Is Your Furry Friend a Secret Addict? Uncover What Scientists Reveal About Pets and Addiction

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Dogs can become so attached to particular toys they display behaviour that would be associated with addictions such as gambling and internet gaming in humans, researchers have said.

According to a study of 105 dogs published in Scientific Reports this month, when certain dogs were deprived of their toys, they became so fixated on what they’d lost that their blood pressure increased and they ignored everything else.

The Austrian veterinary researchers behind the study described this behaviour as a compulsive engagement with a specific activity regardless of any negative consequences.

Before this study, there was only anecdotal evidence to suggest that dogs had addiction-like behaviour towards toys that was similar to human addictions, the researchers said.

Stefanie Riemer, one of the authors of the study, said: “It’s a very commonly known phenomenon in kind of the dog world that dogs are called ball junkies.”

“The term ‘junkie’ suggests addiction, but is it merely a figure of speech, or does it hold some truth?” pondered Riemer, a behavioral biologist at Vienna’s University of Veterinary Medicine.

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“The dogs remained fixated on the door where the toys vanished and the shelves where they were once kept. Notably, their heart rates stayed significantly high throughout the entire 15-minute period following the test,” Riemer explained.

However, Riemer said the study shouldn’t be treated as a “diagnostic tool” to label certain dogs as addicts.

“We identified certain behaviors that align with the addiction criteria found in human studies. However, diagnosing behavioral addictions is challenging, even in humans, leaving some ambiguity,” she noted.

Why could dogs get addicted to toys?

Professional dog trainer Una McEvoy said dog addiction had everything to do with dopamine.

Dopamine is a hormone that plays a crucial role in the brain’s reward and motivation system. It’s released during pleasurable activities and reinforces those behaviours.

It’s also a factor in addictive behaviour in humans, with alcohol and other addictive drugs appearing to trigger dopamine release.

But dogs don’t need drugs. Instead, they get a dopamine release from actions like catching and biting down on a ball or chasing an animal, McEvoy said.

Different breeds will obtain this dopamine release in different ways, she said. For some, it will be from a ball, for others it will be eating, following a scent or playing with a toy.

She said dog owners aren’t always prepared for what comes naturally to their pet.

“What I find quite often in my work is that we may have a human that finds a behaviour, an unwanted behaviour, and I do have to break it to them gently that this is this breed’s behaviour.”

Dog toys are big business

If dogs are getting addicted to their playthings, that’s good news for those who produce them.

Pet toys and accessories have become a big business globally.

In 2022, the Australian pet industry was worth $13 billion, covering food, vet bills and, of course, toys.

That also means owning a dog — something nearly half of Australian households do — can get expensive, with a dog costing its owner approximately $25,000 over its lifetime.

McEvoy said there’s no better way to keep your dog happy than to play with them yourself.

“I look at two-player toys, so I’m not a fan of a ball, but there’s certain toys that have a longer handle and that you can play with your dog.

“Sometimes they have a ball attached to them so you can still throw them if your dog wants to have that chase, but they come back to you, you’re still playing tug with them, which means that you are increasing the value of being back to you.”