German shepherd chasing tail

My recommendations are a consult with a veterinary behaviorist and possibly medication. German Shepherds are one of the breeds prone to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) type behaviors. Theirs frequently takes the form of tail chasing.

You can find board certified behaviorists here https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 Your primary vet might need to make a referral for you.

jakefinley said:

Hello all i have a 6 month old German Shepperd and he will not stop chasing his tail and i cant seem to stop it. he doesnt do it in his cage or in the car or when we are outside playing, but when we are inside and i am eating or sitting on the couch he will start chasing is. I try and play tug or fetch but he is more interested in his tail. Any recommendations

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Tail chasing behavior in German Shepherds is GENETIC. It is a serious genetic flaw.

It can become so obsessive that the dog will do this literally all the time. There have been German Shepherd's euthanized for the behavior. It is a misdirected drive behavior.

The best you can do is interrupt the behavior and redirect the dog to chasing a ball, a toy or to something else. The more the dog chases it's tail the more the dog will chase it's tail as the obsessive behavior is (somehow) self rewarding.

When you are inside and not engaging with the dog put him in his crate with a raw meaty bone to chew or a Kong with stuffed with plain yogurt.

This dog will also need a lot of mental stimulation to try to keep his mind a little tired so there is less inclination to resort to obsessive behaviors (he may develop other obsessive behaviors such as digging in his water bowl or a corner of his plastic crate as he gets older since he is genetically wired that way).