Tail Chasing

Let's talk about tail chasing. First, see your vet, because compulsive tail chasing in adult dogs can be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder, spinal pain, or canine cognitive dysfunction in seniors. Tail chasing is not funny.

It is a red flag. Once the vet clears or treats the medical layer, the fix is redirection plus mental fatigue. Step one: interrupt with a known command — sit, place, touch — the second the spin starts.

Step two: do not laugh, do not film, do not encourage. Attention is fuel. Step three: twenty minutes of sniff work, food puzzles, or structured walks every day.

A busy brain does not spin. Step four: if it persists, ask your vet about a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. The ACVB directory is the right starting point.

Now, the deeper fix: a spinning dog is an under-worked dog. Twenty minutes of structured sniff work every day breaks the compulsion cycle. Now here's Steve's notes.