2025 Study Finds One-Third of Very Playful Dogs Suffer from a Genuine Behavioral Addiction

A fixed gaze on the ball, a refusal to eat, an inability to calm down. These behaviors are not mere whims. A study published in October 2025 in Scientific Reports provides a clear diagnosis: some dogs suffer from a genuine behavioral addiction, comparable to those observed in humans.

Published in October 2025, this pioneering scientific study documents toy addiction in 105 dogs from working breeds

An Austro-Swiss team led by Stefanie Riemer, from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, conducted the first empirical investigation into this phenomenon. The researchers recruited 105 dogs aged between one and ten years. All were described by their owners as highly motivated by play.

The represented breeds clearly reflect the expected profile. There were 18 Belgian Malinois, 9 Border Collies, and 9 Labrador Retrievers. These three breeds are among the most sought-after in canine work and sport. Their selection historically rests on perseverance and intense motivation.

The protocol combined a standardized behavioral test with a questionnaire completed by the owners. The researchers assessed the dog’s response to its favorite toy in three situations: accessible toy, toy visible but out of reach, toy fully removed.

Of the 105 dogs evaluated, 33 showed measurable addictive behaviors, including persistent fixation and a physiological state of withdrawal

The results were striking in their clarity. 33 subjects, nearly a third of the sample, displayed behaviors the researchers label as addictive. These animals manifested an excessive fixation going far beyond ordinary enthusiasm.

Several dogs proved unable to regain calm within fifteen minutes following the toy’s disappearance. Their elevated heart rate testified to a prolonged state of stress, typical of behavioral withdrawal.

Refusing a treat to focus on an inaccessible toy exactly matches the human criterion of excessive and maladaptive motivation

The researchers applied to dogs the same diagnostic criteria used for humans. Four indicators were considered: an irresistible urge, cognitive salience, lack of control, and mood modification.

Several dogs declined a free treat to remain focused on an inaccessible toy. This behavior precisely corresponds to what psychiatrists call excessive and maladaptive motivation.

Working breeds appear biologically more prone, and these dogs could serve as a model to better understand human ADHD

Excessive behaviors often emerge in the early months of life. This precocity leads researchers to a genetic hypothesis. Artificial selection, by favoring traits such as perseverance, may have created lineages predisposed to compulsivity.

However, Stefanie Riemer notes that the majority of dogs passionate about play do not fall into this category. A balanced dog accepts the interruption of play without difficulty. The boundary between healthy enthusiasm and pathological dependence remains identifiable.

These addicted dogs could also become a valuable animal model for exploring the mechanisms of ADHD in humans. Further studies are already underway to deepen this promising link. The next step aims to determine whether certain breeds show increased genetic vulnerability.