Spinning?

[Deleted User]

I bought a 5 month old female bull terrier puppy off of Hoobly classifieds. The pictures of them looked sort of sad, they had scars and scratches on their faces. I had originally tried getting a deaf puppy a while back, then tried going thru a rescue site. Both deals fell thru. I was skeptical as to why they still had 3 left at that age and also why they were only $350.00. There are really no bull terrier breeders in WI so I adopted her. She is very sweet, a little shy but seems to be adapting well as bullies do. Unfortunately, there are times she starts chasing her tail. I do not want this to get any worse and would like to get her to stop completely. I am hoping this is not genetic. Does anyone have any advice on this?

Leslie

Annette, my male used to do this:( to the point of aggression. I used an air horn to get his attention and give him a firm noooo!!! He hated the sound and it got his attention quickly. It took some time and he still tries sometimes but I can correct this now with just a no!! This is an obsessive compulsion know as OCD. I also think this stems from boredom and pent up energy as well as breeding. My male is extremely high strung and will now just turn and look at it and kinda turn then look at me like he's saying come on just let me:( but the incidences now are rare and with no aggression:) keep working with the dog it will stop with firm direction:) goodluck:)!!!

[Deleted User]

Thank you, I will try the noise. She is a little skittish with noises so that may help. I have tried pulling up on the leash and saying no as well. She wants to keep going back at it. She does it when she gets up in the morning and when I get home at night. After she is running around all day and playing with my male, it gets better. I also try to divert her attention to a chew toy, hoof, etc.

I have had her less than a week. The people got her from of course said she hadn't done it before. Not really believing it. Doesn't really matter, I am in it for the long haul. She is a lover and a cuddler.

Leslie

She sounds wonderful and I would love to see a picture:) a whistle may work as well and not so abrasive to the ears as the air horn is LOUD:/ but it was the only thing I found to stop him in his tracks. You will find something that works keep trying!!! Rescuing is wonderful good for you!!!

BulliesofNC

Unfortunitely it is a genetic disorder. It always saddens me when I hear about these type of situations where someone that really wants a Bull Terrier and ends up with one that has these type of issues. I love the Bull Terrier breed so much and often when you hear about people describing the Bull Terrier breed they bring up certain negative faults that only exist within some bad bloodlines and it hurts the true reputation of the breed. This isn't the norm and because we conduct Bull Terrier Rescue for the state of North Carolina I have seen it several times.

Annette, Leslie is correct by providing you with some useful suggestions to help minimize the problem because it can be treated and sometimes correctly. Sadly, in some cases, it can get worse. The usual times you will see a Bull Terrier display "tail chasing" is during times of boredom, stress, and even after being scolded by thier owner.

You will need to immediately get her attention as soon as you notice her spinning and scold her firmly for it. Sometimes the scare of a "NO" stops them and gets them thinking about something else vice the compulsive disorder to chase their tail.If the dog is left without any training or attention to stop the issue it will get worse and the dog can actually start to bite the tail and conduct self injury.

If you Google "Tail Chasing" or "Spinning" you will notice many articles describing this as a disorder and something they were born with. In bad cases it can become a serious problem where people have exhausted all efforts to minimize the problem and ended up putting their dog down because of it. Many times the dogs end up in shelters or pounds. This is where I usually find them.

Your dog is young and can be trained. Yes, the breeder knew about it and if he or she didn't than they didn't spend a second of their time with their puppies and cared nothing about them. Often these type of Bull Terriers come from backyard breeders or puppy mills selling NON-AKC Bull Terriers with many genetic disorders. It's become common to see them advertised in places like PuppyFind.com, Pets4You.com, NextDayPets.com, etc. Most of them aren't AKC but listed as "Purebred" with papers. Sadly they come with health issues that warrant a lot of attention and medical expense.

Due to the fact that you're seeking advice and help from others is a sure sign that your Bull Terrier is in a wonderful home with someone that truly cares for her and wants to see her succeed. With proper training I have confidence that you will be able to break the habit and prevent it from becoming a health issue.

About a year ago I had a 3 year male rescue Bull Terrier that was rendered to me that had a serious tail spinning condition that required a lot of attention. I placed his adoption on my website once I got him and began working with him. However after 3 days of advertising his availability I had a young man in his 20's wanting to meet with him because he had wanted a Bull Terrier for many years and said he was willingly to work with him. He spent the day with him here at my house and really fell in love with him. To make a long story short he called me about 3 weeks later and said he no longer chased his tail and was doing perfect. He spent a lot of time with him but you could tell he truly loved him and was willing to invest the time into him to adjust his negative habits into more productive activities. I think your Bullie will be just as sucessful with the same type of care and love.

Zerlett

When claxxton was a puppy he did this quiet a bit, the breeders laughed and encouraged it so when he came to me he got a big wake up call. I wont lie, I was harsh on him about it. We were soft at first but had to get more and more firm with him to make him stop. He did it when he was bored. I haven't seen him look at his tail in months now, must be 6 or 7 months now. I tried all sorts of things, before having to get firm with him, eventually we would show him his tail and when he went for it him gave him a firm wack on the ass and said NO! He eventually did stop. Tail chassing scares the crap out of me, and I wont have any of them doing it! He was the worst one I had, though all of my dogs did it as puppies at one point or another, just grew out of it and stopped. Exercise and plenty of mental stimulation helps a ton. While rescuing a puppy in need is a wonderful thing, you have to remember, your money keeps them in business. I would love to see a picture of the puppy, or the add in which you got her from.

[Deleted User]

The original ad is no longer there, but they have one for the male puppy they are selling. You can find it on Hoobly, It was posted about 14 hrs ago and it says16 week old male for $400.00 from Black River Falls, WI. There is a picture of the parents on there as well. I do have limited AKC papers for her. She promised the vet records this week on email which I have not received. Probably because there aren't any. Also, I dd not pick her up at their home but met her halfway. Was there a reason for that? I have not tried to put a picture on here yet, but hopefully soon. She looks just like the male puppy that they have advertised.

I have a vibration/shock collar. Does anyone think that is too extreme? I actually tried it last night and this morning with some positive results. The vibration is a warning signal. The shock has a low and a high. I used it on the low which is not that strong. I know, I tried it on myself, unpleasant but not over powering. I am hoping that she thinks her tail is doing that! Also, you can tell her tail has been broke about an inch and a half from the end. Not sure if she could have done that.

She does it the most when she is excited,, in the morning and

Leslie

Their is absolutely a reason why they didn't want you to come to their home....they didn't want you to see where these dogs are coming from as the people I got both mine from were not willing to show me their facilities either until I got my male and it was my request he meet me and then said it was to bad I didn't come over their he now has " tubs" and their really nice:( the results of buying these two dogs is one has medical issues and the other mental issues:( nope don't recommend them!!! I use a shock collar for nuisance barking and unwanted behavior their is nothing wrong with using these but timing is everything with them. The broken tail could have been caused by a lot of things my female don't spin but her tail has a crimp in it where it may have been broken possibly. I have heard about a dog that actually bit the end of his tail off from spinning. It can become extremely dangerous as I would never have grabbed my male and tried to stop him physically I think he would have bitten and not even know he did it:( you are reaching out for help it not only shows how much you care but speaks volumes on your dedication she is young keep trying you will find something that works!!!

[Deleted User]

I am on an iPad and it kicked me off and sent it before I was done with my post, annoying.

I had originally bought the collar for Gunther to aid in the cat chasing, worked wonders. He just has to see the collar and he is an angel.

She seems to do it when she wakes up and is excited to see me. Whenever I come home, etc. She follows me wherever I go. She can be outside playing with Gunther. If I go in the house she starts whining by the back door. She cannot continue what she is doing unless I am with her. I have to sit with her while she eats or she stops eating.

I am so happy I found this forum. The advice and support that is offered is so appreciated.

Leslie

My dogs do the same thing!!! They can be playing outside and as soon as I come in, here they come thru the dog door:( the food thing is bazzare????? Or an unhealthy attachment???? I too am extremely happy about this site it has helped me a ton!!!

[Deleted User]

If it is an unhealthy attachment then it was certainly fast. She was like that the first day with me. Maybe she is grateful that I got her out of there.

Zerlett, I sent you a couple of pictures thru your Zerlett kennel email. They were sent to me by the breeder.

Leslie

I bet she is!!!! I'm guessing the time she was given was rare and her living conditions were poor. Poor girl:(

Zerlett

hey i got the photos and emailed you back. Weird to me how she looks so sad and the dad in the back round also doesn't look happy, very sad. =( I think the collar is a good idea and if you seeing results-use it!

BulliesofNC

Those shock collars are a great training tool if used appropriately.

She's in good hands and I'm sure you'll be able to train her to become a well behaved Bullie that will eventually stop the tail chasing antics.

I want to see some pics of her!

[Deleted User]

An update on Chloe. Her tail chasing has decreased dramatically. I haven't been using the shock collar anymore. I think it should definitely be under control. I now just divert her attention and scold her. However, as I told some of you she sometimes tries to eat poop. Doesn't seem to matter if it is hers or someone else's. I started feeding her COTW puppy formula for the extra protein,no grain, etc. Hoping that it may be an absorption problem. I take her out on a leash and pick up all excrement the minute I see it. However, I cannot be around 100 percent of the time.

She also does not like men and hates my grown son who unfortunately has been staying with us. I have never seen an aggressive 5 month old puppy before. She wouldn't even relieve herself if he took her out. Yesterday was the first day that he said she went pee for him. The first day she saw him she lunged and actually bit him in the arm. Obviously that isn't allowed but I was not expecting that kind of behavior from her. She has however accepted my husband within a short amount of time.

She is only food aggressive with my male bully, Gunther. She doesn't care if the cat comes around and she is nice to my 9 lb. min pin. The bullies play but both fight over some toys and she doesn't like it when I pay attention to Gunther. They play great outside running around.

I contacted the girl I got her from and asked what had actually happened to her. She came clean and said that she had the stud dog and the people who had the female unbeknownst to her were dirt bags who let the puppies run loose in the house while they were at work. They had 16 year old twin boys and a 10 year old boy. Apparently child welfare came over and were going to take the 3 puppies they had left to the pound. She was contacted instead and asked if she would take them. She obviously did and was left with trying to find homes for them. She said the other female puppy had a damaged pituitary gland and was stunted and walked crooked. She told me that the mother dog had post partum depression and tried to kill her. I think it s more likely that the brats that were in the house crippled her. Chloe has a broken tail and has many emotional issues, however she is very sweet and loving to me. I am hoping that with training and support that we can turn her into a healthy, happy bullie like my Baby G!

As always, I appreciate any and all comments and suggestions. So happy I found this forum!!

Leslie

Great news on the spinning!!! My old female pit god rest her wonderful soul was acquired from a pig farm where the men didn't feed her and kicked her around literally. I got her at approx. 7/8 month's she would pee herself if a man was within 10 yards of her, after I built her some confidence she then decided she would just kill everyone she came in contact with. She would growl and bare teeth and stand right in front of me I was able to real her now overconfidence back in and she was much better after she realized not all of them wanted to hurt her. I remember the first time I ever seen her accept a man and my dad was shucking her peanuts as she stood just barely in his reach at the foot of his recliner. It literally brough a tear to my eye. She will learn with your help to trust but it may take some time. Have your son treat her everytime he enters a room with her in it and he should ease into her good graces shortly with a little petting after awhile... good luck!!!

BulliesofNC

Chloe is coming around and that's great! She's still young and developing both physically and mentally. It isn't rare that some Bullies go through a rebellious stage and even aggressive satge. 99% grow out of it with training and become a lot more passive with people. Chloe is on the right track and improving as she matures which is a good sign. She may always have the food aggression but that's not difficult to work around. I think with further socialization she'll learn to accept men and not feel the need to go on the defense and show aggression. Once she learns there's nothing to fear and realizes other people besides her owners will treat her kindly she'll learn to accept stangers. Due to her personality tight now she may always be cautious of strangers but that's not a bad thing as long as she learns to control her aggression.

xchairity_casex

Chimera will walk in cirlces around me while im getting there food ready when shes extremly excited, i always stop her and send her back into a sit or a lie down. so far it seems to be working.