Hi,

I have a 20 wk gsd puppy that I'm thinking is a little neurotic. I built him an outdoor kennel to leave him in while I'm at work. Well, I can't leave him in there any more because he'll bark and chase his tail for 7 hours straight. The bark collar (tritronic bark limiter) at low levels doesn't phase him, and at high levels just makes him worse.

I'm now taking him to work (at the vets), and he often barks and chases his tail in his cage. The bark collar does help decrease most of his tail barking in his crate and cage. But people at work are getting tired of me bringing him. So I really need to start putting him in his kennel.

He's getting plenty of excercise. Please see this thread:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/199290/page/2#Post199290

Any recommendations to stop him from barking and chasing his tail would be great.

Thanks.

Michele,
I think you must absolutely figure out how to tire the dog out before he's put in his pen. Or give him something to do or play with in the kennel. Cindy warned that this can turn into an ocd problem if a solution isn't found for the dog. And it sounds very much like that path has been started.
If time is an issue and you can't accommodate the dogs needs, I suggest you rehome the dog for the good of the animal and your own sanity.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

One of these items may help:
http://leerburg.com/1109.htm
http://leerburg.com/1146.htm
(actually any of the everlasting toys may help, these two are favorites at my house)

http://leerburg.com/1124.htm
http://leerburg.com/1120.htm

Also a kong filled with frozen cream cheese or peanut butter with treats mixed in it is a good thing as well.

It may help him to relax in the kennel and when he is finished he may "forget" to chase his tail.

Mental stim as well as physical is important. Do a good session of obedience or learning something fun like "touch" (where the dog has to put his feet or nose on something to get the treat. I use upside down rubber horsefeed tubs, dishes, boxes and what not for the dog to put their feet on) or something like that to help wear him out.

 Quote: carol boche

Mental stim as well as physical is important. Do a good session of obedience or learning something fun like "touch"

You beat me, Carol. Fetch is great for the body and short upbeat positive training sessions, lots of them throughout the day, help to tire out that brain.

Michele, are you familiar with marker training?

Has anyone considered that he might be barking and chasing his tail because something back there is causing him pain?

Also, if he has a no-bark collar on, and he's still doing it, and the collar makes it worse, maybe he thinks his tail is causing the stim for some reason. What happens if you remove the collar and give him something interesting to chew on like a cow femur filled with marrow?

I was thinking the same thing. If it's this neurotic very likely there could be an issue on his back end. A broken tail/tail with nerve damage can cause dogs to behave strangely.

If spinning is something that he does to deal with nerves that is another story.

I just bought two of the everlast treat balls today. I have put a plastic, hollow ball in the kennel with some kibble inside, but they fall out too easily. He also has a pig hoove and beef knuckle to chew on.

Before work today I experimented to see how long it takes before he starts barking and spinning. He had fetch games at 8am for 10 mins, 9:30 am for 20 mins, and 11:30 am for 30 mins. I put him in the kennel at 12pm right after his last fetch game. At 2pm I put his plastic ball with a 1/2 cup food in it. He stopped playing with it at 2:30pm and then barked and spun for 5 mins. I let him out when he settled at 2:37pm and took him to work.

The pup acts the same with no bark collar and bark collar on low levels.

Yes I have done marker training with him (he learned sit and down with MT), but I've stopped b/c he's on an elimination diet and only gets kibble. He gets bored of kibble quickly and wants to play. He's too mouthy right now to use objects in marker training. Prancing triumphantly with the object is funner than cookies.

The vet examined his tail, butt, and anal glands, and all was fine.

So, even more exercise? Seems like he recovers quickly. Sorry, rehoming is not an option.

Michele, just a thought, but is the kennel large enough to accomodate a crate? It might be worth experimenting with an open crate inside the kennel to see if he'd settle down better...

Also, does the bark collar work when he's crated? (does it control his barking?) Are you sure that it's fitted properly?

Michele,
Glad to hear you're going to see this through.
It sounds a bit like he's become obsessed with that tail. You must find a way to interupt the behavior.
I don't know if it's very popular with the board, but have you ever tied up a toy or tug in a kennel? Just a bit higher than the dogs head, in place of a rope use surgical tubing or secure the rope with tubing at the top. If it's something the dog can bite and pull on, it might keep him busy for quite awhile.
Also do a bit more training when your with the dog. If treats are out of the equation, use his tugs and toys to reward. Tire out that active little brain of his.
I take it the dog is to be a companion. Are you interested in anything else as well?


If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

A couple notes on that spring toy. If you're going to try something like that use something soft enough that puppy won't get hurt when the dog loses it and the thing goes flying about (that surgical tubing is springy stuff!). If I were asked to rig one up, I'd use either an Orbi Ball or most probably an ultra ball and tie the rope through the ball myself.
You want to tie it just over his head. You don't want it where he can just comfortably stand there a chew on it, but low enough he can easily get his mouth on it......ummm maybe half way up his ears measured as he stands tall?
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I must iterate; work that brain of his when you spend time together.


If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy