Study Links Dog DNA to OCD

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BOSTON - A dog psychology study will attempt to link canine behavior issues with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Using technology developed during a Harvard and MIT collaborative, Dr. Nicholas Dodman of Tufts University will isolate the genes associated with rage, tail chasing and more.

To do this he, will compare pure breeds displaying those traits with dogs of the same breed who do not.

Dr. Dodman says the genetic root of rage in Springer Spaniels may help explain human aggression. By the end of the study, he hopes to map those indicators.

According to the researchers at the Human Genome Project, “The genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder...are likely to be very complex and...difficult to study in humans.” An issue that pure bred canine DNA can help overcome.

But Harvard professor of psychology Dr. Michael Jenike says that humans are better study subjects because we can explain our feelings. So in terms of studying OCD, he says studying humans will yield clearer results.