Why Do Dogs Chase Their Tail?

There are some questions about dogs we all have on our mind. Why do dogs chase their tail is certainly one of them. Well, there is not just one answer here. In reality, there are 6 reasons why dogs have been doing this. Today, we will help you understand this matter. Not all of these are harmless so pay attention.

6 Reasons Dogs Chase Their Tail

1. Your Dog Is Bored

Why do dogs chase their tail? Well, they are bored. Yes, dogs do this when they are bored. It is usually present in smaller and younger dogs. A dog will chase his tail for a few minutes and he will stop. But, he can do this every single day. Pets have a lot of energy they must use. If he spends days in a house and he doesn’t get outside, this may happen. 

The solution is simple. Help your pet get the physical activity he needs. Walking and playing with him are the best options. Anyway, you do have options and your pet needs them. Different dog breeds need a different amount of physical activity. Some must not play or run when the temperature is high. 

2. He Wants Your Attention

Dogs are smart. They will do a lot of different things in order to get what they want. One of those things is chasing the tail. For a dog, any action that gives him attention is worthy. You will need to test this option. Start playing with your pet when he chases his tail. If he stops, you have found the solution. 

The problem here is actually more complicated. You don’t give a lot of time to your dog hence he must do something to attract your attention. It simply means that you will have to play with him more. Believe it or not, dogs do need more time with their owners than you may believe. 

3. Anxiety

Anxiety is a huge problem for dogs today. It affects more dogs than you may believe and it is more problematic than some owners believe. First of all, dogs can suffer from anxiety. There are a lot of reasons why it happens. For instance, another dog may bully him. He may live in a space too small for him. There is no access to other dogs.

Emotional or even physical abuse. In general, if a dog is not happy and satisfied for a long period of time, anxiety will occur. He will start acting differently and you will have a scared, angry and upset dog.

As you can assume, there is something you must do. The first thing is to find the cause of the problem. If he wants to spend more time outside with other dogs, you must provide him. Make sure you do not abuse your dog. Some dogs are even scared when you yell at home! Once you correct the cause, the anxiety will go away.

This means that chasing the tail issue will lend as well. Dogs usually chase their tail when they are extremely anxious and they don’t know what to do. Try to remember that this reason may look similar to when he is bored but it is far more complicated. 

4. Ticks or Fleas

If a dog has ticks and fleas he may chase his tail. This happens because the tail is itchy and your pet must scratch it. He cannot reach it so he will try. Always check your pet and look for bald areas or dark specs in the coat (these are feces of fleas). If you find some, you will need to start treatment immediately. There are great options out there. Using ampules that you can apply to the coat are the most effective. If he stops doing this, you have found the problem. 

5. High Cholesterol Level

There was a study conducted that proved an interesting thing. Dogs who are obsessive about chasing their tail may have a high level of cholesterol. Scientists also believe that genetics has a huge role in this. A lot of additional research is mandatory. Anyway, this is another reason why you have to take your pet to a vet and check his overall health. If high cholesterol is the cause, treatment is mandatory. 

6. Health Issue

This is not a harmless reason. If this is the case your pet will need medical help. Cancer, Infection, pain, seizures, and all other kinds of things can cause your dog to chase his tail. He is in pain and he must react somehow. Chasing the tail may be the fictive solution to his problem. In this case, you must take him to the vet and he must give the dog.

To determine if this is the cause, you need to look at how frequently your pet is doing this. Usually, dogs will chase the tail all the time and they will be upset. This is also known as obsessive behavior and usually, it suggests that there is some medical issue present. If you diagnose the issue as soon as possible and you start the treatment, there is a lot of room for success. It is important to start as soon as you notice something is wrong. 

Additional things to know

There are a few more things we must add here. The first one is that some dog breeds are more prone to chasing the tail. The best examples are German Shepherds and also Bull Terriers. If you have a dog of this breed, make sure you are aware of the fact. 

In general, you should discourage this behavior and you will have to try and help your dog stop doing this. It is not something your dog should enjoy. In most cases, this will work well.

The Final Word

Why do dogs chase their tail? As you were able to see there are 6 reasons why. Not all are harmless and usually, this is a sign that your pet is not well or he has some problem. You need to start treating it as soon as possible and you will need to solve the problem in order to help your dog.

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