Tail chasing ??

corey90260

My 7 month old mini chases her tail a lot is this normal ? There are times when it is obviously play ,she will catch it an fall over ,roll around but other times she just spins she is still after her tail but can go on for awhile . Any suggestions ,comments would be helpful

Djammy

Tail chasing in Bull Terrier puppies is not uncommon. It is often a displacement activity. At that age already it can either be a sign of the dog compensating for an overabundance of energy. OR it can show exactly the opposite: a dog that is stressed out by TOO much exercise/ lack of sleep and that does not find its own way into rest.
The huge problem with this behavior - regardless of what's causing it - is that it can easily develop into an obsession, which is then usually hard to stop.
Therefore try to avoid any form of encouragement of this behavior (not even laughing about it, no kidding, that's encouraging). Try to interrupt the behavior by any form of diversion.

Besides exercise, brain games are a very good exercise for young Bull Terriers and teach them early to focus on their environment.
If you suspect your dog to compensate for too much energy because of to few exercise, try to provide more chances of exercise. But also consider the other possibility and in this case. And if you feel your dog is stressed out, start to train calming down with your puppy.

Either way, be a little patient and consistent. It will take some time to adjust this. But if you start now, your chances are very good that this behavior will not develop into some form of disorder.
Bull Terrier puppies are very sensitive in terms of the balance between exercise and rest.
Tail chasing is not the only unhealthy behavior an unbalanced Bull Terrier can develop, yet, one of the more obvious ones.

corey90260

Thank you ! As I said there are times I feel like she is just being silly , other times it seem more. Any Idea how to train a dog to calm down? We adopted her 2 months ago ,I have no idea what her life was like before we got her .I do know she was picked up by animal control and when they found the owners they signed her over . I do believe she was very stressed when we first got her because after 3 weeks I could see her change but she has yet to lay down and sleep anywhere in my house except her crate and that's only when we tell her its time to go in her crate ( she does like it in there though) . She is busy all the time if I am not playing with her ,walking her, training her she is chewing on her Kong ,chasing her tail , trying to play with my other 2 dogs . She does have some moments where she will lay down if you are rubbing her belly but it doesn't last long. I have never had a bull terrier my other 2 are pit and pit mix and I have never had a dog less than a year old .I am at a loss but really , really trying to do my best for her. Probably way to much information but I figure the more knowledgeable information I get the better for her. Thanks again for any and all suggestions

Djammy

Bull Terrier puppies usually are at pretty high levels with their energy. That's also a reason why some dog breeds do not like to play with them, because they play rough and full throttle.
They also take their time to mature. Usually, around the age of three, a very active Bull Terrier will start to settle a bit.
But no matter the age, they will always need a lot of attention. To me, it sounds like your Bull Terrier does get diversion in your home.
However, exercising these dogs can be a little tricky. On the one hand, they need to run off energy regularly. But only walking them hardly does the whole trick. Chasing around with the other dogs or after a ball is more suitable. Many of them don't even like walking very much and refuse to follow you on longer walks.

They are in general not made for long-term heavy duty on the other hand. They are more of the sprinter type than marathon runners. Some owners go biking with their Bull Terriers and do other cardio-exercises with them. But this is not a general rule. Their comparably small organs basically just deal better with quick peaks than they do with marathons.

Sorry, I'm just babbling, back to topic:

Training calming is actually not too hard after all. Just choose some healthy SMALL treats - subtract the calories from the daily food - and praise and reward your dog every time you catch her in a calm position. Try to find a command you repeat with it every time. Sooner or later she will get it that when you speak it you want her to dial down.

Sometimes it may be necessary to actively calm her down, just like parents experience it with little kids.
If you notice her being absolutely hyper and not able to calm down although she had a lot of exercise already, trying to eliminate stimuli and putting her in her crate for a short nap when she is going overboard may help. Just don't make it feel like it's a punishment.

Trick training can also help because it is a rather calm exercise and as I mentioned it helps the dog to learn to focus. There are quite a lot pretty easy exercises (shake hands, touch something with the nose, play dead dog ... browse youtube for tips) you can practice in really, really short and calm lessons. Again, only calm behavior is being rewarded.
Keep it very crisp and simple, don't expect too much from your dog at the beginning. Always remember that you are actually doing all of this just to entertain/divert her and challenge her mind.

If your dog like massages and stroking, try to calm her down with a little massage after playtime (fetching balls or so). This also strengthens the bond between the two of you.
Make sure that you NEVER reward her in that tail spinning situation. The only thing to do then is to distract her (clapping hands, shouting, calling her to you etc.)
Doing all of this with two other dogs around is probably a little easier said than done. But I still hope all of this helps a little.

corey90260

Thank You ! That really helps I can see I have already made some mistakes but will fix immediately . I was distracting her by asking her to touch ,sit, laydown and then treating her for doing those things. She is really bad in the afternoon while I am cooking she will spin at my feet . I do play Frisbee with her 2 or 3 times a day for 20 to 30 min. she really loves it. No tennis balls we learned day one that she is obsessive about them, rope balls she is good with. The calm training make perfect since I will add that to the training . My daughter was home with her yesterday and she hadn't seen or heard her in 10 min. so went looking for her she was actually laying in the backyard in the sun sleeping for 20 min. This is a first ,made me really happy.

kstorck

My BT is 10 months and has discovered her tail a cpl times as well. I remembered reading on here before to be quick to nip it in the bud and ensure they get adequate physical and mental excersize. When she tries to go at her tail I hold the end of her tail in my hand and let her look/sniff it. I just say "Tails aren't for biting" and immediately give her a toy she can bite or direct her to something else. Now all I have to tell her is "Tails aren't for biting" and she naps out of it.
Djammy mentioned the mental exercise and I have found that to work wonders as far as lengthening their attention span and developing their focus. When we go for a walk it is never just a walk. I am always changing my direction on her or asking her to sit here, lay here. I will have her heel for a few houses and then loose leash walk, or I will have her heel at a slow, normal, fast pace. This keeps her attention on me and what I am asking her to do and the benefit is it overflows into everything else we do. In our home now when I move she immediately inclines her head as if waiting for some direction. The mental training has really helped the obedience training to stick and her listening skills

corey90260

we rescued are mbt at 5 to 6 months old so unfortunately she came with the tail issue .She has done it from the day we brought her home . I believe if I held her tail it would only make her bite it but I will try it you never know. The problem with toys in my house is that I have 2 other dogs so I have to be careful or it turns into a tug of war and they play really rough ,she is still really mouthy so bites my other dog .

Djammy

It is always a little different and more challenging with other dogs around in the house.

I am happy that someone else has jumped in with their own experience because there is never only one way leading to the pope . I hope that my answers never come across like they were the only available option.
There are some general truths about the Bull Terrier. But especially in training, there is never just one way. And what may be just right for one dog-owner-situation is not necessarily the best option for another one. Sometimes it takes some experimenting and creativity to find your own way. Often it helps to observe a little bit in order to figure out triggering situations and circumstances.

Even just changing the daily schedule a bit in some cases can already help to correct certain behaviors.
For example, if after play time everyone gets their food, this will - probably, unless your dog is absolutely not food-driven - interrupt the urge to play and divert your dog's attention. If nothing exciting happens afterward, maybe that's already the solution.
But these are only things you can know and try out.

You will know judging by your own circumstances which approaches are worth a try for you in your situation and which are not.
We in this forum never witness the situation ourselves and always only know a few details. So, all we can do is weigh in with our own experience. The rest is up to you.

I think, sending your dog into a "sit" or "lay down" - if successful - is actually not the worst approach to stop the spinning. I am not sure, why you think that was wrong. Unless you don't do anything that rewards the spinning, trying different things is absolutely ok.
Firstly what you did - again, if successful - interrupts the action, and it is a calm behavior. Two for two!

If possible I would also try to avoid roughhousing in the house in general - maybe just allow it among your dogs outside, no tug of war in the house etc., if that is possible when controlling three dogs.This way, everyone, including your Bull Terrier, learns that the house is a quieter zone.
Quieter games as options to play in the house are the trick training, searching for things or treats, chewing on appropriate things etc. I bet your other dogs would also love doing that. So nobody loses.

corey90260

Thanks ! The sit or down did work but I kind of felt like she was hip to it , "if I spin she will ask me to sit and then I get a treat" I swear I could almost see her figuring this out We try very hard to enforce the no rough play in the house ... its a work in progress. We are working very hard to get her to stop and have good days and bad. I have realized the calmer I am the calmer she is . The great thing about this site every time I read a response it makes think of other things I can try.

Djammy

@corey90260
It is amazing, how much dogs are driven by anticipation. They love to know what's coming and they are really smart when it comes to connecting the dots.

Your gut feeling probably is not tricking you. Your dog may have figured it all out. Time to change rules and routines. Always keep her guessing.

As for the transferral of your own calm behavior to your dog, again, I think you got that absolutely right. They have the sixth sense.

Oma

I just read all the posts on spinning, I have a 15 week old who is chasing her tail and calling her to me works sometimes. Quiet time in the crate also works well, s he might spin in there for a minute or two but usually gives up, a kong with peanut butter is also a good distraction. I wonder sometimes if our 5 year old MBT stimulates her too much.

Oma

So i just noticed the date on the tail chasing was two years ago how goes it now?

corey90260

After trying everything for about 8 months we went to the vet . Mackenzie is now on clomacalm and it has helped tremendously she almost never chases her tail . I was worried it might change her personality but other than the tail chasing I see no difference in her. I'm not saying that is what you should do ,you have a very young dog .We got Mackenzie at about 5 months/rescue and do not believe she was treated well by her prior owners...I believe she was crated most of the time. The hope for us is that eventually we can take her off the clomcalm.

Oma

Thanks Corey the vet said it could just be a puppy thing but that we dont want it to become an obsession. The vet said to use the cone of shame, and it slowed her down a bit, last night we put the cone around her tummy and the spinning stopped totally. She still played and was able to eat and drink with it that was better because around her neck she could not drink or eat. I have enrolled her in another puppy class and we will see what happens once that starts. She is doing well for now 16 weeks. She comes when called, walks well on loose leash, sits when instructed. We are very pleased that she is learning easily and hopefully will unlearn the spinning. Our 5 year old Rue occasionally has a little spin but stops if you tell her to stop. Rue is not crated at all anymore. She is very well behaved if left alone uncreated.

Oma

I will keep the name of the medication at hand for our vet as a last resort.

Brooklyn

Vinnie is 3 yo and chases his tail occasionally. For us it is a clear sign he is under exercised. Taking him for a long walk or playing outdoors usually solves the problem for a day.