How To Stop Your Dog From Chasing Their Tail

[@jordynleon2980]

I'm a college student and I am completing a final project about the whole premise of dogs chasing their tails and ways to reduce it. This video was very helpful and I will be including it in my presentation! Thank you :)

[@SaraOndrako]

So glad that you found it helpful! Best of luck on your final project - you picked a fun topic! 😊

[@jordynleon2980]

@@SaraOndrako Thank you!

[@Sifo_Dyas]

Did you wind up publishing anything? Anything you can share?

[@RandomnessTB]

@@jordynleon2980 please share! Just adopted a little one that does this and shows aggression

[@daniellerasmussen8339]

I appreciate this so much! Especially the tips on using the playground! Never thought of that.

[@SaraOndrako]

Glad it was helpful! Environmental agility is where it's at! 😊

[@mattguxxxtt9629]

My dog does this literally all day. Even when he’s so tired he’ll do it.

[@tmo2798]

Have you put it down yet?

[@SaraOndrako]

No need - that’s what behavior modification and a great veterinary behaviorist are for.

[@naimgrizzly7280]

@@tmo2798 what???

[@Nat524Ricci]

Wow thank you. I’m having this issue with our pug, who has finally at age 2 wounded himself. Saw the vet, they recommended amputating they last 2”. It doesn’t feel right. I want to try behavioral training first. So sad!!!

[@kimujin6]

I rescued a former working dog yesterday from very harsh environment. It was my next door, I don't know how they got her, but they said she was an army dog before. She was suffering a lot in floating metal cage with blood and shits everywhere. I bought her from them because I couldn't stand the scene anymore. And she is such a lovely dog by nature but whenever she is nervous she starts chasing her tail very aggressively with barking and her tail is already bleeding and showing bone.. this video helped me thank you. Please pray for this wounded dog if anyone reads this.

[@luvxykooo]

Great video! But I’ll like to share about my dog as well. My dog is a very strong-willed breed (bull terrier). We bought my dog from a owner when he was about 5 months. The old owners told us he was a great dog and no problem and till this day he’s amazing, but we noticed the first weeks he’s been chasing his tail and supposedly it was a way to show he was happy, excited. But as months went by, it has gotten worse and he’s super aggressive while chasing his tail. He chase his tail till it bleeds and needs to be stopped by someone because he himself can’t stop. His tail chasing is such a big concern. We took him to the vet and they said he had an anxiety disorder and just gave us pills, but it hasn’t worked at all. His tail chasing has gotten very dangerous because while he is chasing his tail it doesn’t matter if he’s near someone or alone he has bitten many of my family members and myself while chasing his tail and still he doesn’t stop. In another comment I saw someone say DO NOT hit or yell at your dog while chasing there tail but my dog doesn’t stop on his own and he just scares people off. 😭

[@TrollingHistory]

My mum always told me dogs who chase their tail lose their minds. It literally drives them insane. You see the proof of that now. If I was you ide mix up some very thick black pepper with something coco oil or something not so tasty but will hold the pepper on his tail. Hair gel mayb. Hopefully when the tail is healed or ouch. Spray the tail with vinegar something that smells bad to the dog and tastes even worse. HP brown sauce. Branston pickle with ground black pepper. Ide do anything I can think of now its becoming an obsession and infuriates your dog to the point nothing else in the world matters until he bites you or a kid.. My pup is starting to chase his tail now too when he should be going toilet he does that circling bs for the perfect spot then notices the tail and go after it. Thank god he is not spinning after it though. He's just trying to grab it. If the dog is spinning for it then you know its F'd. Bull terriers arent the smartest dogs anyway so training it out will need a smarter owner. Atleast you are on here looking for ideas though. Not filming it cos isn't it funny. Look at my funny dog YT. Those owners are the worst. Remember the craze of filming mini bulldogs pugs etc falling to sleep standing up. The Internet went crazy for it. Until the vets came out telling people they are dumb. They are not falling to sleep standing up they are passing out from exhaustion and lack of oxygen. Because of their flat faces which has now just turned into Europe banning them some parts of Europe anyway. There was another one too another craze people thought was so funny until the vets proved its far from funny. It might be tail spinning. Or tail spinning is another thing humans think is funny but really bad for the dog. Humans are fools on mass though. It takes them decapitating their dog to learn not to let the dog hang its head out of the car window lol. Poor dogs. I hope you find a way to make your dog lose interest in that tail ide have it chopped off if needs must. Better that than risking the dog directing that pent up rage at the next thing to come into focus especially if kids are around. I'm gonna dust my pups tail in pepper soon though. If he does it more and its more than just a passing puppy phase. Which yours definitely is an obsession at this point. Plus bull types don't feel pain like normal dogs do. Hence it not bothered even when it's bleeding minor annoyance but will set him off at it more since its humming reminding him its there waiting for more. A Vicious circle. Lol. I'm shocked how weak my new puppy is coming from a big Staffordshire bull terrier ide step on his paw and he'd just look at me. Mayb grunt. Never heard him yelp until he was old. I stepped on my Belgium shepherd's paw and omfg I thought ide broken his leg with the carry on that followed. He screamed the house down carrying his leg up I truly thought ide broken him. Wearing soft trainers too not work boots. This pup will try to break by me and the door I block the way with my leg he pushes his head into the gap starts screaming until he realises pull out then. Just the idea of this is gonna hurt seems to be enough to make this puppy yelp.

[@luvxykooo]

@@TrollingHistory Tysm for the info! I’ll give it a try! IT NEVER HURTS TO TRY! I just hope that by cropping his tail would help! I have went to many vets, hospitals, professionals, and they say it’s normal and others say it’s a major brain problem! Like bro I need an answer I just get different answers every time! Also, my bull is a very wise and smart dog he’s been trained and thought very well but the tail chasing bs is what makes him a bit different (people always tell me this all the time). Tysm for your time and have a wonderful day! (I got a pit bull and both my bulls get along so well!)

[@iloveuphysicsnowplzlovemeb2138]

Hello , my dog has the same problem . We took her to alot of vets and they said it was from anxiety but didn't give us anything , not even pills , just medicaments for infection for her injury . Everytime her tail heals , when we say she finally got better , she goes back to biting it till it bleeds . Can u please mention if the black pepper trick worked on ur dog or if u have any other suggestions please ? Thanks in advance

[@jonathanjohn7669]

I have a working GSD explosive detection K9, his biggest flaw is his tail chasing when he's frustrated, when that happens I immediately redirect him to do something else, most of the time it works...

[@SaraOndrako]

That’s awesome! I bet he’s an amazing dog. Intelligence in GSDs and anxiety can sometimes be intertwined so his tail chasing may have an underlying anxiety component. Great job with redirection! If he likes to bite grab a tug or a dummy to help him let go of some of that pent up energy and be sure to celebrate small wins with him to help with both the frustration level and keeping his confidence high. If it doesn’t resolve 98%, might be worth talking with a veterinary behaviorist to see if a medical component (even temporary) would be indicated. Does he have an IG or TikTok page? Would love to follow - I’m a working dog fan 😊

[@rtucker911]

@@jonathanjohn7669 My blue heeler is stimulated, has several puzzle games and feeders, toys, physical activities and still chases his tail all night and bites it until it bleeds. Vet recommended Prozac - 40 mg a day. He still spins. I have been through multiple trainers - the 1st one with 30 years experience. She said he was exhibiting OCD behaviors. I am at my wits end. My husband wants me to give him away but I can’t. He is 18 months old now and I just couldn’t do that. I just want a trainer who understands ACDs and this type of behavior.

[@mollyrobertson1614]

My corgi puppy runs in circles like he’s chasing his tail even though it’s docked, but he does it obsessively and will not stop. He doesn’t do it outside, he will only do it inside. How do I distract him inside without wearing him out even further?

[@katrinaphillips7749]

ok for starters my GS was trained by a Professional who trains dogs for the military and police and he trained mine with a prong and chain collar so you are wrong about that, I agree about the shock collar even though that to is needed sometimes. Best way to stop dog chasing is to offer them a chew toy, in my case a deer antler which last longer for aggressive chewers. All the treats are not good, you are teaching him to smell and snap at your hand all the time. Some dogs have obsession with food.

[@SaraOndrako]

Someone training military police dogs does not make them superior to other dog trainers or behavior professionals (which is what I am). It simply means they train police dogs. We also train military working dogs differently than pet dogs, even when that pet dog is a working line. I would never choose to put a prong collar on a dog because it's a GSD - that makes zero sense. Every dog is an individual and requires individual behavior modification planning, despite breed normalcies. Also - antlers are harmful to your dog's teeth. Ask any board certified veterinary dentist. I recommend opting for chewies that you can dent with your finger and that will break down in the system if too large of a piece to pass is ingested. I don't teach dogs to snap at my hands - in fact I've never had that problem using treats to train, quite the opposite - they all learn to take treats gently and that there's no sense of urgency. Simply because you have a trained dog that was trained using certain equipment and you use certain methods, does not make someone else wrong nor does it give you the expertise to offer professional advice without being that professional. Have a lovely day!

[@tinixbieni6653]

my gsd chases his tail too! when he started at 7m old everyone said we dont have to be concerned bc it‘s just playful behavior and it will end on its own. but it didnt change, in fact it got worse and worse. he ripped his tailfurr out until he bleeded. he still does it when he is excited or stressed out. Being in a calm state is a real problem for us. On some days it really costs me all my nerves 😢😢

[@DrTirsi]

Hi, did you ever manage to fix it? My gsd is 4m old and he is been doing it for over a month and it's driving me crazy, I can't take him any where because the moment we just stand he starts trying to rip his tail, even during play time. He is also triggered when excited and randomly through out the day. I was also told its playful in the beginning and now trainers are telling me to punish it. I don't want to have to give up on him but I can't deal with it anymore. Please tell me you found a fix for it

[@helenmcnmixvlog1511]

Wow so amazing to trail the dog 🐕 I salout you my friend thank you for sharing ❤ 😊 😀

[@SaraOndrako]

Thank you Helen!

[@jordan.ashlee1068]

My GSD came from trauma . The first year we had her she did great !! She would chase her tail here & there when she was excited ( previous owners kept her in an outdoor kennel with no toys so she just chased her tail all day ) well we moved and the vet said she got “triggered” .. she CONSTANTLY chases her tail to the point she has chewed her tail raw & bloody .. she doesn’t keep ANY bandages : cones on .... no meds have worked ..I’ve tried different training techniques .. exercise .... nothing is working and it’s been a year straight .. she only does it when she isn’t by us ...

[@SaraOndrako]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having to go through this - it can be incredibly frustrating and it's definitely stressful for your poor dog as well. Solving an obsessive behavioral issue like chronic tail spinning generally happens best with a combination of medical intervention and a behavior modification plan. A board certified veterinary behaviorist is best to rely on for medical maintenance for a problem this severe. If you can get an in-person appointment with one, they can put a plan together for you as well, however, it will definitely help to have a behavior professional assist you in the process. You can find a list of board certified veterinary behaviorists here: www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 and you can find a behavior professional in your area here: m.iaabc.org/consultant/ If in-person with a veterinary behaviorist and/or behavior consultant is not possible, I'd be happy to coach you virtually through this process. You can book a session with me at saraondrako.com In the meantime, this is a behavior that needs to be interrupted every single time and the dog redirected. Try to pay close attention to what triggers the behavior, and if there are times through the day, or specific locations in or out of your home where the behavior does not occur - take note of those. Whatever you do, DO NOT punish your dog for this behavior, (yelling, hitting, shocking, jerking, etc.) as it will make the problem much worse. Hope that helps! All the best in treatment - keep me posted!

[@thomaskreisel5764]

Im taking care for my sister in laws 7 months old malinois. He is chasing his tail too and sometimes bites his tail obsessively. I started to put lemon juice concentrate on his tail. I put a lot on it and when he started to bite his tail, he held it for about 3 seconds then he let go, so that he is not doing it anymore. But the spinning and tail chasing persists. Try lemon juice concentrate or something else thats sour. The more sour it is, the better!

[@tikatikatikatika3066]

My 15 month old girl that’s a Bull terrier, I can’t afford a behavioral therapist for my dog 💔I hope I can work with her , she has meds from the vet to calm her down and this just happened 1 week ago I’m so 💔I thought I was taking care of her right now look 💔😢

[@marek3361]

Hi,our German Shepherd does it only at garden when he is alone!in the House or outside walk never does it

[@lekhaprabhakaran2282]

I have labrador retriever and he literally spinning towards his tail and growling. Why is this? Any idea!. Please replay thank you.

[@shepherdqueens6173]

What if my German shepherd who is almost 2 does it inside nonstop, my parents may give her to rspca and I am helpless, could you please give me some advice, on how to fix or manage it.

[@marietaylor2043]

My dog chases and bites his tail and he bites so hard to where he draws blood

[@kateythesnakey]

My dog has this same problem and i habe no idea what triggered it. He was very fearful since i got him. But he doesnt do it all the time he does it at home when my other pug snaps at him or after i pick him up.

[@RandomnessTB]

Yes same problem, I haven’t picked him up once in fear of getting bit

[@jadeyvette]

How about a vibration collar to redirect? My dog is an Australian Cattle Dog who is 5 years old and barks at and chases his tail a lot of the day turning clockwise then anti clockwise each time. He can't help it. He gets so exhausted.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Yvette - it completely depends on how the dog is conditioned to the collar, how the dog responds to the collar (does it find it aversive, is he neutral about it, does he get excited when he sees the collar come out, etc.) and what you do once the behavior has been interrupted (your redirect plan). If he doesn't particularly like the vibration or hasn't been positively conditioned to the collar, I wouldn't recommend it only because any addition of stress to a dog that already exhibits OCD behaviors is going to increase the likelihood of those behaviors worsening or not being able to be extinguished. Hope that helps! OCD pups are a lot of work for sure but once you get over the hump, things can get much easier for everyone.

[@nadounadou9560]

I need a behavior modification and a veterinary behaviorist but I am in East Orlando Florida. Are they any there?

[@SaraOndrako]

You can use the DACVB site to search in your area for a veterinary behaviorist: www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=5985 There is also a list of behavior consultants that may be able to help you located on the IAABC directory here: iaabc.org/certs/members Hope that helps! :)

[@elxanmemmedov8841]

I adopted my stray dog when he was about 5 months old. Sooner I realized that he starts barking at his tail aggressively and chasing it like a psycho whenever I gave him dry food or kind of food that would take him several minutes to eat. So if I give him, let's say sausages, he eats them fast and doesn't chase his tail. Apart from eating, he never displays such a wild behaviour. He even bleeded his tail today while doing this.

[@notorious_yahyaa253]

Had he stopped yet

[@elxanmemmedov8841]

@@notorious_yahyaa253 Unfortunately, no. 😕

[@notorious_yahyaa253]

@@elxanmemmedov8841 oh I was just asking cos my dog has the same problem but she's started to stop after I took her out for a few walks

[@elxanmemmedov8841]

@@notorious_yahyaa253 greatt

[@leesahcage3297]

@@notorious_yahyaa253 my black lab mix started this same behavior but it usually happens when he is eating things that take time. He aggressively chases and bites his tail until it bleeds. I am going to try exercising him more.

[@fluffy3049]

My aunt's dog gets aggressive and chases his tail when you touch anywhere near it. He will chase his tail and bite it, quite hard, and hold it and look at you. It's not a pain response, he's been checked out. I've never seen this and I have no idea where to even start. If you hold him, pet him, come near him he immediately goes for his tail. Like it's a toy he has to guard. But it's also like the tail is alive and telling him things and it almost seems like "it's my tails fault, bite and chase it" which Ik isn't it but idk how else to explain it.

[@poohheer1785]

I can relate wd u...my dog has the same problem...i dunno wt to do

[@luvxykooo]

Same here! And just gets worse

[@robbiestewart240]

When approaching the dog have something he wants like a toy or food, let him see it and give him a command sit or lie or come that way you now have his attention then reward /pay him when he does by giving him what u have. Hope this helps

[@dtrainmclean4867]

looks like a reward for the problem....

[@kellyhayes]

What is this dogs pedigree? I think it would be extremely helpful for breeders to track which lines (and through which dogs) OCD tail chasing most frequently occurs. It seems to be popping up more frequently in the past 10 or 15 years than previously.

[@robbiestewart240]

Looks like a German shepherd cross with a belgain malinois, I have a Mali and it's hard work, it's 2 now and when let out the back or left alone it spins constantly and sometimes bites his tail until it draws blood.

[@notorious_yahyaa253]

My dogs violently growling and barking at her tail and she's opened wounds to it many times I can't sleep and I can't afford to take it to the vets nothing is working

[@spankytag]

Great video. My puppy has taken to chasing his tail a lot. I will try keeping his brain occupied during walks

[@braeraphael]

Leslie McDevitt is creating something like this Called LATTE.

[@SaraOndrako]

Leslie is great! Looking forward to seeing what its all about.

[@TrollingHistory]

Put black pepper anywhere you don't want that dogs mouth to touch. English mustard and black pepper is brilliant to paint onto anything you don't want chewing up. My puppy came here to my nice new home I've just finished decorating and the first day he started to chew bricks outside on my balcony the next day chewed holes into my Interior walls. 30 seconds and he's made a good hole. I couldn't have that. So painted those places with mustard and black pepper. Mustard didn't really help he'd just lick it off. But with the pepper it kicked him immediately and he was off and I havent seen him go at the walls since. I think brown sauce will work too. Vinegar even. I keep meaning to buy powder pepper so I don't have to grind it up. When he chews my hand I'll blow a dust of pepper into his face. Sand attack. Its funny how much more they listen to themselves rather than you. Like a kid who learns not to touch the fire. He'll only learn it after getting his finger burned.

[@THATSOLY]

Could you please let us how the puppy is doing now? has the behavior improved with training?

[@SaraOndrako]

Absolutely! Kelso is doing great! He’s even started bite work training. We plan on shooting an update video on the next month or so, so stay tuned!

[@CD-uk5eg]

Haven’t seen the update yet hoping to see it. I’m doing this with my pup right now

[@Lionforaday]

The biggest issue behind the majority of dog behaviours is something no one wants to hear - lack-of-exercise. Few people seem to appreciate the amount of actual exercise all dogs need. And by exercise, I don't mean the lame excuse of, "we have a big backyard" - if you do? Good for you, but your dog would rather go for a walk any day of the week. And if your dog doesn't like leaving the house or backyard? That's a problem behaviour right there, bc dogs are born to roam. It's a crying shame when people get a border collie and watch TV all day - then complain their dog has "problems."

[@gmont28]

Why make them stop? Its funny 😆

[@SaraOndrako]

Great question! It's funny to people but unfortunately very detrimental to the dog's mental health. This type of behavior is from a mental disorder (outside of the occasional silly puppy exploration behaviors) and is similar to what people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder experience. This is a behavior that needs interruption and redirection to combat so that the problem doesn't become worse to where the dog is a danger to themselves. It's actually quite a stressful cycle for the dog. Hope that helps!

[@Lionforaday]

Why would you say this requires a professional to fix, and then name your video this? The average person - properly motivated and with proper direction - is well-capable of working on these problems.

[@XGaming1876]

Why does the dog look like a hyena

[@misshelloareyouthere]

PROBLEM! OST pet parents can not afford pet behaviorist. Pet parents has to be their own experts

[@SaraOndrako]

You cannot be an expert in something that you have no experience with and if you make that attempt, you can make the situation drastically worse. There is always help available - if you cannot afford care, you can still reach out to behavior professionals to ask advice. There are many animal welfare and veterinary groups that provide assistance to people to help keep their pets in their homes as opposed to being surrendered or euthanized.

[@gregmcb5305]

Is your dog chasing his tail too much? Maybe your dog needs psychiatric help, all you have to do is pay hundreds of dollars to get the advice to give your dog more exercise and attention ect

[@pjcarter8605]

That dog needs disciplined not rewarded.

[@nikkilussier361]

OCD behaviour is not helped by being disciplined. There are great protocols for redirecting and helping dogs learn to self-calm. Punishment/discipline can make it much worse, it's rooted in stress, frustration and/or pain and sometimes genetics.

[@Layput]

Dogs are so stupid. They are totally clueless about their anatomy.

[@michaeldillon8217]

How to stop a dog from chasing it's tail, let them catch it

[@SaraOndrako]

Micheal - if the dog in this video were allowed to do so, he’d no longer have a tail at this point because of the trauma induced from him biting it so hard and it having to be amputated. I’d encourage you to watch the entirety of the video - I explain the difference between an occasional tail chase and a compulsive behavioral disorder that is much more severe such as this one. Best!

[@AlexJCross]

@@SaraOndrako tbf ms.ondrako I believe they were joking

[@ordinaryproductions1306]

@@SaraOndrako whoosh