OCD in Dobermans may help shed light on OCD in people

So, last year I did mouth swabs for Elka and sent them in. I haven't heard a blessed thing back from the study, and bu there was another study that's being reported on this week, on hoarding genetics. I know I was excited to read the linked article, because I was all "Oh hey, Dobermans!" Then, of course, it was about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is a considerably less positive thing to associate with "my" breed. But there's discussion of how Doberman OCD can give insight into human OCD, and that's pretty rad.

To sniff or not to sniff?

When you're out on walks, do you allow your dog to sniff willy-nilly?

Do you use sniffing as a reward?

Do you say no sniffing, no how?

I do all three, depending on the situation. Sounds confusing? Elka mostly has it straight. I've come to my criteria as we grew together.

Elka's new toy! The Zogoflex Hurley

You might be thinking "how many toys can this dog possibly need?  She already loves Gumby, and loves tennis balls, has the Monster Mouth, and the Kong [which is already redundant]. That's it! Set for life!"

Well, that's a bit like asking me how many more books I intend to read. Or how much longer I'm going to spend on the Internet. Or what more I could possibly do in World of Warcraft or one of the new Fallout games.

Dogs, like people, need entertainment.  Dogs, like people, tend to like new things.  Old things get, well, old.  Boring.  You might revisit them, but why not have a new thing?  Especially if the new thing was on sale for half the usual price.  Especially if the thing is named after possibly one of your favorite Lost characters.