WHY DO DOG’s CHASE THEIR TAIL?

WHY DO DOG’s CHASE THEIR TAIL?


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Why Do Dog’s Have Tails For?

  • FOR MAINTAINING BALANCE
  • FOR GESTURING EMOTION
  • AND FOR SPREADING SCENT(to attract other GENDER of same breed)

(DOG CHASING TAIL)

Here are a few reasons dogs chase their tails.

  • Boredom

  1. Oftentimes, dogs will chase their tails as they are bored also it’s a way for them to have fun and expend some energy.
  2. This is especially true for puppies, who may not even realize that their tail is actually a part of their body, but they see it as a toy.

  • Attention

  1. Do you tend to watch and laugh when your dog starts chasing his tail? and if he is receiving positive attention from you by engaging in the act, it may cause him to do it whenever he wants you to take notice and play with him.

  • Something’s Wrong

  1. Weather you have noticed your dog really going after the tail a lot and trying to nip at it and chew on it, you should schedule an appointment to the vet.
  2. Sometimes dogs will chase their tails because they are being bothered by worms or fleas or experiencing some other kind of medical issue.

  • Genetics

  1. For reasons that we still don’t really understand, breeds like German shepherds and terriers tend to engage in tail-chasing more than other breeds even if they grow older.
  2. This happens even more when dogs have been trapped indoors for very long time.

DOG CHASING TAIL
(DOG CHASING TAIL)

  • Compulsion

  1. Some dogs may develop a compulsive disorder which involves chasing their tail offen.
  2. These kinds of behavioral problems comes for many reasons like confinement, physical abuse, past injury or trauma, separation anxiety, and so on which need to be addressed.

  • Excessive Energy

  1. Boredom is often touted as a reason for tail chasing, however it’s usually not boredom but rather an inadequate level of physical activity that’s the cause.
  2. If your dog has a great need for aerobic or hardcore exercise and might engage in tail chasing to exert energy.
  3. If this is the case, the behavior should cease once activity levels increase.

  • Injury

  1. If an animal receives an injury to the tail (such as being slammed in a door), he or she will often try to ease the discomfort by tail chasing.
  2. Other superficial conditions such as skin irritation or parasite bites (eg. fleas) may also cause this behaviour.

  • Anxiety

  1. Tail chasing can also be the symptom of an underlying anxiety or psychological issue. The behaviour commonly begins with the dog chasing or scratching at the tail after an injury or irritation.
  2. As the behavior is comforting for the dog, it can quickly become a habitual response to all other threats, even after the tail has healed or the irritation has gone.
  3. In these instances, the dog is said to have become ‘conditioned’. While difficult to treat, this form of anxiety can be somewhat prevented if intercepted early enough.

  • Medical Causes

  1. There are some other neurological conditions that can cause a dog to whirl or chase the tail.
  2. Whilst rare, severe tail chasing has been attributed to “epilepsy” and is sometimes described as a “seizure-related symptom”.

  • Hormone Imbalance

  1. Any time there is an interruption in the flow or amount of hormones in an animal’s body, behavioral issues could arise. Bloodwork would help rule this out as a possibility.

  • Discovering Their Body

  1. Dogs might chase their tails as part of a puppy phase. Just like human babies are constantly discovering different parts of their little bodies, puppies could be doing the very same thing.
  2. Maybe your puppy doesn’t know if that thing he periodically catches sight of back there is something following him around or not, so he has to check it out! Eventually, just like a human baby, he becomes familiar with it and leaves it alone, probably pretty quickly if he catches it and bites himself!
  3. If you don’t want your puppy to make it a bad habit, a good way to nip this behavior in the bud is to not give it attention from the very first. Don’t laugh when he chases his tail, and try to redirect him with a toy.
  4. Puppies and even older dogs will take all the attention they can get, and if you laugh at his behavior, he’ll keep it up. Then his habit of running in circles may get to be a real fixation!

DOG CHASING TAIL
(DOG CHASING TAIL)

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  1. A dog suffering from separation anxiety may chase tail like a nervous person bites his nails.
  2. Another reason may chase his tail when over-excited by the presence of a visitor, or an animal or bird in the yard.
  3. Whatever the reason, OCD becomes the problem when the dog begins to rely on tail chasing or chewing almost as a form of comfort when he becomes anxious.
  4. DOG can even seriously hurt his tail from constant chewing by not allowing it to heal after one chewing session before begins another one.

  • Anal-Gland Problem

  1. Dogs may appear to be chasing their tail when they’re actually trying to reach and scratch their butt. Dogs sometimes need their anal glands expressed, which can be done by a vet or on a routine grooming.
  2. If you notice your dog trying to bite at their butt and scooting their butt on the carpet, talk to your vet or a groomer.

  • Diet

  1. Dogs that have shown high levels of cholesterol have more sudden changes in mood or behavior and are more likely to chase their tails

SOLUTION’s:

  • Exercise

  1. A tired dog is more likely to have a tired mind, which would prevent spontaneous acts like tail-chasing.
  2. Interaction with other dogs is another way to stimulate your dog and may decrease the likelihood of him chasing his tail.

  • Medication

  1. There are some medications that your vet can prescribe to your dog to help ease his mind and make him less likely to chase his tail.

  • Tale of the Tail

  1. In general, dogs chasing their tails should not be a concerning thing. Dogs are all unique, and all have different, strange and odd reasons they do the things they do.
  2. If you think your dog has a real problem, then you can talk to your vet about it and see if there is something you can do.
  3. If you want to give your dog something else to chase and play with.

  • Behaviour modification therapy

  1. If your vet identifies the cause as psychological, you may need to implement a behavioural modification program.
  2. This requires the owner to identify and predict when the dog is likely to chase his or her tail and and initiate an alternate activity, such as playing with a ball, training, feeding or a chew toy.
  3. It’s important this is done before the tail chasing begins. Your dog will then learn to self-comfort in other ways.
  4. If you have been rewarding the behaviour with positive attention or treats, you will need to remove all rewards and may need to reduce attention by turning or walking away (and ignoring the behaviour).

  • Drug Therapy

  1. Lowered serotonin and increased dopamine levels may be associated with compulsive disorders such as tail chasing.
  2. If it isn’t possible to bring your dog’s behaviour under control by changing his or her environment, then it may be necessary to try drug therapy, such as anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications.
  3. While it can take several weeks for medications to be effective, it can be a great intermediary step to bring compulsive behaviour under control.

  • Tips to stop dogs chasing their tails

  • Don’t give the behaviour any attention (positive or negative) – ignoring it is best.

  • Increase your dog’s activity levels.

  • Ensure you dog has interactive toys.

  • Monitor your dog’s skin and general health and seek veterinary advice if you detect problems or the tail chasing persists.



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