chaseing tails

hi could some one help me please as me dog always seems 2 be chaseing her tail she is 8months old walked reguarly but just seems to chase her tail alot is this a problem thankyou

Tail chasing can develop into a really bad compulsive problem that can be hard to stop. Could you try maybe throwing a toy to her when she is doing it, enough to break her concentration? I am sure someone will be able to help....

would agree Milly does it sometimes and we distract her with a toy when she was younger she did it quiet a bit and I mentioned it to the vet she said sometime they do it when their anal gland is full and Millys was so I do not know if this could be causing it or if it is habit

I think I heard somewhere it was through bordom but I could be totally wrong. Has she got lots of other toys to disract her, again not much help

Hi and welcome to the forum though

I think all dogs at some point will of chased their tails. Its not a big issue really, if it gets to much or gets a bit obsessive clap your hands a few times with a AH AH noise and distract with a play or toy or whatever. x

Tail chasing, if it's only a couple of times a day for just a few seconds, is not a problem - pups will always find it fun!

BUT, obsessive tail chasing or spinning can result in a dog doing virtua;;y nothing else & it may end up on tranquilisers for life! My own breed, Bull Terriers, is know for OCD and I have to watch Dempsey very carefully; when he's excited he'll spin around a central point of his body (if you see what I mean) and if I don't stop him he'll go on and on. Dogs have been put down in extreme cases.

If I were you, I wouldn't make too much fuss about it, but if you think it's getting too much then distract with a treat or a toy or even a little obedience. That way it won't become a habit.

My aunt's Bull Terrier has a really bad tail chasing compulsion. I don't know how to curb it, but you should definitely nip it in the bud.

harvey chases his tail sometimes but not obsessively, defiantly playing as he growls at it and ends up rolling about on the floor

ella wrote:harvey chases his tail sometimes but not obsessively, defiantly playing as he growls at it and ends up rolling about on the floor

Ditto

out of my 2 stich is the only one that will do the tail chacing thing....he dont really do it that often,but when ever i see him do it i make him stop,with a toy or some thing...can be funny to watch,but its not funny when it becomes obsecive...

one of my mates mums dog used to do it and it started to nibble at the end of the tail...

scott wrote:out of my 2 stich is the only one that will do the tail chacing thing....he dont really do it that often,but when ever i see him do it i make him stop,with a toy or some thing...can be funny to watch,but its not funny when it becomes obsecive...

one of my mates mums dog used to do it and it started to nibble at the end of the tail...

my sisters (sadly departed) staff Rex got to the point of being obsessed with doing it and he started niblling too- to the point where in the end he had to have it removed as he was proper chewing through it (couldnt understand why he couldnt feel pain when biting through it as he was drawing blood!). definitely nip it in the bud as fast as you can!