why-my-dog-bites-his-tail

Why my dog bites his tail

A puppy that bites its tail to play is fun and does not present any particular problem, but an adult dog that bites its tail excessively can attract the attention of its owners and make them worry.

Here we will first look at how to differentiate between a playful attitude and one that is caused by physical or emotional discomfort, and then we will discuss solutions to this behavioural problem.

 

My dog bites its tail: why?

There are several reasons why a dog may bite its tail. Here are the most common ones:

Reason #1: My dog bites his tail to play
This is one of the main reasons why dogs, especially puppies, bite their tails. It is often visually very funny to watch a dog reach for his tail while spinning around. This behavior, although very funny sometimes, is however not to be neglected and therefore to be watched. Indeed, it is important to observe carefully if the "game" does not become an excessive self-mutilation, in which case it is necessary to worry and try to understand the essence of this behavior. But in general, this behavior is not at all abnormal if it is punctual and especially if the dog in question is a young puppy.

Reason #2: My dog bites his tail to groom himself
As you know, dogs always seem to have trouble reaching their tails to clean themselves. And yet, a dog's tail is the area most exposed to various external parasites. So, it is often the itchiness that causes the dog to bite its tail simply because it is excessively irritating and as an animal that is considered clean, the dog needs to groom itself. Moreover, even when he can painfully reach his tail, he does not have the ability to control the movements of his tail by directing it to his teeth, for this reason sometimes it really seems that the dog "resents" his tail and wants to bite it: but no, it's just that he has trouble reaching it and that it irritates him in a progressive way, so when he gets there: he gives it all 😉

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Reason #3: My dog bites his tail to cope with an anxiety-provoking situation
When a dog is not comfortable in a situation, he may adopt compulsive disorders to try to emotionally unload himself from this famous situation. This will result in either aggression towards an object, a fellow dog or a human, or in self-mutilation. We talk about redirected aggression, either towards the outside or towards itself, which is the case for dogs that bite their tail. Biting the tail becomes a substitute activity to escape a situation that makes it emotionally unstable. This can be due to boredom, unmanaged frustration, intense stress, too much energy, etc. The most important thing here will be to identify the cause of the dog's alternative activities instead of just wanting to fix the symptom (in this case: biting his tail). Because by forbidding your dog to bite his tail, you will not solve the problem in depth and this means that either the dog will find another way to vent emotionally, or the same pattern will be repeated, in the more or less long term.

Reason #4: My dog bites his tail to get the attention of the people around him
It also happens that a dog understands very quickly that such or such adopted behavior attracts the attention of the people around him, and in particular of his master. Indeed, when a dog "chases his tail", this usually leads to laughter or concern: in both cases, all attention is focused on the dog in question. In fact, since dogs are social animals that need to interact, it is quite likely that they quickly understood that biting their tail meant: social interaction with my master! Here, biting the tail becomes a kind of inter-specific communication ritual (between the master and his dog). With each attention paid, the dog's behavior is finally reinforced because it is validated by this attention.

Reason n°5 : My dog bites his tail because he is in pain
Beyond the sometimes funny side of this behavior, it is possible that this attitude results from a real physical and/or emotional discomfort. This will be the case in particular if the dog whines at the same time as he bites or licks his tail. This may be due to pain from an injury, a bite, itching from external parasites, irritations that have become infected, etc. In any case, it is always recommended to consult your veterinarian so that he can examine your dog thoroughly to rule out any medical or sometimes even genetic problem. Indeed, a dog that bites its tail can also do so for genetic reasons, we call it a genetic defect due to a neurological dysfunction. I invite you to talk about this in more detail with your veterinarian. We observe these defects particularly in the Bull Terrier or the German Shepherd with long hair.

 

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My dog bites its tail: what can I do?

Let's go over each of the reasons explained here, detailing a few tips to solve your dog's tail biting problems for good.

If your dog bites his tail to play
It's okay to let your dog do this, especially with young dogs, as it's perfectly normal behavior. However, watch and do not hesitate to divert your dog's attention by offering him another activity if he gets too excited. In general, never let a dog get too excited about one activity for too long, always divert his attention to something else and encourage games that strengthen the relationship between you and your dog.

If your dog bites his tail to groom himself
Here again, you can let it happen but if it becomes too excessive, consult your veterinarian to propose a possible curative and then preventive treatment against external parasites. You will also have to disinfect all the places where your dog usually lies down (his basket, the sofa, the carpets, etc.)

If your dog bites his tail to cope with an anxiety-provoking situation
Do not hesitate to find the cause of this anxiety: your absence, the presence of strangers in your home, the change of environment, car trips, etc. There are many reasons for a dog's anxiety, the key is to find the cause and then propose an effective treatment. To do this, do not hesitate to consult a dog trainer to help you in this process.

If your dog bites his tail to get attention
It will be important here to stop paying attention to this kind of behavior. You will have to completely ignore your dog, without looking at him, talking to him or touching him. In other words, turn your back on him completely. Once your dog understands that this behavior does not generate anything in you anymore, he will stop it gradually. However, it is possible that your dog will find another behavior to get your attention or that he will even chew his tail to the point of hurting himself to get your attention. In these cases, do not hesitate to take more care of your dog, to walk him, to play with him, etc. and this in a regular way BUT always being at the initiative of the beginning and the end of each activity, do not wait that he asks for it.

If your dog is biting its tail because it is sick
Don't wait and consult your vet! By the way, for any of the reasons outlined above, whether it's out of anxiety, frustration, to get your attention, or whatever: follow each of my tips for dealing with the problem (ignore, deflect, etc.) but always promote your pet's good health by going to a veterinarian to treat your dog's lesions, whether they're present for any reason.