Dog compulsions could hold clues for people

Dogs don't compulsively wash their hands, but then again, people don't chase their tails.

Nicholas Dodman, director of the animal behavior clinic at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass., treats canine compulsive behaviors like tail chasing and a common Doberman affliction: repeatedly sucking on the flanks. For years, Dodman has said compulsive behaviors are essentially the same in people and animals, all originating in the same place in the brain.

He could be right. Looking at the DNA of nearly 100 compulsive Dobermans, Edward Ginns of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester found a chromosome alteration that appears almost always in those dogs.

The National Institutes of Health is trying to determine whether the same alteration appears in the same chromosome of people who have compulsive disorders. If that's confirmed, scientists could work on better treatments for humans and animals with compulsive disorders.

In the meantime, if your pet seems obsessed, don't assume it's compulsive behavior. It could be another problem, from fleas to chronic pain. See your veterinarian — and bring video of the behavior, since your dog probably will not repeat it on cue.