Scientists Learn Why Fido Circles the Bowl

This caught my attention because I have/had dogs that do this occasionally and it does seem pretty weird, LOL. They would walk around in a circle a couple/few times before finally laying down for a nap. Although this talks about Dobermans, I’ve seen this with many breeds of dog.

So it’s “Canine Compulsive Disorder”… huh? Really…just for that little ditty. I’ve seen other behaviors on TV that I suppose could be called that, and quite serious looking, but this?

I have my doubts about that, but hey… what do I know? It is somewhat interesting though, and the "related link" (second one listed) below is more scientific. Not to make too light of the subject, I have to admit having fun reading the comments associated with it best I think, ha! Some are funny, some not, and others make more sense to me actually.

Several people said that animals have a natural instinct to lay down where they can smell the air coming in their direction best, in order to know when predators are approaching. Hmmm... that makes some sense, Fido not wanting something to sneak up on them. When out hunting, we call that “the wind”… even if the air is barely moving, and to never walk/approach game with the wind at your back. Deer, Elk, etc. always bed where they can smell and see a threat coming.

Others say it is because instinct has them want to press the tall grass down (even if there isn’t any in your house) and make sure there aren’t any snakes or other biting threat there, or perhaps a hard rock before laying down. Hmmm… like that one too, LOL.

Then there is this comment from Wisconsin, “My dog told me this is bogus.” Ha ha… too much!

It does seem like the 70K they spent to come up with the answer could be better spent on a more serious project, or animal malady, but perhaps some good could come of it…

Now, if they could just tell me why my Collie “Sadie” is so intent on scratching and digging her way to China first into my bedspread to watch TV with me, that would be something!!!

 

Does your “Fido” do a lap or two in a circle before relaxing to sleep, or eat at the bowl?

 

Scientists Learn Why Fido Circles the Bowl

Ever wonder why your Doberman circles five times before sitting down or eating? So did the researchers at Tufts and UMass.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is characterized by time consuming, repetitive behaviors, and it affects about 2 percent of humans. You may not even be aware that your dogs actions could be governed by a similar disorder, the equally distressing canine equivalent "canine compulsive disorder," or CCD.

The corollary: You also may not care about the disease, which target certain dog breeds, especially Dobermans and Bull Terriers. But scientists at the Tufts and the University of Massachusetts were willing to spend a whopping $70,000 of their universities' general funds to learn more about the bothersome plague that's sweeping through our nation's pets -- well, 2 to 5 percent of our pets.

That the results of the study are actually pretty neat is almost beside the point. Through collaboration between Harvard University, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and others, scientists discovered that the canine chromosome 7 location within the neural cadherin-2 gene, or CDH2, confers a high risk of susceptibility to the disorder.

 

Read full story~

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/01/07/scientists-learn-fido-circles-bowl/?test=faces

 

(To read comments about what other's think causes this in the link above, click on “Leave a Comment” at the bottom, and then they will appear. That’s what I have to do to see them anyway.)

 

Related link~

A canine chromosome 7 locus confers compulsive disorder susceptibility

http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v15/n1/full/mp2009111a.html

 

Enjoy…