Over the years, there have been lots of arguments on whether dogs can suffer from autism or not. While some people do believe it is possible as their dogs have suffered from this abnormal condition, others believe that it doesn’t affect dogs. According to experts, dogs can be autistic. In case you are wondering how it can happen, you’ve come to the right place where everything about dog autism will be revealed. It will be listing out the top symptoms you should look out for to show that your dog is autistic.
1 Poor social interactions
Is your dog having problems interacting with others? Do you know that this is one of the most obvious symptoms of autism? He hardly plays with other dogs or people. If your dog doesn’t take part in those normal daily activities like running around, eating, or even playing, there is every chance that he is autistic. This problem of poor social interaction can be as a result of being shy. The difference is that if your dog is suffering from autism, it will not interact with other dogs and people. However, such a problem will go away with time if he is shy.
2 Fatigue
Dogs are exciting creatures as they are always active, looking for where to let off steam. If your dog is always dull and not interested in playing around, such could be a sign of autism. This is obvious when you have a dog breed that is known to be quite active due to their high energy level. If you notice that such dog breed is always quiet, then he may have autism.
3 Behavioral problems
It is another symptom of autism that you may have to look out for in your dog. Is your dog displaying any peculiar behavior? This is one symptom that you will need to observe in order to find out whether your dog is suffering from autism or not. Some of what you will need to look out for are whether such dog is avoiding other people, staring at stuff continuously, and staying still in one spot without reason. Autistic dogs don’t like when new items, people, or toys come their way. They could also show obvious signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior.
4 Mental problems
This symptom involves your dog being scared for reasons that aren’t cogent. For instance, they are scared of meeting people and always hiding for no genuine reason. This is one symptom that may likely become worse over time if not handled properly. Just watch out when your dog is showing some abnormal mental behaviors. In this situation, repetitive behaviors will be displayed; ones that have become a regular or daily routine for your dog. He is always carrying out such actions daily. Just observe to know those activities your dog keeps on repeatedly doing. New actions are ignored or even those games that they aren’t used to.
5 Lack of enthusiasm
Most people prefer the idea of having dogs around their homes due to their playful nature. They are animals which are always exciting and can make a place lively. In case your dog isn’t enthusiastic about life, there is every chance that he has autism. Most dog owners misunderstand this symptom for laziness or lack of energy to play around. Observe your dog to know whether it is always sad.
6 Always scared
Normally, your dog could be scared of some things around the home. However, such feeling shouldn’t be constant as it may be a sign that he has autism. Dogs are always brave by nature and want to explore everything around their environments. When your dog is not adventurous, this could be a sign of autism. At such point, it will not matter whether he has seen such an item over and over again as the fear will stay present.
7 Reactional Stimulus
Have you noticed your dog reacting to something quite aggressively? This could be a sign that he has autism and needs medical care as soon as possible. Just observe how your dog reacts to any new thing around its environment. Even if such an item has been around for some time, the dog will still be aggressive towards it, which is a sign of autism.
8 Singular food preference
Sometimes you may want to think that your dog prefers eating one type of food to others because such food is tasty. This is far from the truth, as it may only be a sign of autism. In this case, you will notice that your dog’s choice of food is odd. It could be eating one type of food or foods that contain a specific or certain ingredient. This is a sign of autism and will only become worse as time goes on.
9 Lack of expression ability
This is another symptom of autism in your dog that you need to watch out for. It has been discovered that the dogs suffering from this abnormal condition can’t express their feelings. For instance, you can’t tell when they are scared, sad, happy, or showing any kind of emotion, whether positive or negative.
10 Compulsive behavior
This behavior entails your dog always putting his toys and food away even when it is obvious that he is hungry. Another sign of dog autism that displays this kind of behavior is demanding that his toys or foods get placed in a given way. It is almost similar to the explanation above that they don’t like things or practices which they aren’t used to.
