Chocolate, onions, garlic, parvo, aggressive dogs, and …laser pointers? The list of items that are dangerous to your dog just got one bigger. Beware of laser pointers!
Okay, the truth is that laser pointers are not dangerous to your dog’s health. Physical health, that is. Laser pointers can sometimes be dangerous to your dog’s mental health.
Every day in my dog training business, CommuniCanine Inc., I see all sorts of weird behavioral problems that dogs have. The list runs the gamut from strange quirks to obsessions to everything else. The latest problem I am encountering is the laser pointer.
Many dogs love to chase things. They chase balls, cats, rabbits, birds, toys, cars, and anything else that moves. This desire to chase is called prey drive. Many people have put two and two together and realized, “Hey, my dog loves to chase. I can use a laser pointer! It goes fast and I can sit down while I use it.” Great idea, right? Well, not always.
Dogs are just as capable of developing obsessive compulsions as people are. For whatever reason there are many dogs that easily develop compulsions with the laser pointer. In the last few months alone I have run across a half dozen dogs that are crazy for the pointer. For some dogs the obsession isn’t terrible, the dogs just love it and will play for hours. For other dogs, though, the obsession has led to other issues. I recently ran across a dog that was so obsessed with the laser pointer that he went off his food. He would just sit and stare at the pointer for hours. He couldn’t function because he was just thinking about his toy. Another pair of dogs I came across had developed a deep obsession with the pointer. Their obsession grew to the point that any reflection or light that entered the room set them off into a frenzy of barking. Anytime a car drove past, a door opened, or any other reflection occured it caused them to chase and bark like madmen.
Will your dog develop an obsession with the laser pointer? Maybe, maybe not. Use the pointer at your own risk.
