Dogs who chase their tails aren’t necessarily as happy as they appear. When they don’t know how to deal with a situation, such as meeting a strange dog, chasing their tails acts as a distraction. It buys them time while they think about what they’re going to do next.
This sounds like a silly way to cope with confusion, but people do similar things. It’s called displacement behaviour. Suppose you’re having an internal debate about whether to complain about the service in a restaurant or just to keep the peace and keep eating. While you’re making up your mind, you may rap your fingers on the table or fiddle with the napkin.

The physical activity is a stalling tactic, and it helps dispel some energy at the same time. Dogs who chase their tails may be doing something similar. Any stressful situation can lead to tail chasing. Dogs aren’t able to say, “Hey, take a break; it’s stressful”. Instead, they turn to a behaviour they know, as a way of calming themselves.

Dogs who chase their tails all the time may have a compulsive personality disorder. One clue is whether they do other odd things as well. For example, dogs who chase their tails also may chase shadows or the moving sunlight on the carpet. Or they’ll groom themselves constantly. Compulsive behaviours can be quite serious, and often need medical treatment.

Chasing Their Pain

Dogs do a lot of things that are utterly mystifying to people, but sometimes the underlying reason is the simplest one imaginable. Some dogs chase their tails because they hurt, and they want to give them a lick and bite for relief. Sometimes, a dog gets her tail caught in a door, stepped on, or injured in a fight, and no one even knows it’s wounded until they call their vet because they’re worried about the tail chasing. Once the problem is taken care of, the tail chasing will stop as well.

It might seem like harmless entertainment to watch dogs chase their tails, but it’s something that shouldn’t be encouraged.

It’s best for your dog if you work on distraction techniques if they start chasing their tail. Begin by simply encouraging your dog to stop the behaviour and reward them when they do.

5.) Aggression towards other dogs – Watch your temper! If you are tense, frustrated, or angry, your dog will mirror that energy right back at you, so it’s especially important to remain calm when dealing with an aggressive dog. But remember, always put your safety first! Seek the help of a professional to deal with this potentially dangerous issue.

4.) Overexcitement or hyperactivity – Overexcited or hyperactive dogs are not being challenged enough. Most often, they just require more exercise! Find a new activity to try with your dog – hiking, swimming, agility courses – or step up your current walk routine. Dogs require at least 30 minutes of a structured walk every day. Talk to your vet about how much exercise your dog can safely handle.

3.) Barking while the owner is away – This is most often a symptom of separation anxiety. You can help your dog to relax by communicating that being apart is no big deal. Instead of showering your dog with affection, practice no touch, no talk, and no eye contact for at least five minutes when entering or leaving your home.

2.) Barking at a specific stimulus – Take time to simulate the cause of the barking, and practice correcting your dog. If it’s the doorbell that sets your dog off, ring it when no one is coming over, so you can stay focused on the task at hand: helping your dog overcome this unwanted behavior.

1.) Problems on the walk – A canine pack leader leads, and so should you! Your dog should always be next to you or behind you, never out in front. Make sure you are the first one out the door and the first one to come back in.

Studies show that pet ownership helps reduce stress, lowers blood pressure and fends off feelings of loneliness and depression.

While nothing can top the love and companionship of a dog, there are some unpleasant behaviours that just won’t do – from barking all night to wetting the floor to chewing on your shoes when you’re not looking.
If your dog is exhibiting this type of behaviour, it may be acting out due to boredom, a lack of stimulation or simply because it hasn’t had enough training.

With proper lifestyle adjustments and diligent training, you’ll be on your way to having a happy, well-behaved pet. The following tips will help your furry friend become more obedient:

1) Dogs love stimulation – ALL dogs. Even if your schedule is tight or if you just plain feel tired out, make some time every day to play an interactive game with your dog. They will love it and it helps to break up the monotony of their day. Physical stimulation is one thing (going for a daily walk) but too many dogs are lacking stimulation of a mental kind. Keep their brains as fit as their bodies and you will notice a huge difference in the way they behave.

2) Routine. Dogs thrive on routine. Try and ensure that most things in your dog’s life have a routine, it helps to avoid confusion and stress. For example, if you are going out for a while, have a routine where you settle your dog in to their bed with a treat – if you do this EVERY time, after a while they will associate this with your going out. In some cases, they’ll actually be quite excited by the fact you’re going out! This applies to other aspects, travel, feeding, walking etc – try your hardest to maintain a routine, you’ll see how contented your dog will become when they work out what’s happening.

3) Socialiation is key. Dogs are social animals. Whilst you should never simply thrust your dog on other dog owning members of the public, it’s a really valuable bonus if you can find other dog owners whom your dog can strike up a friendship with. This stimulation and socialisation will make them feel so much happier.

4) Patience is a virtue. We live in a society where we want things now, instantly. Dog training is much like building a house, without the foundations in place, it might look like a house but it’s ready to fall down at any moment. Do the boring things with your dog such as teaching them to stay, walk to heel, come when called (first time, every time) – work on their discipline by teaching them to wait for food, to wait before jumping in to vehicles and to stay even when tempted to break (i.e. by teaching them to wait until being asked to fetch a retrieve you have thrown). These ‘boring’ tasks all go toward a magnificent set of foundations and well create a much more stable, reliable dog.

5) Recall. Never short change yourself on recall work. It’s a subject in its own right – and a hefty one at that, which we will be covering more via The Better British Dogs website and our mastermind group – but teaching a dog to come when called is really, really important. Never assume that because your dog comes ‘sometimes’ that this is enough. It isn’t. First time, every time – that’s your goal!