If you own a cat, you will probably not be surprised when you see your cat running in circles, trying to chase their tails. However, it can be perplexing to dog owners if their pets start to chase their tails! It does make them wonder if are they really a cat! The question “Why Do Dogs Chase Their Tails” do come up to us quite often when we talk to owners of multiple pets. Let us find out why do dogs chase their tails in this article.

Why Do Dogs Chase Their Tails

There are in fact various reasons at which why do dogs chase their tails. The act of chasing their own tail is commonly known as whirling. It is said to be a very natural behavior that can be seen in various animals. Take for the example of the cat family. You have seen the cats chase their own tails. What is more uncommon, but still occurring, is that the tigers and lions do the same thing too, especially when they are still a pup! So why do they chase their own tails? Let us find out!

Bored

This is actually one of the top reasons why dogs chase their tails. When their owners do not play with them, and they lack the toys to release their energy, the dogs will eventually turn to chasing their tails. This can be bad for the dogs. Always try to keep the dogs occupied, so that they can be mentally and physically stimulated.

Fleas

This is a problem that I noticed recently. I saw that my dog was chasing her own tail, and she started to develop this foul smell. During a regular grooming session, I noticed that her tail have pus on it. It is then I realized that she had an infection, and hence the reason why she is chasing her own tail. The pus can be caused by fleas or any other disease that is affecting the dog.

Attention Seeking

Some dogs chase their tails just to amuse their owners! Just ask yourself this question, how many of you laugh when your dogs chase their own tails? If you find it amusing, then your dog will probably try to do it more often just to please you!

Compulsive Disorder

This is not a very common answer that most people will think of. Yes, dogs do have compulsive disorder too. Sometimes, dogs that have a compulsive disorder will do things for no apparent reason at all. While it cannot be detected that early, it will be good to know this as you will understand how to better stop the dog from chasing their own tails.

 

How To Stop Dogs From Chasing Their Own Tails

One of the best ways is to bring your dog to the vet for a proper diagnosis. This is because there are some problems that cannot be detected by the untrained eye. Take of the example of a dog with compulsive disorder. It will be difficult for an untrained eye to determined if its a compulsive disorder, or if your dog is just bored.

Also, if your dog is suffering from any illness, then the vet is able to administer the correct medicine too.

Apart from the medical professionals, you can also reprimand the dog when they are chasing their own tails. Do remember to be consistent and not laugh at it and reprimand them the next time they do this.