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🎾 Science Confirms Some Dogs Are Literally Addicted to Fetch

🎾 Science Confirms Some Dogs Are Literally Addicted to Fetch

New research shows some pups can’t quit their toys... and honestly, we get it.

Bryan Reisberg
October 23, 2025

🎾🧠 “Fetch. Repeat. Obsess. Repeat.” — Why Science Says Some Dogs Might Actually Be Addicted to Play

Hey Chonk Nation — buckle up for a fascinating (and slightly humbling) scientific revelation…

According to a new peer-reviewed study published October 9 in Scientific Reports (Nature’s open-access journal), scientists from the University of Bern and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna found that some dogs may display addiction-like behaviors toward their toys — behaviors strikingly similar to human compulsions like gambling or video gaming.

Researchers studied 105 highly play-motivated dogs, aged 1 to 10 years, across 14 behavioral tests. Breeds ranged from Border Collies and Jack Russells to Labs and mixed breeds — a strong cross-section of the “I-live-for-fetch” community.

The setup? Four cameras, three toys (ball, plush, tug), one mission: measure how far each pup would go to get their favorite back.

The results? Let’s just say some dogs made Toy Story 3 look emotionally restrained.

33 dogs displayed clear “addiction-like” behaviors — pacing, fixating, barking at shelves where toys were hidden, even refusing food or water. Two participants got so worked up that they destroyed boxes to reach their toys.

“It wasn’t something we encouraged or expected,” said lead author Dr. Alja Mazzini, veterinary behaviorist at the University of Bern. “But it illustrated the intensity of their motivation.”
(Source: BBC Science Focus, Oct 2025)

Co-author Dr. Stefanie Riemer, behavioral biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, told National Geographic that the behaviors mirrored the escalating engagement seen in human addictions — “some dogs couldn’t relax or redirect once their toy was removed.”

Interestingly, shepherd breeds — like German and Belgian Shepherds — scored highest on the addiction scale. Their laser-focus and working-dog drive make them exceptional in police or herding work, but that same intensity can tip into compulsion when applied to play.

Clinical takeaway? Dogs showing “toy fixation” may experience dopaminergic reinforcement similar to humans hooked on high-reward stimuli — a feedback loop where anticipation and reward trigger the same pleasure centers in the brain. Scientists suspect genetics play a significant role.

As Dr. Riemer told The Guardian: “We think the genetic component is pretty strong.”

Still, the researchers stress this is exploratory work — the first study to systematically test whether addiction criteria apply to dogs. Psychologist Julia Espinosa (York University, Toronto) praised the research as “a strong first step” toward understanding behavioral welfare in pets.

For now, don’t worry — no one’s sending your pup to squeaky-toy rehab. But it’s a fascinating look into how our dogs’ brains are wired for reward, motivation, and play — and how their joy-obsessed tendencies might mirror our own.

So next time your dog refuses to drop the ball, remember: it’s not disobedience. It’s neuroscience.

Now if you’ll excuse Maxine, she’s off to conduct her own “peer-reviewed” fetch experiment.

🐾 Key Facts (for the science nerds in Chonk Nation):

Published: Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), October 9 2025
Researchers: University of Bern (Switzerland) + University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Austria)
Sample Size: 105 dogs (49 females, 56 males, 12 months – 10 years old)
Key finding: ~31% showed addiction-like behavioral patterns linked to reward anticipation and stress responses
Most affected breeds: German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Border Collies

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