Mental Disorders in Dogs

Before I begin, I would just like to point out that Captain Tazz is one of one of the sweetest, cutest,
most loveable dogs in the whole wide world. Except when he's not. Now, how is this possible? I'll tell
you. It's possible because, like every other dog out there in existence, he has to go to the bathroom. And
again, hopefully like all other dogs, he must do this outside. Here's where we run into the problem. You
see, he is very social. And when he's on a leash, he becomes anxious because it's stopping him from
being that way. So, to vent his frustration, he barks.

     This is where my frustration occurs. Because other dog owners don't know that he really only wants
to play! So they always turn and run the other way. Little do they know that this only makes it worse,
because the other dog is leaving. I mean, when we got him, he was quiet, sweet, and great around other
pets! But about two weeks after we took him home, he just started to go crazy on his walks; but only if
there's another dog/cat. (I say cat because the owners of the house down the street leave their cat
outside. They're not abusing it or anything; it really does like to be out there. It's just that it's a problem
for every single dog walker in our neighborhood.)

     Right now, he's sitting by my feet -- asleep. Awwww, he's so cute!

     So, this brings me to my point behind the point. After starting to notice Tazz's behavior quirks, I had
this...question. Are humans the only species that have deceases? See, now you have to let me explain. I
know that dogs get kennel cough, and every animal gets sick, but human beings are the only species I
can think of that have literal deceases. I mean, do dogs get cancer? And what about genetic stuff? Is it
possible that dogs who just can't behave aren't really bad dogs; could they have some type of mental
disorder? Like autism; but only more doglike?

     Because I'm sure that to other animals, we all look the same -- even though we can recognize a
human who is physically deformed due to a mental illness. We don't punish people who just literally
cannot control themselves. What if that was true for dogs, too? Lets say you pay hundreds of dollars for
dog training. Week after week, despite the personal trainer, one on one doggy sessions, and obedience
exercises you've been instructed to do; your dog just doesn't seem to get it. Could that be because your
dog has a mental disorder? I firmly believe that dogs don't want to hurt anybody. I think their actions
are caused from things that we don't quite understand.

     I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this anymore.....

     Anyways, I just think that it might be a good idea for people to take a look at that, and think about it.
Because Tazz is honestly one of the nicest dogs you will ever meet. He just doesn't seem to be
completely there all the time. It's not his fault that he looses self control on the leash, and it's not mine
either. Don't blame me for having a dog who loves to play, and gets frustrated when you wont let him!
That's really not fair for you to do. Because, I will say this again, I do not think it is his fault. I do not
think he can control it. However, I do think that mental illnesses in dogs/other animals is something
that scientists need to look into.