on the product’s description. 

The relevant part is, “… is irresistable [sic] to most pets – from dogs to birds …”

I came to learn, and will share in part 4, why it’s  irresistible and because of that, it causes OCD.

Next: Part 2 – The Laser Pointer Arrived.