Puppy chasing tail ... - Page 1

Your experience please of a 4 month old GSD puppy who as started to chase his tail. Is this fairly normal or should I be worried?

(We have an older dog, and neither are left for any long period)


Would appreciate your thoughts on this,
Thank you,
Rodeo
 

Tail chasing can become a problem, both physical and mental. It can become a compulsive behavior and can lead to physical injury to the tail. I recommend discouraging the behavior by redirecting the dog to something more interesting and wholesome to chase or bite than its tail.

Most dogs outgrow it, so I wouldn't be too worried unless it becomes obsessive. My friend had a showline male, who just about ruined his tail and actually was making it bleed. It turned out he was bored and lonely. She started giving him more attention and letting him into the house more, and the behaviour gradually stopped.

So, make sure your pup isn't bored. I'd worry about it becoming obsessive if the pup is a high-drive dog (usually a working line). I know someone who had a working line that began spinning in its cage due to boredom. She could not keep weight on the dog at all, and it was costing a fortune to feed it. Since it was on a breeding lease, she returned it to its previous owner, but had to go to court to get him to take it back!

Thank you both for your helpful comments. From what you have both said I feel it is (hopefully) more a phase, because he lives indoors with our other dog, I am at home, and there is good interaction and appropriate exercise together. Bringing him up well is very important to us, so I would hope nothing as been neglected.

Also following your suggestions, I think I will also try using some 'Bitter Apple' Spray on his tail to help dis-suade his interest.

Really appreciate your help and advice.

Rodeo

Tail chasing can be a severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and the two breeds most affected are GSDs and bullterriers. It is not specific to any lines, all can be affected, working, show, pet. I think you are right to be concerned. Iff it is an OCD condition, the earlier treatment starts and the less the dog practices the behavior, the better. First step would be to see the pup's regular vet to rule out any medical issues that could be stressful and to consider potential stressors in the pup's living situation (incl. potentially boredom that Sunsilver mentioned). Try to redirect as GD suggested. If it is an OCD, a dog cannot be redirected, or, if redirecting is still possible, pup would return to it quickly.

In consultation with your regular vet, and if an OCD is suspected, I would consult a veterinary behaviorist immediately.
If you are in the UK, you might find a veterinary behaviorist (and I would choose a veterinary behaviorist, not a behaviorist without veterinary degree, 'clinical' does not mean the person is a veterinarian) through this organization: http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/index.php
If you are in the US, it's easier as veterinary behavior is a specialty with board certification and its own society: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

The specialists who have done the most research on compulsive tail chasing are Dr Nicolas Dodman and Dr Alice Moon-Fanelli at Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton, MA, USA. Dr Moon-Fanelli now works in private practice. The Veterinary Behavior Clinic at Tufts also offers long distance consultations. Dr Dodman and his team would know the specialists in other countries, I would suggest contacting them in any case.

Important first steps that you can start now, even before your pup is seen by a regular vet or specialist:
- Keep a log of these episodes, include time of of onset and duration, as well as any environmental factor you can think of. Examples: Any flashing lights (even small flashing lights the size of laser dots), any moving shadows, whether the TV is on or not, anything potentially frustrating or stressful (even if this were normal stress level for another puppy such as dinner is late, or bored, or humans are stressed), etc
- Iff you have been playing with laser lights with him, never do it again. It is one of the triggers for OCD tail chasing.

A couple of popular articles on the topic: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/dogs-spinning-compilation_n_4003097.html 
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/compulsive-behavior-dogs

If you bought your puppy from a responsible breeder, the breeder would want to know.

Hopefully it is not an OCD but since it is one of the breed's well known health issues, I think you are right to be concerned and I would take it very seriously. Wishing you and your pup the best.

 

Is this puppy getting plenty of puppy exercise and mental stimulation. Lots of puppy training time also. More mental stimulation would be my guess and NO, I do not like this type compulsive behavior either. Nan

 

And to add to the above, there are lots of training venues you can do with your puppy, hand signals along with verbal obedience training, nose work which they love;  make sure you have plenty of outside stimulation and socialization for puppy, article discrimination with toys etc.  search and find, retrieving, the list goes on and on,  beginning lure coarsing with rag and some type pole, etc.  Play with your puppy...  Nan

I had a gs that done this it turns out to separation angzity rehomed him with a person with a disability stopped chasing his tail straight away dog is about 9 now doing fine dog is all ways with him. Just my experience

Pup is young and bored,  needs a lot more play time not just being in the house with you.  

Take him for more outside excercise and when in the house keep a leash on him.  Keep him close to you so that you can interact more with him than he with your other dog.

If he tries to chase his tail he will be close and you can then do something with him so that he forgets about the tail.  If you can notice what he does just before he starts to chase his tail and before he does it, do something with him. This way you are not rewarding him for playing with his tail

Keep this up and he should if all goes well, out grow the habit in a few months.

There are a number of things that COULD be causing the "Tail Chasing"...

First off I would just feel the tail from the base to the tip...See if you feel any bumps such as a vertebrae that has bulged or out of shape...

When did this "Tail Chasing" begin...I see he's now 4 months old...how old was he when he first started chasing his tail...Does he chew on his tail? Or does he just chase it?

Are you able to play with him or distract him from the chasing or is it all consuming? Can you play ball with him and will he leave his tail alone?

I've had dogs that have done the "Tail Chasing" thing and it would stop after a short while...and then I've had others that it kept getting worse and worse...I returned the dog to their breeder and the dog was still chasing...just not as bad...

If this continues then I would take him to your vet and have him checked...but you might have to end up taking him to an Animal Neurologist...They will check his Nerves...Check his Reflexes...and go as far as is needed...But I would inform the breeder so there's no surprises if and when you have results from the doctors and you want to do something as far as the breeder...

I will tell you one other thing...I've seen dogs/German Shepherds that have had their tails amputated and when you ask why this was done...they will tell you that it's because they "Chased their Tails"...but amputating their tails does NOT fix the problem...

~Bob~

I had a pup here years ago that could not stop chasing its tail. Even on walks it would be so preoccupied with its tail it could only either circle after it, or sit down staring over its shoulder at its tail. ..then attack the tail and continue chasing. No amount of intervention helped. My vet recommended euthinizing. The pup would do the same thing trying to get it play with other dogs close in age. It was heartbreaking. Nothing to do with boredom, even trying to get it to work sheep, the tail was the total focus. My vet said it was neurological problem, not behavior or environment.