{"id":21229,"date":"2026-08-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/?p=21229"},"modified":"2026-08-05T11:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:59:07","slug":"when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"When Gaming Becomes an Addiction\u2014Even for Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s well known that dogs go crazy over a ball. But <strong>what happens when that enthusiasm goes beyond simple fun and turns into an uncontrollable pursuit of the object<\/strong>\u2014to the point of ignoring food, their owner, and even pain? This is the question <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-18636-0?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">a study<\/a> published in <em>*Scientific Reports*<\/em>, authored by researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna and the University of Bern, seeks to answer.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study documents, for the first time in a systematic way, <strong>the existence of behaviors reminiscent of those observed in human behavioral addictions<\/strong>, such as pathological gambling or video game addiction.<\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-i-segnali-osservati-dai-ricercatori\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The signals observed by the researchers<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers examined 105 dogs between the ages of one and ten who were already known to have a strong motivation to play. Through behavioral tests and questionnaires completed by the owners, they assessed typical signs of addiction: compulsive craving, loss of self-control, inability to divert attention, and persistence of the behavior despite negative consequences. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 33 subjects, particularly pronounced traits emerged. Some animals continued to stare at the toy even when it was out of reach, neglected food and social interactions, and remained agitated for a long time after it was removed. As the authors explain, \u201csome dogs continued to want to play even when they were visibly exhausted or had minor injuries,\u201d a behavior that echoes one of the fundamental criteria of addiction: continuing an activity despite the harm it causes.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-la-genetica-conta\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genetics Matter<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the study makes an important point: the sample does not represent the canine population as a whole. In fact, the researchers had selected animals with a very high predisposition to play. It is therefore not surprising that Malinois, Border Collies, and Labrador Retrievers\u2014working breeds in which humans have, for decades, selected individuals with a strong motivation to retrieve and play\u2014were overrepresented among the subjects.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the authors, it is precisely this selection that may have fostered, at least in some individuals, a marked tendency to become fixated on the toy.<\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-un-campanello-d-allarme-anche-per-i-proprietari\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A wake-up call for property owners as well<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most interesting finding goes beyond mere scientific curiosity. In fact, the study encourages us to distinguish between a dog that loves to play and one that can no longer stop playing. The difference lies not in the intensity of the play, but in the loss of behavioral flexibility.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who live with these breeds, the message is clear: a high drive to play is often an asset in training and work, but it can become a problem if it isn\u2019t accompanied by self-control, breaks, and adequate mental stimulation. Not every dog that obsessively chases a ball is \u201caddicted.\u201d But ignoring the signs of a possible compulsion risks compromising the dog\u2019s well-being.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A study published in *Scientific Reports* identifies behaviors in some dogs that are similar to human addictions. The study focused primarily on working dog breeds, such as Border Collies and Malinois. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":21232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAowscnaCw:productID":"","_app_feed_target":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1616],"tags":[2644,1657],"class_list":["post-21229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animals","tag-addictions","tag-cani"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When Gaming Becomes an Addiction\u2014Even for Dogs &#8226; Ultima Bozza<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A study published in *Scientific Reports* identifies behaviors in some dogs that are similar to human addictions. The study focused primarily on working dog breeds, such as Border Collies and Malinois.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When Gaming Becomes an Addiction\u2014Even for Dogs &#8226; Ultima Bozza\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A study published in *Scientific Reports* identifies behaviors in some dogs that are similar to human addictions. The study focused primarily on working dog breeds, such as Border Collies and Malinois.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ultima Bozza\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ultimabozza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-18T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cane-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"399\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Flavia Rossellini\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ultimabozza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ultimabozza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Flavia Rossellini\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Flavia Rossellini\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7c23a350be9ca09939fe84a59d91f95c\"},\"headline\":\"When Gaming Becomes an Addiction\u2014Even for Dogs\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-18T07:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\"},\"wordCount\":465,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cane-2.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"addictions\",\"cani\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Animals\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/\",\"name\":\"When Gaming Becomes an Addiction\u2014Even for Dogs &#8226; Ultima Bozza\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/when-gaming-becomes-an-addiction-even-for-dogs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cane-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-18T07:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"A study published in *Scientific Reports* identifies behaviors in some dogs that are similar to human addictions. 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