How to tell if my pet's behavior is anxiety or obsessive compulsive?

Obsessive compulsive behavior do exist in pets; for example, cribbing in horses is considered an obsessive compulsive behavior. Check out this article on these behaviors: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/November-2012/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-In-Animals/

What a cute pup! In terms of separation anxiety, it will depend on how severe your dog suffers from this issue. Some cases may be managed with over the counter products such as an Adaptil collar or diffuser and calming supplement like Composure Chews for Dogs and behavior modification, but if severe I would recommend discussing medicaiton with your vet. You can read more about separation anxiety at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951949 I am not sure what you mean by "what are all the dog behaviors", if you are interested in understanding your dog I recommend the book "Decoding Your Dog" by Debra Horwitz.

That’s hard to say, if only Baby Girl could talk! Those are all signs of anxiety but licking the lips and hiding can also indicate an upset stomach. Monitor her eating very closely and watch for any changes. Also watch her for any vomiting, diarrhea or changes in her water intake. If you see anything that appears to be illness, make sure to have her seen by her veterinarian. There are also medications that she can take to help with anxiety and it may be worthwhile to call her doctor. Anxious dogs often respond well to exercise and I recommend a 30 minute vigorous play session every day or a long walk. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

That is definitely some sort of anxious behavior going on! It would probably be best at this point to speak with a veterinary behaviorist in your area, especially if Athena becomes so fixated that she repeats the behavior for hours. A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian specialized in behavior, so they can work with you on both training techniques to help reduce the behavior, and medications to help with anxiety while training takes place. If you'd like to learn more, you can check out this site: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Hi. It sounds like sparky has more attachment syndrome/separation anxiety and attention seeking behavior rather then disease related to head-pressing (which is what you were referring to). I would be much less worried about an internal health issue and focus more on his behavior. You can try positive reinforcement for him when you are home and when you leave him alone so he knows you are coming back. You can reward him for good behavior that involves giving you a little bit of space when you need it - like in the kitchen. You can give him activities and things to do while you are home so he can be more self-entertained rather then all of his focus on you. You can also speak to his veterinarian about some medications that can help with anxiety and these types of behaviors if you are interested. Best of luck!

Dogs can develop obsessive compulsive behavior just like humans can and this may be the issue with Rex. Less common would be a neurological abnormality or pain in the leg. OCD is a complex behavior and there is not one simple treatment. I recommend to read books about behavior disorders in dogs as that will give you more insight. I also recommend to make an appointment with your veterinarian who will check Rex over for any pain or neurological disorders. To aid with the behavior, the doctor may prescribe medication but it is unlikely to help in its own. These dogs need daily hard exercise, a job to do and then diversion when they start to exhibit the behavior. A trainer may be the best person to contact after the vet to teach you diversion techniques. i hope you find this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, sorry to hear about your pup. These compulsive behaviors can be associated with stress and anxiety. Occasionally, anti-anxiety medications may be beneficial for your pup so that he does not lick. Alternatively, redirecting the behavior to something he also likes doing (ie playing with a favorite toy, going for a walk, etc.) would help gradually decrease and resolve the behavior. These types of behaviors may be difficult to resolve and could take in addition to medications behavioral classes. Hope this helps and best of luck.