Light, reflection, shadows, laser pointer...

[Rex]

Ok, I'm not sure if that behavior is normal for a puppy/dog but Rex is OBSESSED with shadows, lights, anything that reflects on the floor, etc. He would go for a laser pointer for hours. He would not look at us or pay attention to us AT ALL. He seems like he is in his own little world when he sees reflections, etc. Is that normal?? I mean with him it is EXTREME!

Even if the reflection/light,etc. is gone he would sit there for hours and wait or search for it...

[onyx'girl]

Laser pointers are dangerous, they can cause obsessive behavior and should not be used for entertainment. The dog can never actually catch the beam of light, so becomes obsessed w/ it. It can ruin a dog in my opinion. Onyx would be the same way if we had let her play with one. My son had one out and she went bonkers, I told him to NEVER have that around the dogs again.
I remember reading where a dog went thru a window because of a reflective light outside...

This recent thread touches on it as well:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum...=1#Post1173227

[Rex]

Oh wow, I didn't know that a laser point could be dangerous... My husband was "playing around" with his rifle scope last weekend and Rex saw the laser pointer so we thought it was entertaining and we kept playing with the laser for a while. After that i actually ordered a laser pointer... It should be here this week.
I guess i'm not gonna use it then!

So what can I do with the light, reflections, shadows, etc.? He goes nuts for that! My husband always says he'll figure it out, he's a smart dog.
But I really don't think he knows that it's his shadow he's chasing, or that it's the sun shining through the window... It's just scary sometimes 'cause he doesn't care what's around him anymore...

[will_and_jamie]

Ohh, yes those things are totally bad news. I have a post about separation anxiety in general behavior about my dog's habits. That laser pointer thing went into the trash. She now chases everything she can. She stalks shadows, mirror reflections, bowl reflections, ANYTHING that can be followed or lets her pace endlessly she will do. I just started the Clomicalm with her yesterday, so we'll see how that does in conjunction with deprogramming and retraining her.

[Rex]

Rex is almost 5 months now and he was always like that though... We only used the laser pointer once, last weekend.

He always liked to chase shadows, lights, etc. Well, maybe it was our fault 'cause my husband let him chase the reflection of his watch in the sunlight when we first got him...

[Castlemaid]

He may or may not get over his light and reflection obsession. I have read stories of dogs that remained obsesses with chansing light and reflections all their lives.

What I would do is try to make my dog forget all about chasing lights and shadows by redirecting his attention, and giving him so much excersice and training that he is too tired to even think of chasing a reflection.

Heavy excersice ALL the time, appropriate for a puppy his age (no extended running oh hard surfaces). If he is sleeping and tired, he can't chase shadows. I would do a lot of fetching/chasing/tugging games with him, games that will give an outlet to his prey drive and satisfy it by letting him catch the "prey". If you play tug, let him win, a lot! He will see that is more rewarding than chasing nothing, and it is an interactive game with YOU.

Heavy Obedience training ALL the time! Get that brain working and focused on something else. Tire his mental capacities out as much as his phisical capacities. The training will help instill a different mindset and will help you in your efforts to redirect his attention. Which brings me to:

REDIRECTION. Supervise always, do NOT let him fixate on lights and shadows. Correct, redirect, distract. Get him focused on YOU, a ball, treats, etc. Leave the area, or remove the object that is causing the reflection.

Edit: oh, I just saw that you only used the laser pointer once - glad you asked about it, but still I would start working on getting him to forget all about chasing lights and reflections.

[G-Shep Girl]

I had to laugh when I read your post about Rex being obsessed with laser pointers and shadows. My male German Shepherd Bayshek loved laser pointers, but he wasn't totally obesessed.
When I'd play with him, I would make sure not to over do it, and to not use it excessively. He would always either tire of the game after a short time, or he would quit when I asked him and would not hound me to bring it back out. He had a lot of fun with it, and I had a lot of laughs with him, so in that respect, I never felt it was dangerous to use it.
I do have to agree with the folks who's post said they are detrimental to use, particularly with a dog that has a very unhealthy relationship with them. Some of the stories are scary. It's probably best to put it away so that Rex can have a better chance to develop normally. He's still a young guy yet, but it's better not to take chances. If he's waiting for a shadow, light, laser, or anything he might show obsessive behavior with, redirect his attention to other activities, toys, or excercise. Good luck!

[GSDBESTK9]

Originally Posted By: onyx'girlLaser pointers are dangerous, they can cause obsessive behavior and should not be used for entertainment.

I couldn't agree more. I had a Cocker years ago that became mentally SICK with the laser pointer. It all started when my sister thought it was funny having him chase it. He became so obsessive with it that even years later he would bite the walls and the carpet thinking the red dot would come out of it.

[Strana1]

I remember see an episode of "Its Me or the Dog" that dealt with a light reflection obsession. Maybe check out the website and see if the list the show and and techniques they used. If I remember correctly they were able to lessen, but not totally eliminate the behavior.

[Strana1]

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/i...rangest-cases/

Check out MAX