Shadow chasing

Question
QUESTION: I have a 1 1/2 old male springer spaniel that chases light and movement shadows with great intensity.  He also is watches television with great interest.  Mostly sporting events arouse his curiosity.  The movement or a ball will cause him to jump up and down in front of the set. My vet recommended "fluoxetine 20mg" to settle him down.  So far after about 2 weeks I have noticed no changes.  I am worried about the long term affects of this medication will have on him.  Any recommendations?  Thank you so much!!

ANSWER: Hi, Larry,

Thanks for the question.

Do you ever play tug-of-war with your dog? The canine psyche is geared toward chasing things and then biting them. When a dog develops an interest or obsession with things he can't bite it leaves him without a final release point for his energy and he sort of becomes like junkie looking for a fix. Tug-of-war is the best release point there is for dogs in this type of situation.

If your dog doesn't like to play tug, let me know. There are ways to get him to like it.

http://www.leecharleskelley.com/thetop10myths/dontplaytugofwar.html

LCK

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Lee:  Thank you so much for your response. "Curly" does play tug a war with his litter mate brother "Moe".  Are you suggesting when he starts his "shadow chasing " I should immediately start the tug a war to divert his attention? OR are you saying a routine game will help this problem.  Also, what is your opinion of the drug he has just started?  Thanks again!   Larry

Answer
Yes, you should play tug-of-war both as a preventative measure, and as a way of redirecting Curly's energy when he's about to get fixated on the shadows. The medication is Prozac, which is helpful in severe cases of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and from your description I'm not sure Curly's behavior really qualifies. But then I'm not there to see it. So your first step would be to get Curly to play tug with you, because we can't really rely on Moe to be in the mood when he's needed!

Here are some helpful links (they'll take a minute or so to load):

http://www.tiny.cc/tug

http://www.tiny.cc/jumpstart

http://www.tiny.cc/playbenefits

Let me know if the tug doesn't work, or if you have any further questions.

LCK