Tail Chasing

[GoldenGirl85]

Lexi has only just discovered she has a tail and has started chasing it, I havnt tried to stop the behaviour because to be honest its quiet funny to watch lol, but Im now wondering if she could do herself some harm by doing it

So, should I stop her from chasing her tail? its not a daily occurrence but I have seen her do it 3 times in the last few weeks

[Cosmolo]

YES, YES and YES. If you stop her from doing it for a few weeks and it doesn't cease, i would consider getting a behaviourist. Tail chasing left unchecked can become a very serious problem.

[GoldenGirl85]

YES, YES and YES. If you stop her from doing it for a few weeks and it doesn't cease, i would consider getting a behaviourist. Tail chasing left unchecked can become a very serious problem.

Care to elaborate? do you mean physically, behaviourally or both?

[Bully]

YES, YES and YES. If you stop her from doing it for a few weeks and it doesn't cease, i would consider getting a behaviourist. Tail chasing left unchecked can become a very serious problem.

I agree. Please distract her, but don't make a big deal of it or she may learn that it gets attention. Tail chasing can become an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ;)

[Tokkie]

Nandi started doing that 2 weeks ago.... I remembered reading on DOL about dogs that get obsessed with it so I stoped it every time I saw her do it... after being told off I couple of times she stopped.

It does look funny thou.... she had so much fun doing it. ;)

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

YES, YES and YES. If you stop her from doing it for a few weeks and it doesn't cease, i would consider getting a behaviourist. Tail chasing left unchecked can become a very serious problem.

totally agree it can cause serious obsessive behavioural problems

[VJB]

I clap my hands when my dog does it, and redirect her attention to something else.

[Guest Ams]

Recently I had to look after a dog at the shelter that had obsessive compulsive tail chasing behaviour to the point he had chewed off the end of his own tail. He had to be pts as even with sedation and an e collar he kept growling and attacking himself and if staff fingers were in the way then he'd bite them too. :rolleyes:

[bedazzledx2]

Aarrhhhh!!!! Stop it now!!!! once established you may not be able to and OCD can be a very serious disorder.

Recently I had to look after a dog at the shelter that had obsessive compulsive tail chasing behaviour to the point he had chewed off the end of his own tail. He had to be pts as even with sedation and an e collar he kept growling and attacking himself and if staff fingers were in the way then he'd bite them too. :rolleyes:

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I stop my dog from doing it. I do inspect the tail for anything that needs chewing (eg fleas, ticks, bee stings).

I know some people teach their dogs to spin on command, I guess that could work like teaching a barking dog to speak on command, ie my dog has to stop barking in order to figure out what she needs to do to get the treat and then she just does the quietest growl unless I ask her to be "louder". Shuts her up.

Maybe that would work for a spin ie one spin gets a treat and attention, no need for more. My dog mostly does it out of frustration when she wants something but can't have it. And I do not laugh or do anything to encourage it, always give her a distraction or something else to do. It can be quite obsessive - especially in cattle dogs, and anything done to excess is harmful from too much wear and tear, to mental heath problems. At the moment, I don't plan to teach her to spin on command because it's too close to something she shouldn't be doing anyway. Ie I don't want her offering it up as an attempt to get attention or a treat.

[Teebs]

I held a 6 month old bull terrier as he got his wings because he was a spinner, it was heartbreaking, over the course of 3 days he went to a happy puppy, do a dog that had his feet cut open from non stop spinning, he spent 3 nights here, and didnt stop spinning all night :rolleyes:

[W Sibs]

Yep, no tail chasing in my house either and Emmy isn't allowed to spin more then twice if she gets excited.

I just say 'Oi' and then give Emmy something more fun to do and distract her from it. Charlie doesn't chase his tails but Emmy use to chase his tail for him! She doesn't do it anymore, once her puppy license has expired, Charlie will let her know that he doesn't it and she learnt the lesson fast!

[OSoSwift]

I have seen an SBT have his tail amputated due to extreme self mutilation then he was euthanased after training and medication made no difference.

The owners tried everything and he was that OCD he just couldn't stop. Makes it very hard for a dog to so much as eat when they are asbad as him. I never allow chasing of tails just incase it develops into something further.

[GoldenGirl85]

Ill definitely discourage her next time, Ive never encouraged her at all, but I havnt even thought to stop it

I had already taught her to spin, so Im not sure if that sparked the sudden interest in her tail...

[OSoSwift]

My dogs spin both ways on command and they have never tried to chase their own tail, but that may also be because they just are not that way inclined???

[BMAK]

i have heard myself some pretty herific stories on tail chasing some started off as boredom an ended in OCD and self multulation of the tail

i know you might think its funny now but you wont be laughing when it becomes compolsive