January 03, 2026
My German Shepherd has started obsessively chasing his tail over the last 6 months. It's become a problem and our vet has no idea what to do, any thoughts would be appreciated.
Full Question:
Hi Cindy, my dog is a one and a half year-old GSD who has begun chasing his tail over the last six months or so. It has gotten so bad that whenever the energy changes in any way in a room he immediately jumps up and starts spinning wildly in a circle, and even sometimes growls to himself as he does it. He is a great dog overall and has no other personality issues of any kind.. Our vet has no idea what to do. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. 
Cindy's Answer:
Good morning, this is a tough issue to tackle if your dog has been doing this for a number of months.
Is it possible to interrupt it once he starts? If so, how do you get him to stop?
Have you tried keeping him leashed and redirecting him to another activity when you see the signs that he's going to start doing this?
Will he respond to obedience commands once he starts chasing his tail?
I would micromanage him all the time and always keep a leash on him. If he doesn't already know how to go to a designated "bed" and lie on it, then I would work on that. Give him an alternative behavior (i.e., lie on your bed and stay). If he's obeying the obedience command, he can't chase his tail.
Is he injuring himself or biting his tail while spinning?
If you're unable to interrupt him when he chases his tail or he's doing this more often then it might already have crossed the line into a compulsive disorder.
I would attempt to identify early signs or pre-spin cues.
Calmly interrupt (e.g., with a “touch,” “sit,” or light leash guidance).
Redirect to a structured activity, for example - simple obedience, laying on a bed or some other easily performed command.
I might also suggest a veterinary behaviorist (as opposed to a regular veterinarian). They can help with medical and behavioral support. This is not that uncommon in certain breeds, and I've seen it over the years in GSDs, unfortunately.
I hope this gives you a place to start working on this.
Is it possible to interrupt it once he starts? If so, how do you get him to stop?
Have you tried keeping him leashed and redirecting him to another activity when you see the signs that he's going to start doing this?
Will he respond to obedience commands once he starts chasing his tail?
I would micromanage him all the time and always keep a leash on him. If he doesn't already know how to go to a designated "bed" and lie on it, then I would work on that. Give him an alternative behavior (i.e., lie on your bed and stay). If he's obeying the obedience command, he can't chase his tail.
Is he injuring himself or biting his tail while spinning?
If you're unable to interrupt him when he chases his tail or he's doing this more often then it might already have crossed the line into a compulsive disorder.
I would attempt to identify early signs or pre-spin cues.
Calmly interrupt (e.g., with a “touch,” “sit,” or light leash guidance).
Redirect to a structured activity, for example - simple obedience, laying on a bed or some other easily performed command.
I might also suggest a veterinary behaviorist (as opposed to a regular veterinarian). They can help with medical and behavioral support. This is not that uncommon in certain breeds, and I've seen it over the years in GSDs, unfortunately.
I hope this gives you a place to start working on this.
User Response:
These are great ideas! I will begin implementing them at once especially keeping him on a leash where I can control him because he does not respond to voice commands once he starts spinning. I wasn’t sure if interrupting him would create a psychological problem or extreme frustration. He does bite his tail at times, but does not seem to damage it in any way. The vet examined him and didn’t find any physical disorder of any kind. You have given me so much to work with.Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! User Response:
One final thought. Is this a place where an electric collar might help? I’ve taken it course on using the E collar and have used it in the past for training. I realize that this would be a sort of negative use but I was wondering what your opinion is.
Cindy's Answer:
I'm not sure about the ecollar for this, if he's been conditioned to it and understands the ecollar, there may be a use for it down the road but until you're getting some good results with the leash I would hold off.
User Response:
Will do. Thanks again!
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