tail chasing

ohmai

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#1
My puppy's starting to bite and chase his tail a bit. I want him to stop the habit because it Can't be healthy. I have an adult GSD that constantly chases his tail when he's bored and I've looked at his tail the other day and it didn't look too good. Red marks and loss of fur on his tail. I don't want my new puppy to start that habit, if I can stop it. Suggestions please?
 

caseyolee

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#2
Dock the tail? LOL

That's why australian cattle dogs tails started being docked. You will also see a few Border Collies with docked tails

Seriously though, spray some 'no chew' or 'chew stop' on the tail. Chasing it isn't a big deal, it's the actual chewing that is. It's the stuff in a spray bottle that doesn't taste very good. I'm not sure what the actual name for it is....I know we get it for our horses and its called 'chew stop.'
 

ohmai

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#4
Omm. I forgot to mention he also gnaws on it. Just not obsessively. Yeeah the bitter apple spray. I've been meaning to buy some of that but it just keeps slipping my mind! ANY pet place would sell it right? Like any pet food store ?
 

sparks19

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#6
AH bitter apple spray SO useful. It should be in a home remedy book :D lol if only i had thought to spray my flip flops with it :mad: haha
 
S

stirder

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#9
some dogs actually like the taste of bitter apple and no chew. try it and see if it works but there is an underlying problem, and you mentioned it yourself...he does it when hes bored. get him active. play more, train him new tricks, take him jogging, join a club such as schutzhund or agility, flyball or herding, ring, obedience. even if no chew stops it, he will direct that boredom/energy/stress in another way, next might be your furniture.
 

bridey_01

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#10
My mentor has a border collie with a neurotic problem (shadow chasing), her dog is on meds to help solve the problem, but it is an extreme case.
 
S

stirder

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#11
hahaha, should video tape that. actually Ive read a lot about herding breeds developing similar problems. its because the herding (chase) instinct is bred into them too severely. not always something the breeder could be aware of in the parents. a lot of border collie breeders (apparently most common in them) and australian shepherd breeders are trying to trim that instinct down a bit by breeding one dog with good working/herding instincts to another dog with low-no herding instincts (but of good bloodlines and otherwise breeding quality by all acounts) to gradually produce a more leveled herding instinct in the border collie.
 

mrose_s

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#12
ohmai said:
My puppy's starting to bite and chase his tail a bit. I want him to stop the habit because it Can't be healthy. I have an adult GSD that constantly chases his tail when he's bored and I've looked at his tail the other day and it didn't look too good. Red marks and loss of fur on his tail. I don't want my new puppy to start that habit, if I can stop it. Suggestions please?
I cant give you exact advice BUT I WOULD STOP THIS BEHAVIOUR RIGHT NOW!!!

my fathers old girlfriend had a beatuiful GSD that continuelly chased its tail to the point where they put it down! I dont think they should have done that at all, but i would seek proffessional help before your situation escalates
 

nedim

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#13
stirder said:
hahaha, should video tape that. actually Ive read a lot about herding breeds developing similar problems. its because the herding (chase) instinct is bred into them too severely. not always something the breeder could be aware of in the parents. a lot of border collie breeders (apparently most common in them) and australian shepherd breeders are trying to trim that instinct down a bit by breeding one dog with good working/herding instincts to another dog with low-no herding instincts (but of good bloodlines and otherwise breeding quality by all acounts) to gradually produce a more leveled herding instinct in the border collie.

Thank god my Peanut has no tail.lol
 
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#14
I've heard of dogs doing that, and it really is not good at all.

My border collie mix, Tippy, has no neurotic problems like this, thankfully. We don't know who her parents are, so who knows what they're like, but she does have herding instinct.
 

BigDog2191

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#15
mrose_s said:
I cant give you exact advice BUT I WOULD STOP THIS BEHAVIOUR RIGHT NOW!!!

my fathers old girlfriend had a beatuiful GSD that continuelly chased its tail to the point where they put it down! I dont think they should have done that at all, but i would seek proffessional help before your situation escalates
They put the dog to sleep because it chased it's tail? :confused:
 
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#16
You can use chew-deterrants like bitter apple spray, but you also need to be sure that your dog doesn't take tail-chasing to obsessive levels. When you go to the store to get the spray, grab some good interactive toys like Kongs, buster cubes, and an I-Qube to alleviate his boredom. Kong's website, which I think is Kong.com or maybe Kongtoys.com, will give lots of good ideas on how to stuff Kongs in different ways to keep your pooch amused. Summer's a great time to plug the narrow end with a little peanut butter, then fill it up with low sodium chicken or beef broth. Put it in the freezer upside-down, propped up in a cup or drinking glass. Take it out the next day and you have a doggy popsicle!

The point is, tail chasing starts out of boredom. But it can become a compulsion that can cause physical and emotional damage. Alleviate the boredom ASAP--it's a lot easier to fix than a detrimental habit or compulsion.
 

mrose_s

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#17
BigDog2191 said:
They put the dog to sleep because it chased it's tail? :confused:
Yeah, sad it was obsessive stuff. I didnt know they were planning it because they didnt tell me till after he was gone.
Apperently, they had taken him tot the vet and training and everything but nothing worked and he was just mad. I still think soemthing could have been done thouhg, a sensless waste of life.
 

MicFoster

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#18
Often times we see this in dogs who are not receiving enough mental and physical stimulation.

Follow CreatureTeachers advice, and start with some mental stimulation, and then more physical exercise. Just using bitter apple or chew stop may end the problem briefly, but you will likely see this behavior manifest in another way.
 

ohmai

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#19
I do take my puppy on jogs/walks, and play with him often. It's just those times when I need a little rest, he'll start chewing his tail.

And I got the bitter apple spray yesterday. My mom tried it on our 5y/o GSD's tail to get him to stop chasing it, but my mom said that our GSD actually liked the taste and kept on chasing it even more!
 

MicFoster

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#20
Often times just going on a walk or a jog is not enough. What breed is your dog? My border collies, for example, were bread to run as much as a 100 miles in a single day. The few miles a day that I can give them doesn't even come close to meeting there needs.

There are some changes you can make that will allow your walks to be more effective. First, make sure your pace is over 3.5 miles per hour. Next, require your dog to walk in a "perfect" heel for atleast 3/4 of the walk. When a dog is under command it not only taxes him physically, but mentally as well. This will allow you to meet his needs more easily. A 2 mile walk in a solid heel is about the same as 5 miles of casual walking.

If you have a high energy breed they may need as much as an hour of walk or jog time per day. Remeber, time just playing outside (perhaps in a fenced yard) does not count towards exercise.

Good Luck
 

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