‘Ball junkie’ dogs can be addicted to their toys, scientists suggest

New research has revealed that dogs can show signs of addiction to toys similar to those shown by people with gambling problems.

Some dogs, called “ball addicts” in the dog training world, experience “extreme obsession with toys,” leading to the development of “addiction-like behavioral characteristics,” including cravings and withdrawal symptoms, according to researchers.

The study marks the first time scientists have examined whether dogs become obsessed with toys, similar to behavioral addictions such as gambling or gaming in humans.

Behavioral addiction in humans is defined by researchers as “the repeated failure to resist the urge, urge, or impulse to perform an action that is rewarding, at least in the short term, despite long-term harm to the person or others.”

Scientists conducted research on 105 dogs, 56 male and 49 female, of various breeds, aged between 1 and 10, who were described by their owners as particularly interested in playing.

The animals were able to choose the toy to play with before being removed. Their behavior was then analyzed using the “addiction-like behavior test” and 33 of them were found to exhibit “addiction-like tendencies”.

Study published in the journal Scientific Reportsdiscovered “parallels between extreme toy motivation in dogs and human behavioral addictions.”

It is hoped that the findings “provide fundamental insights and suggest future research directions that have the potential to significantly deepen our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying behavioral dependencies across species.”

Researchers from the University of Bern and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, said Times: “[Addictive behaviours] These include: being extremely fixated on their toys, not showing interest in alternatives to their toys (such as eating or playing with the owner), persistent efforts to reach their toys when toys are not available, and not being able to calm down for 15 minutes after all toys are removed.”

However, they said it was important to note that many dogs love toys but are not dependent on them and therefore are not negatively affected.

“Some people engage in excessive gaming, but only a small minority can be classified as addicts,” they added. “Similarly, many dogs can greatly enjoy playing with toys without developing harmful impulses.”