Can a Pomeranian have Tourettes?

Question
We have a 9 month old pomeranian who will sometimes just start yapping at us while lying on her back, kicking her rear legs strongly and repeatedly, and looking at us. She is responsive to us during these strange episodes. so it does not seem like seizures or anything life threatening. Could she be doing this because she is in a playful mood and just wants attention, or is it something more serious like Tourette's? Thank you for anyone who can respond to this with any info.

Answer
Hi Cherie -

To my knowledge a dog cannot have Tourette's Syndrome, however, I am not a veterinarian so you should have your pet checked for any health issues.  That being said, dogs can exhibit all kinds of different play and attention seeking behaviors.  It sounds like your pup is trying to get your attention and encourage you to play with her.  I had a dog once who would lay on his side and howl while he moved his front paws back and forth like he was digging.  This was his way of initiating play with me.  The more I ignored him, the more he would do this action.  If your pup gets a clean bill of health from the veterinarian, then you can assume it is a play/attention seeking behavior.  At that point, you need to decide if you want her to initiate play this way - if so, engage with her and play at that time.  If you don't want her to ask you to play this way then you need to ignore her everytime she does it (it can take awhile for this method to work, especially if you have been giving her attention each time she does this and the behavior may get worse before it gets better)Once she offers an alternate behavior behavior such being quiet or she performs an obedience command you asked her to do - Praise her, treat, and then begin your play session.  She will soon tire of the other behavior because it is not rewarding...Best of luck with your pup!