 Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
#166175 - 12/01/2007 10:12 PM |
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I just heard somewhere that playing w/your dog w/a laser light can cause neurotic and/or compulsive behavior in dogs. Is this true? We bought one a couple of months ago, and I have yet to even take it out of the package. Now I'm wondering if we shouldn't use it?
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Kori Bigge ]
#166177 - 12/01/2007 10:22 PM |
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I just heard somewhere that playing w/your dog w/a laser light can cause neurotic and/or compulsive behavior in dogs. Is this true? We bought one a couple of months ago, and I have yet to even take it out of the package. Now I'm wondering if we shouldn't use it?
True.
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Kori Bigge ]
#166178 - 12/01/2007 10:41 PM |
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I don't know the real facts about 'em, but I wouldn't take a chance. One of the Dog Whisperer episodes featured Cesar dealing with a dog obsessed with chasing lights, reflections, etc. that all started with a laser.
Go to Amazon and read reviews by people who bought the "Miracle Beam Laser Pet Toy.
One wrote, "Our dog is light-obsessed and was not before she saw a laser light. We showed her a laser only a couple of times several months ago and now she spends almost all her waking hours looking for moving lights. Sometimes she would rather look for it than eat. I believe seeing the laser has perhaps permanently damaged this dog's personality and cannot over-stress that it's just not worth it to risk exposing your dog to it. Maybe your dog wouldn't think it's a big deal, but I don't think anyone should take the chance. I'm really sorry we did." And this is not the only review like this.
Interesting how some people consider this "exercising" their pet. 
Mike
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Mike Armstrong ]
#166179 - 12/01/2007 10:59 PM |
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I can only imagine that some of the high-drive dogs on this board could take "light-obsessed" to a whole new level.
I 3rd not risking it.
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Mike Armstrong ]
#166180 - 12/01/2007 11:03 PM |
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I am SOOO glad I haven't used this yet w/Kodee. I actually have the exact one you're talking about on the Amazon site (got it at Petco), and I came this close to opening it several times, but never did for some reason (my 4 yr old was bugging me about it a couple of days ago). If Petco will let me return it, I will. Otherwise, it's going in the trash.
It's scary how things affect the psyche... 
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Kori Bigge ]
#166182 - 12/01/2007 11:29 PM |
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This is actually can become a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for a dog. My own JRT will be strung out for hours if my grandkids get hold of a flashlight when they visit. Evil little bassads!
old dogs LOVE to learn new tricks |
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Bob Scott ]
#166185 - 12/01/2007 11:56 PM |
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Toss it in the trash. My boy Cujo likes to stare at the ceiling now whenever there's a light reflection that briefly moved. Drives me crazy. When he was a pup my brother thought it was funny that he'd chase it around. I thought it was less funny when he spent 30 minutes trying to find the red dot after it was gone.
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Mike J Schoonbrood ]
#166229 - 12/02/2007 10:38 AM |
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I have one that I got for my cats, Bayley's chased it a few times but I usually put her outside or in her crate if I'm playing with the cats. I must have well balanced animals, they chase it for a while and then look at me, sort of like, well that's enough of that, where's the food!! Only 2 of the cats will play too, the third cat just sits there and ignores it totally. I wonder if he thinks the other 2 are crazy for chasing something they can't catch 
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Bob Scott ]
#166251 - 12/02/2007 01:47 PM |
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This is actually can become a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for a dog. My own JRT will be strung out for hours if my grandkids get hold of a flashlight when they visit.
Yeah, BAD idea. It's cute and funny at first, but it really is like they're searching for their "fix" long after the light's gone. Carbon does this with flashlights, which is a really huge pain in the butt when you need to, say, look up the chimney with one. I don't know how Santa does it because me and an 85lb GSD just don't fit in there.
Also, Carbon has transfered this over to shadows. He'll scrape the floor with his paws trying to get our foot shadows to move, and he'll bloody his nose trying to bite them. I've actually had to give him prong corrections to make him stop. All of this because of ONE time with a flashlight when he was pup.
I should add that it probably does depend on the dog. My Corgi could care less about it...but then again, he only has food drive.
Give it to someone with a cat, maybe?
Carbon |
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Re: Laser lights as toys...bad idea?
[Re: Amber Morgan ]
#166324 - 12/03/2007 01:25 AM |
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Wow, I would not have guessed that this is such a problem. My aunt had a dog that was totally obsessed with a laser. She would search all over the house for the light a LONG time after it was off. I assumed the dog was nuts before exposure to the laser and I’m sure the laser didn’t help. They quit using the toy and the dog eventually reverted to its “normal” self.
I used my laser range finder once to play with Starbuck when she was little. She chased it around and did not continue to obsess over it once the light was off. I will NOT be playing with the laser any more, no reason to take any chances.
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