My boys tail - Page 1

 First of all he is 15 months old .He gets plenty of excercise and always has toys to keep him busy. Here are pics of his tail.When he sits down sometimes he ends up with his front paw on the tail.So then it begins a tail chasing game.But sometimes he tries to get his tail but doesn't lift his front paw first and he leaves strands of hair on the floor.My boy likes to be in the bathroom with me when I shower.We have a good size bathroom but when he is in there he chases his tail most of the time and he will catch it and again more haircomes out.He knows when I tell him to stop he will and sometimes start right back up.Now when I put him out in his kennel he won't do it.I know this because I watched from the window and nothing.And I might add he is only out when we are at work.As soon as we get home the kids are with us either in the house or outside.Any suggestions on stopping this behavior? Anything I can put on his tail to discourage him?
Steve

Maybe Bitter apple spray? Hot pepper sauce? An E-collar. Thats a pretty neurotic behavior. Either he needs a lot more mental stimulation or he's got one of those idopathic tail chaser syndromes. Without seeing exactly what he is doing it's hard to say. i'd try the bad tasting sprays first.

zigzag? Is the dog on a high protein diet? It's been said that
reducing the protein levels in a diet can sometimes help?

OCD?

I knew someone who had a bitch that used to do it so bad and couldn't be broken of it, her owner had 1/3 of her tail docked off. It had gotten so bad that her tail was chewed raw!

try giving him somethign MUCH more inviting to do while he is in the bathroom with you....  just not messy :)  kong filled with frozen whatever if he know how to do those.....  but it has to be good stuff as chasing his tail is self gratifying and he already knows it and is habituated to the behavior in the bathroom.  JMO.    I always take my pups into the bathroom with me when I shower and bring something for them to do from the get go so they don't do the tp, or climb cupboards, or yodel the whole time, or....  so from my perspective, it seems it might be a learned behavior.

it might be a chance to do some really easy clicker training.  as soon as he starts in front of you and stops on his own, click and reward.  timing here would be critical.  high value reward ciritical.  also, he has to knwo clicker training, but it takes out emotion, which might be good here as this habit would likely draw emtion from me.

also, is it where dogs have a gland or something....  I forget what it is...  my old male got what I am rembering as stud tail...  it was oily and weird, but it was about the same location.  might be a reason for him chasing and chewing.  Heat and humidity and the paw all draw attention to it?  I just hate to not think outside the box.....

Darcy

Try draining more of his energy witha good old fashion walk or ball throwing. If his energy is drained he shouldn't have the energy to chase his tell. If you had a tredmill teach him how to walk on it. Have you tried redirecting him when he does it by making lay down and stay in a spot like his bed or bath mat.




p.s. sorry for the double post I dont know how to delete a post yet.

above.

He is on blue buffalo protien 26.Oh believe me the boy gets plenty of ball time.His ball drive over the top he won't quit so when his tongue is hanging out  and dragging on the ground time to quit.We have toys all over the house I have taken kongs in the bathroom keeps him busy for a few them I hear a smack against he shower.And it's myt boy trying to catch that damn tail lol.I went as far as bringing in a tennis ball for him to play with but in minutes he has that torn apart.And I will not be clipping off his tail lol.I have been thinking about spraying something on his tail to deter him.
I will try and get a video of this to show.
Thanks for all the advise.
Steve

I would stop this habit. Any way you can. Even if that means putting him in the kennel during your shower time,since, as you say, he does not do it then.

I  see this as the beginning of a spinning dog. IMHO, as it is the beginning of an OCD, I agree with Joanro, this can be a GSD possibility. You seem to be one of his triggers, or is it the shower? I would avoid all triggers once they are identified.

Best wishes sorting it out.