Why do dogs chase their tails?

Does anyone know what makes a dog chase its tail?

Chance keeps doing it

could be a number of reasons.

i would probably say bordom. It can quickly become an addictive behaviour.
it can also be caused by a neurological problem, but i would have thought this unlikely.

what sort of things are you doing at the moment to provide him with mental stimulation?


i know a staffie pup that does it to tell her owner she needs the loo,lol

I generally don't believe it is boredom.
For a dog thats tied up/in a house all day, no people/walks etc, then maybe....

Teagan and Max (Isochicks dog) both chase their tails...during play, out on walks when having fun, just after a walk etc.
In none of those situations are the dogs bored.
I think most of the time it is fun, and a game for the dog.

sometimes they do it in play, yes...just cos they are ebing daft. Often though, I do agree with Jenny, they will do it when bored, it also becomes self rewarding and can become a habit and a problem...

As Hev said, Max does it on the beach, on the pavement, in the house...

He generally does it when he's having a "mad 5 minutes"

My max does it like isochicks's max usually start with the silly run crouched down low bombing on(sure you know what i mean) then chases his tail round before collapsing in a heap on the floor with a satisfied look on his face.. daft dog funny though

When Max catches his tail is the funniest...

It's in his mouth, so he's almost doubled round, and he wanders round in a circle a couple of times with a look on his face that says "now what do I do with it?"

So he lets it go and starts again

Maddy does it when she's having a mad 5 mins. She also runs about the house, up and down the staircase, and rebounds off the sofas!

It's just a game to her, every dog i've known has had a mad 5 mins. Not through boredom or lack of stimulation, just as a game and a bit of a mess about.

Sometimes dogs can do it through boredom/habit and other reasons though, same as they can chew, or bark for these reasons and that is when it becomes a problem.

Maddy has never caught hers yet, then again it is only a stump!

Tail chasing is a bad habit that really needs to be stopped. There can be medical reasons that a dog tail chases.
Try reading this article Sara, and if possible try to discourage Chance from doing it.

http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/app...tailchase.html

Ive heard it could be worms if its a new thing.
Sometimes its a habit created because the dog got rewarded with attention when they did it so do it to gain more.