Posted on 11/18/2025 1:23:40 PM PST by fruser1
Currently, there is no formal diagnosis for autism or ADHD in dogs, and vets group this behaviour under the broad umbrella of 'Canine Dysfunctional Behaviour' (CDB).
Research has now shown that many different animals, including dogs, rats, mice, and primates, can have behavioural and genetic signs that would be diagnosed as neurodivergence in humans.
However, diagnosing neurodivergence in dogs is extremely difficult.
Signs your dog may be neurodivergent: Hypervigilance, Hyperfocus, Poor impulse control, Sensitivity to certain sounds, Lack of interest in people, Difficulty socialising.
Dogs with autistic traits show lower levels of 'neural coupling', meaning that their brain activity doesn't synchronise with humans as much as other dogs (illustrated)
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
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My puppy dog is bi-polar and can’t bark.
dogs are autistic? Ummmm no.
Neurodivergent - new psychiatric political doublespeak in an attempt to normalize another neurological DISORDER.
I’m not sure about autistic but I have an Afghan hound that was absolutely clueless.
In other words, dumb dogs are not dumb.
They are neuro-divergent.
More ways for rich people to spend their money on animal psychologists, and for poor, impressionable people to worry.
My Dog is smarter than your dog!
I guess we can’t say our pets are stupid, or strange, any longer.
Nah, I still will!
Cats are definitely autistic.
Is your dog gender fluid?
Difficulty keeping calendar goals, prioritizing tasks, easily distracted, forgetting scheduled commitments, restless moveme ts, etc. Spot on.
however my dog is great at picking up on social cues, maybe a milder case.
1) He makes software for the fun of it.
2) She organizes her food kernels in order by size.
3) He quotes statistics of his favorite frisbee team for the past 10 years.
Thread could have said is your dog artistic....
“Is your dog autistic?”
No. He’s retarded.
Slightly Off Topic:
A few weeks ago, I saw a short segment of British singer Annie Lennox (from Eurythmics) being interviewed. She stated that she had just recently been diagnosed as ‘Neurodivergent’, and raved how this diagnosis helped to ‘explain so much’ about her life. She seemed overjoyed and relieved.
Seemed to me she was getting a bit carried away with some random ‘Specialist’ giving his point of view. She’s been an immensely successful singer and entertainer.
Just being part of the entertainment world can frazzle one’s nerves. That kind of anxiety does not have to mean that you have some kind of ‘condition’ one that you probably need to start taking pills for.
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