April 19, 2011
In the last month, our 4-month German Shepherd has been chasing her tail and barking. This is usually displaed when she is excited. Any suggestions?
Full Question:
Cindy,We have a 4 month old German Shepherd puppy. Over the last 3-4 weeks she has been chasing her tail and barking. We purchased her at 10 weeks old and for the first couple of weeks she didn't demonstrate this behavior. We crate her when we leave the house and during the night, but she is out of the crate and on leash when we are home. We try to exercise her by walking her 2-3 miles per day, but that doesn't always happen. We have been correcting her by voice commands"NO" and that is enough some of the time. The behavior usually is displayed when she is excited, but she will do it even when playing outside. Any suggestions?
Dan
Cindy's Answer:
This behavior needs to be stopped right away, as it is a form of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I have seen dogs that started this as puppies become so obsessed with chasing their tail that they actually mutilate the tail and have to have it amputated. If anyone has ever laughed or given any type of positive reinforcement to this behavior, it can make it harder to break.
Since she barks while she is doing this I would suggest a no bark collar. You can find information on No Bark Collars on my web site. I use them in my kennel every day.
If she learns to chase her tail ‘quietly’ (no barking) you will have to figure out in what environment and scenario it’s most likely to happen and try to control her surroundings, but also may need to use a remote collar to interrupt the behavior. You may want to begin training her with an electric collar, so when you need it you will both be comfortable with using it.
This is a complex issue, with no easy fix. It’s a matter of lifelong management in many cases. Mental and physical exercise are the biggest keys to success. A mentally stimulated dog that gets plenty of age appropriate exercise is much easier to deal with. A tired dog is a good dog.
There is a discussion on our forum about this right now. Please visit our Discussion Forum. You don’t have to register to read the material, but if you wish to post a question or reply you must go through the registration process.
I hope this helps.
Cindy
Since she barks while she is doing this I would suggest a no bark collar. You can find information on No Bark Collars on my web site. I use them in my kennel every day.
If she learns to chase her tail ‘quietly’ (no barking) you will have to figure out in what environment and scenario it’s most likely to happen and try to control her surroundings, but also may need to use a remote collar to interrupt the behavior. You may want to begin training her with an electric collar, so when you need it you will both be comfortable with using it.
This is a complex issue, with no easy fix. It’s a matter of lifelong management in many cases. Mental and physical exercise are the biggest keys to success. A mentally stimulated dog that gets plenty of age appropriate exercise is much easier to deal with. A tired dog is a good dog.
There is a discussion on our forum about this right now. Please visit our Discussion Forum. You don’t have to register to read the material, but if you wish to post a question or reply you must go through the registration process.
I hope this helps.
Cindy
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