[chul3l3ies1126]

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/24/dog-tail-chasing.html

Interesting read... thought you all would like to take a gander. Tail-Chasing linked to High Cholesterol.
Nessa

 

[Pai]

Hm. I know this is a known obsessive disorder in Bull Terriers (they're called 'spinners'). Perhaps this study could help them work that problem out.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I just saw this on the Yahoo News and was getting ready to post the link. Sounds pretty interesting. None of my girls chase their tails, but if they did, I would definitely give the cholesterol levels a check.

 

[KBLover]

So, they can't chase their tails because...they are just being silly?

I mean, Wally sometimes snaps back and grabs his tail, then looks at me and starts barking or wagging his tail with what I thought was a happy/let's play! expression...

 

[PattyU]

I was getting ready to post a link, too. I was checking to see if anyone had already. If mine starts chasing his tail, I'll get cholesterol levels checked. When I was a child, our dog would chase her tail. She lived a very long life with no apparent health problems. If she had high cholesterol, it didn't seem to shorten her life.

So, they can't chase their tails because...they are just being silly?

I mean, Wally sometimes snaps back and grabs his tail, then looks at me and starts barking or wagging his tail with what I thought was a happy/let's play! expression...

I think they can bite at their tails once in a while and just be playing. It doesn't sound like Wally is chasing his tail, at least not the way you describe it. When I think of a tail chasing dog, I think of one spinning in a circle trying to get his tail. He or she may catch it once on a while, but goes back to chasing for several minutes. I've seen dogs do this.

 

[Elana55]

Oh Atka woud chase her tail and do it a lot but I interfered and redirected her so she does not. Her 1/2 sister does it and the breeder spoke to me of it. Yet she thought it had to do with being in a kennel with room and crating sotopped the behavior. This went into adulthood.

Now this study comes out and it could have genetic triggers. Not that it matters to ME as my dog is spayed.. but it should matter to the breeder who owns and promotes this line.

 

[trumpetjock]

Rocky not only chases his tail but gets ahold of it. He only does this on days where he may have gotten less than his requisite 2 hours (or more ) of exercise, and is really super charged up.

Thinking about it, he hasn't done it in a few months, but when he does it's a real doozy.