In recent years, there has been an increased number of people being diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and more research into these conditions — for humans at least. Some researchers say, though, that they see similar behaviors and symptoms in dogs as well.
This doesn’t necessarily mean they can be diagnosed with autism and ADHD — as Jacqueline Boyd, a senior lecturer in animal science at Nottingham Trent University said in an article for The Conversation, diagnosing animals with human conditions can be problematic, as they cannot tell us exactly how they perceive the world, or answer questions.
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Still, she tells Straight Arrow News that “the more I work with my own dogs and I work with my clients and their dogs, the more I realize that there are definite differences that I think extend beyond personality differences.”
Some vet and animal behaviorists use a term called “canine dysfunctional behaviour,”or CBD, “which has been used to describe a range of behaviours in dogs, and some of those can be similar to the autistic spectrum [in humans],” Caroline Wilkinson,a certified animal behaviourist and founder of digital pet coaching service BarketPlace, told Kinship.com.
Behaviors that could be considered CBD in dogs include persistent and repetitive actions; issues in social interactions with both humans and other dogs; unusual responses to sensory stimuli; compulsive pacing, fixed routines or rituals; indifference to cues; and hypersensitivity to touch or sounds, Dr. Kathryn Dench, MA VetMB, said to Kinship.
Just as there’s a spectrum of how neurodivergence might manifest in humans, Boyd said, it would also “absolutely manifest in different ways” for dogs as well.
“We can’t necessarily diagnose animals as neurodivergent because obviously, it’s a human diagnosis, but what we can do a little bit of is look at some of the characteristics of neurodivergent conditions in humans, and see similarities in other species,” she said.
Signs of neurodivergence in pets
Neurodivergence is used to refer to differences in the way humans’ brain work.
Research has shown that other species can also show genetic and behavioural signs of neurodivergence, Boyd wrote in The Conversation.
There are structural difference in genes that are associated with hypersocial behavior that have been found in dogs, and impulsive behavior in dogs has been linked to low levels of serotonin and dopamine, which deal with emotional stability and focus, respectively. People with ADHD can also have imbalances or trouble regulating these neurotransmitters.
One example Boyd cited was beagle dogs, which have a mutation called Shank3, which is also linked to autism in humans and characterized by difficulties with social interactions.
Many breeds and types of dogs likely have neurodivergent behavioral traits such as hyperfocus or impulsivity because they were selectively bred to be that way, Boyd said. Cocker Spaniels, for instance, were bred to be working dogs, make snap decisions and work through pain barriers, Boyd said.
How to help your pets
It’s important to recognize the individual animal and what their needs are when it comes to training, Boyd said.
“It might be that some dogs in the training class find it too much — it’s too noisy, or the lights are too much, or there’s too much going on. So we might actually give them time to decompress,” she said.
Or, maybe the class environment might not be ideal for a dog at all, Boyd added, and they may need other solutions, whether that’s a one-on-one situation at home or remotely.
It’s about making “reasonable adjustments,” Boyd said.
“What can we do to make this better, the animal feel safer, make it much more conducive to learning for human and animal?” she said.
If someone does have concerns about their pets’ behavior, Boyd said, they should always talk to their vet, or even do a pain investigation.
“We know that pain can manifest in behavior changes in our pets, so we should always be ruling out pain as a potential cause for behavior change, particularly if it’s a sudden behavior change,” she said.
