How to Train Your Dog to Stop Chasing His Tail
Introduction
So, your pup seems to be unable to stop himself from chasing his tail. It seems like every time you turn around, your pup is spinning in circles biting at his tail and simply saying "Stop it!" is having absolutely no effect. He could be chasing his tail out of boredom or simply because he is overcome with excitement. There are even a few medical conditions that can cause him to chase his tail, such as dry skin, a flea infestation, or an injury that itches as it heals.
Depending on the training method you choose, you need to catch the behavior as soon as it starts, or you may be too late for him to correct his behavior. The good news is that with a little practice, your pup can be taught that chasing his tail is not an acceptable behavior.
Defining Tasks
The first thing you need to do is STOP laughing when you see your pup chasing his tail. What might seem silly to you is serious business to your dog, and if you keep laughing at him, you are simply reinforcing this behavior. This can actually lead to a type of obsessive-compulsive behavior that can be triggered by anxiety or stress.
Many dogs will simply grow out of this behavior, but others will need training to teach them how to stop chasing their tails. Not only can it be bad for your pup, but with all that spinning around, something is sure to get broken. Add to this that obsessive tail chasing can lead to other types of OCD behavior. With this in mind, the sooner you can start working on this training, the better it will be for your pup and the rest of your household.
Getting Started
Before you worry about training your pup to stop chasing his tail, he needs to have mastered the basic commands. This will make it much easier for you to work on training him to leave his tail alone. The hardest part of all for most dog owners is losing the fun they had watching their up spin in crazy circles. For this, you won't need much in the way of supplies, but you will need a few things like:
- Treats
- Toys
- Time
- Patience
Face it, training your pup to stop spinning in circles chasing his tail is not the easiest thing in the world. It will take plenty of time and patience if you want this training to succeed.
The Vet First Method
The Distraction Method
The Bell Method
Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Rebel
Keep chasing his tail.
Even when we are in the garden playing sometimes
he will start chasing his tail and also when someone comes to the house he gets excited.
151 Dog owners recommended
Hello Terry, I suggest consulting a veterinary behaviorist (someone who is trained both medically and in behavior modification). Tail chasing can be an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Certain breeds, including German Shepherds, are more prone to it than others. The OCD can be triggered by excitement, anxiety, boredom or imbalanced Serotonin and Dopamine levels. Some puppies grow out of tail chasing and simply do it for fun. German Shepherds are more genetically prone to it, so it might be worth contacting your vet or a veterinarian behaviorist now to see if there is something medical of phycological going on. If he receives attention when he does it, like people laughing, then he might also be doing it for attention. Finally, it could be a sign of a medical issue in the bum region, such anal glands that are impacted, worms, or other itching and soreness he has trouble reaching. Since he tends to do it just during times of excitement that is less likely though. To deal with the tail chasing, you need to first determine what's causing it or triggering it (excitement triggers it), then work with your vet (if purely medical, like worms), or a veterinary behaviorist to deal with underlying causes while also implementing training at the same time. Just treating the medical side or just treating the action of chasing alone may not be enough, both need to be addressed, unless it's simply due to worms or anal glands. A veterinary behaviorist with experience with OCD and repetitive type behaviors will be the most likely to be able to help you determine the underlying cause and implement a behavior modification protocol based on what's causing it. Check out the article that I have linked below for a bit more information on tail chasing and causes: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-dogs-chase-their-tails Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Dog keeps chasing tail and cant seem to stop, these methods havent work
151 Dog owners recommended
Hello Riccardo, I suggest consulting a veterinary behaviorist (someone who is trained both medically and in behavior modification). Tail chasing can be an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Certain breeds, including German Shepherds, are more prone to it than others. The OCD can be triggered by excitement, anxiety, boredom or imbalanced Serotonin and Dopamine levels. If he receives attention when he does it, like people laughing, then he might also be doing it for attention. Finally, it could be a sign of a medical issue in the bum region, such anal glands that are impacted, worms, or other itching and soreness he has trouble reaching. To deal with the tail chasing, you need to first determine what's causing it or triggering it, then work with your vet (if purely medical, like worms), or a veterinary behaviorist to deal with underlying causes while also implementing training at the same time. Just treating the medical side or just treating the action of chasing alone may not be enough, both need to be addressed, unless it's simply due to worms or anal glands. A veterinary behaviorist with experience with OCD and repetitive type behaviors will be the most likely to be able to help you determine the underlying cause and implement a behavior modification protocol based on what's causing it. Check out the article that I have linked below for a bit more information on tail chasing and causes: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-dogs-chase-their-tails Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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